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Highest paying jobs in Gadsden for high school graduates

The average college graduate in 2020 earned $1,305 a week, while the average high school graduate takes home just $781, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest paying jobs for high school graduates in Gadsden, AL using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.

Keep reading to see which jobs in your city pay the most for high school graduates.

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Dragon Images // Shutterstock

#50. Social and human service assistants

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $25,880
– #517 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $38,230
– Employment: 399,920
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($56,140)
— North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area ($55,360)
— Danbury, CT ($54,870)

The Boston Globe // Getty Images

#49. Stockers and order fillers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $25,950
– #522 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 500

National
– Annual mean salary: $31,010
– Employment: 2,210,960
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($42,240)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($41,960)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($40,620)

Efired // Shutterstock

#48. Bill and account collectors

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $27,800
– #422 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $40,630
– Employment: 222,030
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($58,700)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($58,610)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,940)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#47. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $29,170
– #370 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $45,070
– Employment: 240,740
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,830)
— Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($59,120)
— Portsmouth, NH-ME ($58,380)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

#46. Highway maintenance workers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $29,390
– #446 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

National
– Annual mean salary: $43,200
– Employment: 149,890
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($70,690)
— Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($67,370)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($67,340)

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LuckView // Shutterstock

#45. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $29,610
– #356 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 210

National
– Annual mean salary: $38,650
– Employment: 179,300
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($49,970)
— Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH ($49,680)
— La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN ($49,470)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#44. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $29,800
– #393 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 70

National
– Annual mean salary: $37,640
– Employment: 173,800
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($57,820)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($53,920)
— Salinas, CA ($52,980)

Lee Charlie // Shutterstock

#43. Court, municipal, and license clerks

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $30,140
– #473 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $43,490
– Employment: 156,100
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,520)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($62,040)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($60,730)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#42. Tellers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $30,170
– #443 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 130

National
– Annual mean salary: $32,960
– Employment: 423,570
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($45,040)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($43,490)
— Napa, CA ($42,000)

OLIVIER DOULIERY // Getty Images

#41. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $30,780
– #498 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 420

National
– Annual mean salary: $37,880
– Employment: 891,540
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($52,950)
— Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area ($52,620)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,140)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#40. Driver/sales workers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $31,090
– #227 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 120

National
– Annual mean salary: $31,870
– Employment: 420,890
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bismarck, ND ($48,560)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($46,390)
— Fargo, ND-MN ($46,360)

Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock

#39. Pharmacy technicians

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $31,150
– #501 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 170

National
– Annual mean salary: $36,450
– Employment: 415,310
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($59,340)
— Napa, CA ($58,620)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($58,390)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

#38. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $31,750
– #509 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 200

National
– Annual mean salary: $44,580
– Employment: 549,200
– Metros with highest average pay:
— West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($88,150)
— Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($80,420)
— Odessa, TX ($70,950)

PxHere

#37. Structural metal fabricators and fitters

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $31,840
– #263 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $44,750
– Employment: 69,550
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($59,130)
— Anchorage, AK ($57,900)
— Longview, WA ($57,410)

Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock

#36. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $32,600
– #399 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $52,750
– Employment: 160,950
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area ($84,640)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,320)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($77,210)

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Fusionstudio // Shutterstock

#35. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $32,700
– #490 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 110

National
– Annual mean salary: $37,210
– Employment: 727,640
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Fairbanks, AK ($51,470)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($48,440)
— Anchorage, AK ($47,150)

fizkes // Shutterstock

#34. Public safety telecommunicators

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $32,900
– #389 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 70

National
– Annual mean salary: $45,800
– Employment: 93,290
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($97,380)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,790)
— Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($76,950)

Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock

#33. Loan interviewers and clerks

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $33,340
– #452 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $42,780
– Employment: 204,100
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Salinas, CA ($59,060)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($58,140)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($56,710)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

#32. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $33,390
– #415 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 110

National
– Annual mean salary: $39,000
– Employment: 597,100
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($56,010)
— Napa, CA ($52,630)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,300)

ESB Basic // Shutterstock

#31. Customer service representatives

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $33,660
– #385 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 320

National
– Annual mean salary: $38,510
– Employment: 2,833,250
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($52,630)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($50,510)
— Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($47,490)

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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#30. Billing and posting clerks

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $34,050
– #484 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $41,610
– Employment: 445,160
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,850)
— Santa Rosa, CA ($55,130)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($54,960)

Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

#29. Carpenters

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $34,530
– #520 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $54,200
– Employment: 699,300
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Urban Honolulu, HI ($81,730)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,680)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,280)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

#28. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $35,060
– #391 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 720

National
– Annual mean salary: $40,420
– Employment: 1,850,360
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,720)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,730)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($54,450)

Canva

#27. Computer numerically controlled tool operators

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $35,790
– #345 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $44,300
– Employment: 149,120
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($70,030)
— Waco, TX ($63,080)
— Springfield, MA-CT ($57,930)

Pixabay

#26. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $36,170
– #514 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 150

National
– Annual mean salary: $46,690
– Employment: 397,550
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Fairbanks, AK ($72,500)
— Anchorage, AK ($71,840)
— West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($71,250)

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nullplus // Shutterstock

#25. Light truck drivers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $36,310
– #421 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 240

National
– Annual mean salary: $41,050
– Employment: 929,470
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($51,860)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($51,560)
— Waterbury, CT ($50,100)

Pixabay

#24. Maintenance and repair workers, general

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $36,350
– #472 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 270

National
– Annual mean salary: $43,790
– Employment: 1,357,630
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,230)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,870)
— Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($56,650)

Rob Kim // Getty Images

#23. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $37,390
– #506 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 480

National
– Annual mean salary: $47,300
– Employment: 1,063,110
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($57,830)
— Boulder, CO ($56,520)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,930)

London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images // Getty Images

#22. Machinists

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $38,500
– #481 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

National
– Annual mean salary: $47,800
– Employment: 360,340
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($76,230)
— Urban Honolulu, HI ($71,070)
— Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,300)

New Africa // Shutterstock

#21. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $40,000
– #338 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $45,500
– Employment: 141,260
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,770)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,250)
— Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($59,160)

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Vera Larina // Shutterstock

#20. Sheet metal workers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $40,010
– #351 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $55,320
– Employment: 128,220
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Fairbanks, AK ($101,150)
— Kennewick-Richland, WA ($94,930)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,840)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#19. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $40,240
– #512 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

National
– Annual mean salary: $61,100
– Employment: 417,440
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,580)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,500)
— Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($89,190)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

#18. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $40,830
– #504 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $52,090
– Employment: 253,010
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,900)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,400)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,480)

Canva

#17. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $41,810
– #418 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 90

National
– Annual mean salary: $55,280
– Employment: 402,870
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,910)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($91,860)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,120)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

#16. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $42,090
– #387 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 30

National
– Annual mean salary: $51,890
– Employment: 119,380
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,980)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,370)
— Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($87,990)

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Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#15. Electricians

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $43,800
– #505 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 150

National
– Annual mean salary: $61,550
– Employment: 656,510
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,900)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,090)
— Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($86,600)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#14. Insurance sales agents

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $44,380
– #487 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 110

National
– Annual mean salary: $69,100
– Employment: 409,950
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,230)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,470)
— Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($95,620)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

#13. Industrial machinery mechanics

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $44,390
– #516 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 290

National
– Annual mean salary: $57,350
– Employment: 385,980
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Fairbanks, AK ($85,900)
— Lake Charles, LA ($85,360)
— Anchorage, AK ($82,890)

Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

#12. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $44,470
– #195 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $47,990
– Employment: 138,820
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,570)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($67,900)
— New Haven, CT ($63,790)

welcomia // Shutterstock

#11. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $44,640
– #461 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $57,000
– Employment: 147,680
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Fairbanks, AK ($86,740)
— Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,520)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,470)

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Canva

#10. Automotive body and related repairers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $47,740
– #226 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $49,430
– Employment: 137,120
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Ann Arbor, MI ($71,350)
— Ames, IA ($68,340)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,060)

Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images

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

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $48,140
– #503 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 120

National
– Annual mean salary: $70,490
– Employment: 977,070
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($103,810)
— Boulder, CO ($101,630)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,360)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

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

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $48,310
– #388 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $73,210
– Employment: 219,800
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($109,540)
— Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($106,420)
— Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area ($105,220)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

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

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $48,580
– #497 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 280

National
– Annual mean salary: $62,010
– Employment: 1,427,260
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,050)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,520)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,430)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

#6. Postal service mail carriers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $54,580
– #116 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 130

National
– Annual mean salary: $53,180
– Employment: 333,570
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Modesto, CA ($57,160)
— Bismarck, ND ($57,090)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,820)

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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

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

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $56,130
– #500 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 210

National
– Annual mean salary: $73,500
– Employment: 1,278,670
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,280)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($92,660)
— Napa, CA ($92,620)

sculpies // Shutterstock

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

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $57,150
– #503 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 150

National
– Annual mean salary: $72,990
– Employment: 614,080
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,020)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,820)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($101,210)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

#3. Food service managers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $59,170
– #230 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 70

National
– Annual mean salary: $61,000
– Employment: 197,010
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Trenton, NJ ($91,320)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860)
— Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

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

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $60,450
– #501 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 140

National
– Annual mean salary: $73,100
– Employment: 475,000
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($93,830)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,030)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,870)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

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

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $61,440
– #389 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 230

National
– Annual mean salary: $66,800
– Employment: 599,900
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Baton Rouge, LA ($98,170)
— Lake Charles, LA ($97,910)
— West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($96,900)

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