Highest paying jobs in New Orleans for high school graduates

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

Highest paying jobs in New Orleans 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA 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

Canva

#50. Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $50,760
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

2 / 50

Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

#49. Riggers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $50,880
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 570

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)

3 / 50

Onk-Q // Shutterstock

#48. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $51,030
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $54,650
- Employment: 18,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($96,220)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($86,710)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($78,400)

4 / 50

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

#47. Postal service mail carriers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $51,320
- #240 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,450

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)

5 / 50

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#46. Chefs and head cooks

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $51,330
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 710

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)

6 / 50

Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock

#45. Occupational health and safety technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $51,340
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,470
- Employment: 20,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Knoxville, TN ($87,490)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($76,990)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($75,550)

7 / 50

anatoliy_gleb // Shutterstock

#44. Solar photovoltaic installers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $51,390
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $46,850
- Employment: 11,080
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($72,300)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($58,650)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($58,630)

8 / 50

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

#43. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $51,590
- #103 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 970

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)

9 / 50

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

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

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $51,720
- #296 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,110

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)

10 / 50

rlat // Shutterstock

#41. Postal service clerks

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $51,960
- #100 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260

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)

11 / 50

Pixabay

#40. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $52,030
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,840

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)

12 / 50

welcomia // Shutterstock

#39. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $52,090
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 680

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)

13 / 50

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#38. Private detectives and investigators

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $52,170
- #57 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)

14 / 50

LStockStudio // Shutterstock

#37. Brokerage clerks

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $52,720
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

15 / 50

Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#36. Electricians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $52,800
- #219 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,680

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)

16 / 50

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#35. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $53,190
- #177 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,220

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)

17 / 50

Canva

#34. Construction and building inspectors

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $53,300
- #215 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 710

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)

18 / 50

Unsplash

#33. Crane and tower operators

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $53,330
- #86 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 770

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)

19 / 50

Unsplash

#32. Tax preparers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $53,370
- #44 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440

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)

20 / 50

Kot500 // Shutterstock

#31. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $53,680
- #59 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 890

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)

21 / 50

DenisKlimov // Shutterstock

#30. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $55,880
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

22 / 50

Chok Chokchai // Shutterstock

#29. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $57,510
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $45,370
- Employment: 51,160
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kankakee, IL ($73,100)
--- Columbus, OH ($67,770)
--- Napa, CA ($61,180)

23 / 50

Jat306 // Shutterstock

#28. Millwrights

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $57,580
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280

National
- Annual mean salary: $57,050
- Employment: 47,320
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($82,700)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($81,740)
--- Eugene, OR ($81,510)

24 / 50

Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images

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

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $57,800
- #191 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,470

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)

25 / 50

Canva

#26. Boilermakers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $57,830
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

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)

26 / 50

SritanaN // Shutterstock

#25. Industrial machinery mechanics

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $58,120
- #96 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,720

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)

27 / 50

Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

#24. Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $58,220
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $45,950
- Employment: 23,590
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fargo, ND-MN ($75,770)
--- Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL ($65,770)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($58,540)

28 / 50

Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock

#23. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $61,550
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

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)

29 / 50

Canva

#22. Pile driver operators

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $63,170
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

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)

30 / 50

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#21. Insurance sales agents

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $64,410
- #138 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,690

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)

31 / 50

sculpies // Shutterstock

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

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $65,570
- #195 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,330

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)

32 / 50

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

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

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $66,130
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,500

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)

33 / 50

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

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

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $66,200
- #266 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)

34 / 50

Canva

#17. Chemical plant and system operators

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $66,290
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,750

National
- Annual mean salary: $62,710
- Employment: 28,840
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($86,690)
--- Corpus Christi, TX ($85,080)
--- Mobile, AL ($73,260)

35 / 50

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

#16. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $66,330
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270

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)

36 / 50

Marcin Wichary // Wikicommons

#15. Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $66,550
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $37,860
- Employment: 76,810
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($66,550)
--- Kokomo, IN ($60,870)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($53,210)

37 / 50

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

#14. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $67,340
- #37 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,800

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)

38 / 50

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

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

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $68,040
- #157 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,830

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)

39 / 50

4 PM production // Shutterstock

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

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $71,470
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,000

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)

40 / 50

Canva

#11. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $72,710
- #243 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 750

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)

41 / 50

Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock

#9 (tie). Gas plant operators

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $73,110
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $71,050
- Employment: 14,410
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($103,120)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($99,180)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($98,340)

42 / 50

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#9 (tie). Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $73,110
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,030

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)

43 / 50

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

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

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $73,680
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,280

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)

44 / 50

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

#7. Food service managers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $75,490
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 850

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)

45 / 50

Prath // Shutterstock

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $77,420
- #135 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 610

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

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#5. Lodging managers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $81,860
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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)

47 / 50

michaeljung // Shutterstock

#4. Power plant operators

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $81,890
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

48 / 50

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

#3. Postmasters and mail superintendents

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $82,040
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- Employment: 13,850
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($94,520)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($93,610)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($92,110)

49 / 50

Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $101,980
- #92 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530

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)

50 / 50

Skycolors // Shutterstock

#1. Commercial pilots

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $124,560
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

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)

Highest paying jobs in New Orleans for high school graduates