Highest paying jobs in Oklahoma City for high school graduates

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

Highest paying jobs in Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma City, 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

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

#50. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $49,360
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420

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)

2 / 50

GolF2532 // Shutterstock

#49. Security and fire alarm systems installers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $49,390
- #70 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560

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)

3 / 50

SritanaN // Shutterstock

#48. Industrial machinery mechanics

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $50,280
- #270 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,610

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)

4 / 50

rlat // Shutterstock

#47. Postal service clerks

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $50,520
- #196 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240

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)

5 / 50

John Leung // Shutterstock

#46. Brickmasons and blockmasons

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $50,770
- #92 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

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)

6 / 50

Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

#45. Riggers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $51,180
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

7 / 50

Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#44. Electricians

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $51,250
- #233 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,550

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)

8 / 50

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

#43. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $51,280
- #111 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,810

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

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

#42. Postal service mail carriers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $51,750
- #184 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,390

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)

10 / 50

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

#41. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $52,390
- #94 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290

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)

11 / 50

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

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

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $52,950
- #114 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 570

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)

12 / 50

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#39. Chefs and head cooks

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $53,040
- #108 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320

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)

13 / 50

welcomia // Shutterstock

#38. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $53,200
- #128 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)

14 / 50

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#37. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $53,370
- #174 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,280

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)

15 / 50

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#36. Insurance sales agents

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $53,570
- #266 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,120

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)

16 / 50

goodluz // Shutterstock

#35. Real estate sales agents

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $53,600
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,910

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)

17 / 50

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

#34. Sheet metal workers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $53,970
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,520

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)

18 / 50

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

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

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $54,200
- #225 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 8,360

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)

19 / 50

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

#32. Food service managers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $54,580
- #219 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,620

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)

20 / 50

Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock

#31. Community health workers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $55,250
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

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

LStockStudio // Shutterstock

#30. Brokerage clerks

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $55,390
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

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)

22 / 50

Canva

#29. Construction and building inspectors

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $56,700
- #163 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,080

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)

23 / 50

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#28. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $57,600
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

24 / 50

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

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

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $57,990
- #313 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,650

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)

25 / 50

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

#26. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $58,810
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

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)

26 / 50

Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock

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

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $58,880
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

27 / 50

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

#24. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $59,350
- #199 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480

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)

28 / 50

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

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

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $59,900
- #46 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)

29 / 50

ded pixto // Shutterstock

#22. Wellhead pumpers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $60,170
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280

National
- Annual mean salary: $55,080
- Employment: 12,970
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($73,530)
--- Farmington, NM ($70,590)
--- Casper, WY ($67,100)

30 / 50

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#21. Lodging managers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $60,380
- #74 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

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)

31 / 50

Unsplash

#20. Crane and tower operators

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $61,590
- #44 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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)

32 / 50

Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images

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

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $62,420
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,120

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)

33 / 50

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#18. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $62,520
- #193 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,610

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)

34 / 50

Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock

#17. Insulation workers, mechanical

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $63,510
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

35 / 50

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

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

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $66,660
- #121 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,710

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

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#15. Advertising sales agents

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $67,260
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410

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)

37 / 50

Canva

#14. Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $68,030
- #3 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)

38 / 50

4 PM production // Shutterstock

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

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $68,630
- #166 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,620

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)

39 / 50

Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock

#12. Gas plant operators

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $69,350
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

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)

40 / 50

sculpies // Shutterstock

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

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $70,580
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,470

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)

41 / 50

Prath // Shutterstock

#10. Detectives and criminal investigators

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $71,610
- #176 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420

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)

42 / 50

michaeljung // Shutterstock

#9. Power plant operators

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $75,270
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

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)

43 / 50

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

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

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $83,600
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,400

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)

44 / 50

Canva

#7. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $84,270
- #175 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,390

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)

45 / 50

Skycolors // Shutterstock

#6. Commercial pilots

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $85,210
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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)

46 / 50

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

#5. Postmasters and mail superintendents

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $85,550
- #12 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)

47 / 50

Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons

#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $88,110
- #217 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560

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)

48 / 50

Pixabay

#3. Gambling managers

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $90,480
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

49 / 50

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

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

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $100,520
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,010

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)

50 / 50

Canva

#1. Transportation inspectors

Oklahoma City, OK
- Annual mean salary: $101,660
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

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)

Highest paying jobs in Oklahoma City for high school graduates