Highest paying jobs in New York City for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in New York City 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 York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 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. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $73,300
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 108,760
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)
#49. Sheet metal workers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $73,780
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,530
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)
#48. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $74,640
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 89,860
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)
#47. Signal and track switch repairers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $74,670
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 850
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,690
- Employment: 6,860
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,930)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($79,090)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($74,670)
#46. Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $75,030
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,710
- Employment: 3,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($75,030)
--- Cleveland-Elyria, OH ($70,400)
--- Oklahoma City, OK ($68,030)
#45. Bailiffs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $75,120
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,860
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,840
- Employment: 19,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($75,120)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($68,260)
--- Binghamton, NY ($66,270)
#43 (tie). Transportation inspectors
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $75,410
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,200
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)
#43 (tie). Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $75,410
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 28,350
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)
#42. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $75,940
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,830
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,580
- Employment: 44,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($91,850)
--- Anchorage, AK ($80,670)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($77,740)
#41. Rail car repairers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $76,750
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,080
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)
#40. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $77,180
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,350
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)
#39. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $77,650
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,380
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)
#38. Subway and streetcar operators
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $77,830
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,630
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,770
- Employment: 10,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($77,830)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($59,930)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,730)
#37. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $78,430
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 18,780
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)
#36. Millwrights
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $78,750
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 820
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)
#35. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $79,200
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 11,510
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)
#34. Riggers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $79,340
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 630
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)
#33. Brickmasons and blockmasons
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $79,640
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,690
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)
#32. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $79,850
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 84,870
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)
#31. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $80,360
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
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)
#30. Food service managers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $80,940
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 9,920
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)
#29. Electricians
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $82,640
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 44,330
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)
#28. Postmasters and mail superintendents
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $82,690
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 620
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)
#27. Insurance sales agents
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $82,910
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 22,940
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)
#26. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $83,290
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 25,550
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)
#25. Gas plant operators
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $83,680
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
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)
#24. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $83,980
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,960
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)
#23. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $84,950
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 81,130
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. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $86,510
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,480
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)
#21. Terrazzo workers and finishers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $86,920
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,340
- Employment: 2,970
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($86,920)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($81,300)
--- St. Louis, MO-IL ($66,910)
#20. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $88,010
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,220
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)
#19. Advertising sales agents
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $88,030
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 20,860
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)
#18. Boilermakers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $88,500
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 610
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)
#17. Structural iron and steel workers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $90,150
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,900
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,170
- Employment: 76,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($92,750)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($90,150)
--- Rockford, IL ($86,870)
#16. Power plant operators
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $90,240
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,410
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)
#15. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $92,640
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 11,270
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)
#14. Lodging managers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $93,080
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 810
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)
#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $94,170
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 23,010
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)
#12. Power distributors and dispatchers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $99,090
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
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)
#11. Detectives and criminal investigators
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $100,550
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,990
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)
#10. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $103,180
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#9. Real estate sales agents
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $103,700
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,640
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)
#8. Insulation workers, mechanical
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $105,820
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,120
- Employment: 26,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($105,820)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($89,490)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($85,300)
#7. Property, real estate, and community association managers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $107,190
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 11,160
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)
#6. Pile driver operators
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $107,650
- #1 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)
#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $107,980
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 23,350
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. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $108,460
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,150
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)
#3. Real estate brokers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $120,210
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,220
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $124,710
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,310
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
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Annual mean salary: $129,440
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 14,430
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)
