Highest paying jobs in Miami for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Miami 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 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. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $51,540
- #226 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,550
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. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $51,860
- #152 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,990
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)
#48. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $51,910
- #117 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,030
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)
#47. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $52,030
- #122 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,440
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,490
- Employment: 123,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,680)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($87,660)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,560)
#46. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $52,260
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,250
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)
#45. Postal service clerks
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $52,710
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,000
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)
#44. Pile driver operators
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $52,840
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,230
- Employment: 3,540
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($107,650)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($103,890)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($92,260)
#43. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $52,970
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,100
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)
#41 (tie). Postal service mail carriers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $53,230
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,870
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)
#41 (tie). Flight attendants
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $53,230
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,260
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,230
- Employment: 120,840
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($78,840)
--- Columbus, OH ($68,710)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($63,470)
#40. Correctional officers and jailers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $53,720
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,950
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)
#39. Public safety telecommunicators
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $54,990
- #37 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,440
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,310
- Employment: 95,320
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($95,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($86,620)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($75,570)
#38. Brokerage clerks
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $56,690
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,490
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,190
- Employment: 47,990
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($69,070)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($65,450)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($63,270)
#37. Chefs and head cooks
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $57,020
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,090
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)
#36. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $57,250
- #137 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 8,680
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)
#35. Traffic technicians
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $57,320
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,590
- Employment: 7,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($86,560)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($68,100)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($67,520)
#34. Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $57,470
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,630
- Employment: 10,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($62,430)
--- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL ($57,470)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($53,110)
#33. Boilermakers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $58,500
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,040
- Employment: 15,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($88,500)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($86,630)
--- Pittsburgh, PA ($85,140)
#32. Crane and tower operators
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $58,750
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
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)
#31. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $59,030
- #101 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 32,320
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)
#30. Rail car repairers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $59,400
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,810
- Employment: 25,930
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($76,750)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,490)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($68,280)
#29. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $59,430
- #288 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,700
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. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $59,630
- #157 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 25,740
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)
#27. Camera and photographic equipment repairers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $60,790
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,720
- Employment: 3,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL ($60,790)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($53,090)
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($46,680)
#26. Real estate brokers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $61,020
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 840
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)
#25. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $61,340
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)
#24. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $61,490
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,460
- Employment: 42,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($92,210)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($73,880)
--- San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX ($68,450)
#23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $61,680
- #259 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 31,830
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)
#22. Construction and building inspectors
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $61,930
- #103 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,650
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. Insurance sales agents
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $62,340
- #157 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 10,620
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)
#20. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $62,780
- #294 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 8,390
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)
#19. Property, real estate, and community association managers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $63,230
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 8,780
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)
#18. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $64,300
- #174 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,130
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)
#17. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $66,550
- #179 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 12,260
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)
#16. Real estate sales agents
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $66,610
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,430
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. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $66,800
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
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)
#14. Advertising sales agents
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $68,510
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,720
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)
#13. Food service managers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $69,610
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,500
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)
#12. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $70,340
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 860
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,250
- Employment: 28,350
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($111,690)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($105,010)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($104,600)
#11. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $70,430
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,520
- Employment: 22,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($81,470)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($77,730)
--- Sebring, FL ($76,100)
#10. Power plant operators
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $71,080
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)
#9. Gambling managers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $73,570
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $84,700
- Employment: 4,450
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($125,300)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($105,720)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($105,410)
#8. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $77,450
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)
#7. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $77,830
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 570
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)
#6. Lodging managers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $79,250
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 780
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,570
- Employment: 38,340
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($110,620)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($104,250)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($97,090)
#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $81,640
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,740
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)
#4. Transportation inspectors
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $90,730
- #18 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 610
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)
#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $92,670
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,190
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
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $96,340
- #145 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,120
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
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Annual mean salary: $107,230
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,650
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)
