
Highest paying jobs in El Paso for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in El Paso 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 El Paso, TX 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. Tax preparers
- Annual mean salary: $40,300
- #127 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,550
- Employment: 66,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,620)
--- Abilene, TX ($74,440)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,280)
#49. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Annual mean salary: $40,460
- #154 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 490
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,960
- Employment: 208,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($54,540)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($52,710)
--- Wilmington, NC ($51,390)
#48. Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks
- Annual mean salary: $40,610
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,880
- Employment: 26,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($58,890)
--- Providence-Warwick, RI-MA ($51,460)
--- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI ($51,320)

#47. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Annual mean salary: $40,840
- #155 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,210
- Employment: 71,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($67,650)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($66,170)
--- Anchorage, AK ($65,830)

#46. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $41,080
- #293 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,680
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,830
- Employment: 1,171,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boulder, CO ($58,960)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($58,460)
--- New Haven, CT ($58,360)

#45. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $41,350
- #370 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- Employment: 387,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($84,670)
--- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA ($82,010)
--- Manhattan, KS ($81,810)

#44. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $41,940
- #233 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,190
- Employment: 410,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Wheeling, WV-OH ($85,310)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($74,280)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($71,220)

#43. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $41,990
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)
#42. Dental laboratory technicians
- Annual mean salary: $42,000
- #93 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#41. Earth drillers, except oil and gas; and explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
- Annual mean salary: $42,050
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,890
- Employment: 24,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($79,010)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($66,250)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($65,570)
#40. Community health workers
- Annual mean salary: $42,310
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,390
- Employment: 58,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Manchester, NH ($72,610)
--- Trenton, NJ ($67,000)
--- Savannah, GA ($65,130)

#39. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $42,370
- #175 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)
#38. Word processors and typists
- Annual mean salary: $43,270
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,880
- Employment: 47,460
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($63,600)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($55,990)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($53,110)
#37. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Annual mean salary: $43,480
- #99 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,030
- Employment: 154,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($68,870)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($63,300)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($61,640)

#36. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $43,880
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)

#35. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $44,180
- #389 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,770
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)

#34. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $44,270
- #140 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)
#33. Cargo and freight agents
- Annual mean salary: $44,590
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400
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)

#32. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $45,410
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,370)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,200)
--- Springfield, IL ($97,940)

#31. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $45,780
- #333 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 840
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)

#30. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $45,960
- #341 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,650
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)

#29. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,260
- #388 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 930
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)

#28. Riggers
- Annual mean salary: $46,320
- #45 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,420
- Employment: 23,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,340)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($78,220)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,610)
#27. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $47,580
- #357 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,400
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)
#26. Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks
- Annual mean salary: $48,790
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,390
- Employment: 123,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Memphis, TN-MS-AR ($57,770)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($55,230)
--- Cleveland-Elyria, OH ($53,400)

#25. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $49,490
- #257 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)

#24. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Annual mean salary: $49,960
- #96 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#23. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $50,450
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,180
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,130
- Employment: 423,050
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Stockton-Lodi, CA ($81,280)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($79,830)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($79,710)

#22. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $50,700
- #183 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)

#21. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $51,050
- #138 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,310
- Employment: 128,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($91,770)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($84,240)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($83,490)

#20. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $51,920
- #264 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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)

#19. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $52,000
- #140 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
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)

#18. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $52,090
- #371 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,220
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)
#17. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $52,190
- #252 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 880
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)

#16. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $54,280
- #105 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#15. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $55,910
- #214 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#14. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $56,020
- #363 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 920
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)

#13. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $57,080
- #161 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 220,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Charleston-North Charleston, SC ($110,010)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($107,190)
--- San Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PR ($103,530)

#12. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $57,740
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#11. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $58,640
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
#10. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $59,570
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#9. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $64,630
- #169 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)

#8. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $64,700
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,670
- Employment: 120,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Rockford, IL ($90,480)
--- Fresno, CA ($89,820)
--- Redding, CA ($88,850)

#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $65,210
- #276 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 710
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $69,390
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#5. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $76,800
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,830
- Employment: 40,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Billings, MT ($91,500)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,580)
--- Anchorage, AK ($90,400)

#4. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $80,600
- #40 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $84,500
- #92 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,690
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $93,130
- #174 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)
#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $117,770
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)


