Highest paying jobs in Fort Smith for high school graduates

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

Highest paying jobs in Fort Smith 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 Fort Smith, AR-OK 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.

1 / 50

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

#50. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $35,970
- #295 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $52,340
- Employment: 103,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($77,450)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($72,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($71,740)

2 / 50

Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

#49. First-line supervisors of gambling services workers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $36,140
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $51,850
- Employment: 29,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($66,310)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($64,890)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($60,410)

3 / 50

Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock

#48. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $36,960
- #230 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,900
- Employment: 168,140
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,580)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($74,320)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($69,990)

4 / 50

Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

#47. Carpenters

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $37,480
- #333 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250

National
- Annual mean salary: $52,850
- Employment: 734,170
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($78,650)
--- Salinas, CA ($74,350)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($74,280)

5 / 50

Sabel Blanco // Pexels

#46. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $37,490
- #167 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $45,110
- Employment: 325,500
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Danbury, CT ($64,860)
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($64,310)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($62,880)

6 / 50

Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

#45. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $37,680
- #212 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,110
- Employment: 139,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,890)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($68,450)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($64,900)

7 / 50

Canva

#44. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $37,700
- #347 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350

National
- Annual mean salary: $54,210
- Employment: 405,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($92,640)
--- Kankakee, IL ($87,470)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($86,240)

8 / 50

Rob Kim // Getty Images

#43. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $37,970
- #365 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,350

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)

9 / 50

Canva

#42. Automotive body and related repairers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $38,300
- #313 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

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)

10 / 50

Rido // Shutterstock

#41. Opticians, dispensing

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $38,390
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $40,730
- Employment: 72,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($70,730)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($68,970)
--- New Haven, CT ($66,020)

11 / 50

Pxhere

#40. Maintenance workers, machinery

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $38,740
- #202 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

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)

12 / 50

Kot500 // Shutterstock

#39. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $38,790
- #356 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,360
- Employment: 266,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($69,910)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($68,840)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($67,900)

13 / 50

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#38. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $39,320
- #292 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,390
- Employment: 142,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($64,210)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($63,280)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($60,950)

14 / 50

London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images // Getty Images

#37. Machinists

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $39,430
- #323 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180

National
- Annual mean salary: $46,120
- Employment: 383,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Manchester, NH ($69,820)
--- Anchorage, AK ($67,000)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($66,940)

15 / 50

Pixabay

#36. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $39,820
- #298 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410

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)

16 / 50

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#35. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $40,480
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

National
- Annual mean salary: $43,280
- Employment: 257,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Eugene, OR ($57,510)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($55,730)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($54,620)

17 / 50

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

#34. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $40,790
- #336 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250

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)

18 / 50

giocalde // Shutterstock

#33. Printing press operators

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $41,560
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270

National
- Annual mean salary: $39,100
- Employment: 173,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($53,600)
--- Trenton, NJ ($52,370)
--- Napa, CA ($51,410)

19 / 50

Canva

#32. Construction and building inspectors

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $42,650
- #287 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

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)

20 / 50

Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock

#31. Community health workers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $43,460
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

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)

21 / 50

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

#29 (tie). Food service managers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $44,150
- #352 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

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)

22 / 50

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#29 (tie). Advertising sales agents

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $44,150
- #235 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

23 / 50

Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images

#28. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $44,490
- #355 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 730

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)

24 / 50

Canva

#27. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $44,510
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

25 / 50

SritanaN // Shutterstock

#26. Industrial machinery mechanics

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $44,770
- #352 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 640

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)

26 / 50

Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#25. Electricians

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $44,790
- #338 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280

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)

27 / 50

welcomia // Shutterstock

#24. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $46,630
- #278 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

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)

28 / 50

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#23. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $46,760
- #276 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230

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)

29 / 50

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

#22. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $47,040
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

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)

30 / 50

Canva

#21. Cargo and freight agents

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $47,220
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180

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)

31 / 50

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#20. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $47,950
- #327 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

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)

32 / 50

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

#19. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $48,780
- #342 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,170

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)

33 / 50

rlat // Shutterstock

#18. Postal service clerks

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $48,910
- #257 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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)

34 / 50

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

#17. Property, real estate, and community association managers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $48,940
- #238 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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)

35 / 50

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

#16. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $49,470
- #385 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)

36 / 50

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#15. Insurance sales agents

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $49,750
- #293 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330

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)

37 / 50

Unsplash

#14. Crane and tower operators

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $50,180
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

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)

38 / 50

sculpies // Shutterstock

#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $51,290
- #377 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400

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)

39 / 50

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

#12. Postal service mail carriers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $51,570
- #205 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260

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)

40 / 50

Brian S. Hagberg // Wikimedia Commons

#11. Self-enrichment teachers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $53,930
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $46,120
- Employment: 252,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($65,570)
--- Warner Robins, GA ($65,340)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($64,710)

41 / 50

Canva

#10. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $54,740
- #318 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

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)

42 / 50

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#9. Private detectives and investigators

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $55,220
- #40 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $57,000
- Employment: 35,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Raleigh, NC ($85,480)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($81,070)
--- Fresno, CA ($78,590)

43 / 50

4 PM production // Shutterstock

#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $57,610
- #358 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500

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)

44 / 50

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

#7. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $59,170
- #302 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,030

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)

45 / 50

Prath // Shutterstock

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $60,260
- #220 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

46 / 50

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $63,550
- #296 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260

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)

47 / 50

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $69,230
- #99 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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)

48 / 50

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $70,150
- #124 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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)

49 / 50

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

#2. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $73,220
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

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)

50 / 50

Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons

#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Fort Smith, AR-OK
- Annual mean salary: $83,020
- #249 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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)

Highest paying jobs in Fort Smith for high school graduates