
Highest paying jobs in Boise for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Boise for high school graduates
The average college graduate in 2019 earned $78,000 a year, while the average high school graduate takes home just $45,000, according to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. To put it in perspective, the average annual wage for workers in the U.S. that same year was $51,916.27.
Of course, college isn’t for everyone. There are many reasons high-school graduates may choose to not continue on to college, not the least of which being cost. Average tuition costs continue to rise each year, the exception being the 2020-2021 school year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Average tuition at a public, in-state university coming in at $9,687; tuition for out-of-state students at public schools, and for everyone at private universities, is significantly higher at $21,874 and $35,087, respectively.
Just because you decide higher education isn’t in the cards doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to a lifetime of low-paying jobs. You just need to be strategic about the career you choose. Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying jobs for high school graduates in Boise, ID using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2019 annual mean wage.
As this BLS data reflects the 2019 calendar year, the wages listed do not reflect any economic changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Keep reading to see which jobs in your city pay the most for high school graduates.

#50. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,290
- #162 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,480
- Employment: 131,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($96,050)
--- Pittsfield, MA ($83,850)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($81,270)
#49. Cargo and freight agents
- Annual mean salary: $46,390
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,770
- Employment: 95,810
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bend-Redmond, OR ($71,990)
--- Erie, PA ($66,030)
--- New Haven, CT ($61,930)
#48. Dental laboratory technicians
- Annual mean salary: $47,000
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,330
- Employment: 34,460
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Ocala, FL ($94,800)
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($64,810)
--- Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC ($61,560)
#47. Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation
- Annual mean salary: $47,350
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,230
- Employment: 25,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($79,020)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($73,240)
--- Stockton-Lodi, CA ($62,800)

#46. Logging equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $47,510
- #18 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,060
- Employment: 26,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Lewiston, ID-WA ($64,200)
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($57,390)
--- Bellingham, WA ($55,630)
#45. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $48,160
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,630
- Employment: 36,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Las Cruces, NM ($70,380)
--- Yuma, AZ ($58,140)
--- Bloomington, IL ($57,820)
#44. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Annual mean salary: $48,460
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,500
- Employment: 53,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($82,420)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($78,050)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($77,870)

#43. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $48,840
- #189 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,660
- Employment: 129,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Gainesville, GA ($93,860)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,720)
--- Tulsa, OK ($92,380)

#42. Tree trimmers and pruners
- Annual mean salary: $49,030
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,510
- Employment: 47,210
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($60,410)
--- Lewiston-Auburn, ME ($57,140)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($56,810)

#41. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $49,160
- #238 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,400
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,800
- Employment: 442,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($89,470)
--- Kankakee, IL ($88,790)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,230)
#40. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $49,940
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,390
- Employment: 144,180
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($79,950)
--- Napa, CA ($73,930)
--- Raleigh, NC ($69,030)

#39. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $49,990
- #200 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 550
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,840
- Employment: 147,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($80,010)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($77,660)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,510)

#38. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $50,290
- #249 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,420
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,370
- Employment: 688,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($100,400)
--- Trenton, NJ ($84,950)
--- Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA ($84,810)

#37. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $50,320
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,060
- Employment: 162,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($103,700)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,250)
--- Midland, TX ($92,340)
#36. Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $50,830
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,620
- Employment: 15,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($78,950)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,250)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($60,690)

#35. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $51,120
- #163 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,610
- Employment: 81,170
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Flagstaff, AZ ($56,540)
--- Florence, SC ($56,080)
--- Monroe, MI ($55,650)

#33 (tie). Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $51,150
- #60 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,450
- Employment: 42,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($120,210)
--- Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN ($118,170)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($116,740)

#33 (tie). Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $51,150
- #114 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,640
- Employment: 370,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($73,910)
--- Parkersburg-Vienna, WV ($68,320)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($67,050)

#32. Hazardous materials removal workers
- Annual mean salary: $51,250
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,740
- Employment: 44,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Knoxville, TN ($74,470)
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($73,420)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($65,910)

#31. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $51,490
- #219 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 690
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,180
- Employment: 339,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($56,610)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,220)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($54,930)
#30. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $51,770
- #263 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 780
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- Employment: 542,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($85,420)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($82,480)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,240)

#29. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $52,200
- #105 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- Employment: 46,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($111,530)
--- Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ ($109,710)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($108,460)

#28. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Annual mean salary: $52,220
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,190
- Employment: 102,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($55,700)
--- Wausau, WI ($55,630)
--- Lansing-East Lansing, MI ($54,450)

#27. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $52,870
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,450
- Employment: 72,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Florence, SC ($83,250)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($71,680)
--- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA ($68,380)

#26. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $53,130
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,470
- Employment: 60,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($87,010)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,640)
--- Pittsfield, MA ($79,000)

#25. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $53,300
- #242 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,820
- Employment: 235,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Ocean City, NJ ($91,790)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($90,830)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($89,760)
#24. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $53,710
- #239 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,880
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,130
- Employment: 1,487,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($73,300)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($73,050)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($71,190)

#23. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $54,330
- #254 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,140
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC ($94,480)
--- Walla Walla, WA ($88,980)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($88,360)

#22. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $58,080
- #151 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,390
- Employment: 110,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($101,820)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($101,000)
--- Madera, CA ($95,910)

#21. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,640
- #255 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,570
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX ($100,350)
--- Longview, WA ($96,560)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($95,410)

#20. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $61,690
- #206 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 910
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($103,440)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($88,480)
--- Hammond, LA ($86,880)

#19. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $62,230
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,960
- Employment: 9,500
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN ($69,400)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($68,270)
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($68,190)

#18. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $62,460
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 52,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($91,020)
--- Glens Falls, NY ($86,890)
--- Madison, WI ($85,750)

#17. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $63,030
- #291 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 990
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,180)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,740)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($88,950)

#16. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $63,520
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,530
- Employment: 45,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Reading, PA ($82,410)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,220)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($81,920)

#15. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,610
- #240 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,900
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($108,140)
--- Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA ($104,640)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($99,580)

#14. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $65,340
- #125 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 920
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,780
- Employment: 410,050
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,960)
--- New Bedford, MA ($103,050)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($97,130)
#13. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $65,590
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,050
- Employment: 52,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Coeur d'Alene, ID ($77,130)
--- Tyler, TX ($72,760)
--- Eugene, OR ($71,230)

#12. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Annual mean salary: $66,630
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $80,360
- Employment: 5,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Napa, CA ($119,300)
--- Salinas, CA ($117,330)
--- Stockton-Lodi, CA ($109,080)

#11. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $68,680
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,710
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Fe, NM ($94,880)
--- Kingston, NY ($91,660)
--- Portsmouth, NH-ME ($90,850)
#10. Meter readers, utilities
- Annual mean salary: $69,960
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,250
- Employment: 30,450
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,620)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($72,950)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($72,520)

#9. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $73,890
- #100 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Redding, CA ($116,900)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($111,740)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,670)

#8. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $74,010
- #187 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($116,640)
--- Raleigh, NC ($112,570)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($110,260)

#7. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $75,700
- #89 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $102,870
- Employment: 37,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($164,720)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($139,920)
--- Jackson, MS ($136,010)

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $79,780
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($125,850)
--- Anchorage, AK ($122,370)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($122,130)

#5. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $80,330
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,530
- Employment: 30,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($120,180)
--- Anchorage, AK ($105,450)
--- Oklahoma City, OK ($101,660)

#4. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $81,900
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,370
- Employment: 33,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,470)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($105,500)
--- Modesto, CA ($102,510)
#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $85,770
- #227 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO ($151,260)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($144,220)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($139,860)
#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $91,720
- #114 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $94,950
- Employment: 121,340
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($189,800)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($180,940)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($178,670)

#1. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $103,630
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,910
- Employment: 10,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($136,810)
--- Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($127,700)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($121,450)



