
Highest paying jobs in Atlantic City for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Atlantic 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 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 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 personal service and entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services
- Annual mean salary: $46,020
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,400
- Employment: 217,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL ($60,990)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($56,170)
--- New Bedford, MA ($55,110)
#49. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $48,030
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)
#48. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Annual mean salary: $48,120
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)

#47. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $48,190
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,290
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)
#46. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $48,620
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#45. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $48,670
- #178 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
#44. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $49,800
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,440
- Employment: 22,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($59,490)
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($58,270)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($57,680)

#43. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $50,090
- #289 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#42. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $50,860
- #174 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#41. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $50,920
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)

#40. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $50,950
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,100
- Employment: 199,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Columbus, IN ($59,650)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,030)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($58,880)

#39. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $51,320
- #240 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
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)
#38. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Annual mean salary: $52,480
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,030
- Employment: 154,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($68,870)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($63,300)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($61,640)

#37. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $53,190
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#36. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $53,300
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#35. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $53,880
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)
#34. Upholsterers
- Annual mean salary: $54,470
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $36,640
- Employment: 29,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($54,470)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($52,110)
--- Lincoln, NE ($51,340)
#33. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $54,980
- #195 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,190
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)
#32. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $55,740
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,630
- Employment: 45,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($73,600)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($64,200)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($63,960)

#31. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $56,360
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)
#30. Glaziers
- Annual mean salary: $57,990
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,810
- Employment: 52,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($77,040)
--- St. Louis, MO-IL ($76,550)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($75,120)
#29. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $58,050
- #122 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
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)

#28. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,140
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#27. Locksmiths and safe repairers
- Annual mean salary: $58,160
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,460
- Employment: 17,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($65,470)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($63,820)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($63,770)

#26. First-line supervisors of gambling services workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,450
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 890
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)

#25. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $59,130
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#24. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $59,620
- #295 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
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)

#23. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $60,080
- #50 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#22. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $60,570
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#21. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $64,090
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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. Opticians, dispensing
- Annual mean salary: $64,170
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#19. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $64,530
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#18. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $64,870
- #93 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 820
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)

#17. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $64,910
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 700
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. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,240
- #129 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)

#15. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $68,040
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#14. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $71,940
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
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)

#13. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $71,950
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)

#12. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $72,870
- #200 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)

#11. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $74,160
- #74 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#10. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $74,280
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 870
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)

#9. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $76,390
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#8. Earth drillers, except oil and gas; and explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
- Annual mean salary: $79,010
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,890
- Employment: 24,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($79,010)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($66,250)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($65,570)

#7. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $79,020
- #40 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $80,520
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#5. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $81,210
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#4. Gambling managers
- Annual mean salary: $86,880
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $96,200
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $124,140
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $125,420
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)



