Prath // Shutterstock

Highest paying jobs in Louisville 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 Louisville, KY-IN 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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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#50. Private detectives and investigators

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $51,190
– #74 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 190

National
– Annual mean salary: $60,100
– Employment: 32,200
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Jackson, MI ($93,360)
— Bakersfield, CA ($91,080)
— Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO ($87,760)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

#49. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $51,560
– #183 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,660

National
– Annual mean salary: $52,000
– Employment: 362,090
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Idaho Falls, ID ($74,970)
— Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($71,160)
— West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($67,770)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

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

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $51,720
– #346 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 800

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)

Chok Chokchai // Shutterstock

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

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $52,590
– #23 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 220

National
– Annual mean salary: $46,850
– Employment: 47,930
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Anchorage, AK ($92,800)
— Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($83,130)
— Napa, CA ($68,470)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#46. Advertising sales agents

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $53,130
– #171 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 470

National
– Annual mean salary: $68,040
– Employment: 110,040
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($97,840)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($97,720)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($83,050)

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Canva

#45. Chemical plant and system operators

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $53,320
– #37 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

National
– Annual mean salary: $65,460
– Employment: 29,710
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Lima, OH ($92,450)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($91,210)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($90,170)

Canva

#44. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $53,340
– #47 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 220

National
– Annual mean salary: $48,500
– Employment: 40,240
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,740)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,630)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($83,090)

goodluz // Shutterstock

#43. Real estate sales agents

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $53,690
– #196 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 450

National
– Annual mean salary: $62,990
– Employment: 168,740
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Midland, TX ($100,060)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($99,880)
— Worcester, MA-CT ($93,400)

Canva

#42. Construction and building inspectors

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $54,500
– #314 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 610

National
– Annual mean salary: $66,470
– Employment: 113,770
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New Haven, CT ($121,510)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,330)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,190)

Unsplash

#41. Tax preparers

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $54,710
– #39 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 310

National
– Annual mean salary: $52,710
– Employment: 62,600
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Anchorage, AK ($81,880)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,470)
— Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($73,170)

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rlat // Shutterstock

#40. Postal service clerks

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $54,930
– #76 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 250

National
– Annual mean salary: $51,200
– Employment: 86,950
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Houma-Thibodaux, LA ($59,410)
— Florence, SC ($59,360)
— Monroe, MI ($59,320)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

#39. Postal service mail carriers

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,010
– #70 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,310

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)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

#38. Food service managers

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,360
– #356 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 670

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)

Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock

#37. Gas plant operators

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,500
– #64 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $73,290
– Employment: 14,990
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)
— Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($98,750)
— Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($97,080)

Unsplash

#36. Structural iron and steel workers

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,570
– #92 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 320

National
– Annual mean salary: $58,650
– Employment: 71,490
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($95,020)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($88,250)
— Western Washington nonmetropolitan area ($84,570)

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welcomia // Shutterstock

#35. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,610
– #175 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 690

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)

John Leung // Shutterstock

#34. Brickmasons and blockmasons

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,680
– #107 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 280

National
– Annual mean salary: $58,420
– Employment: 59,940
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($95,980)
— Decatur, IL ($92,670)
— Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($89,340)

Pxhere

#33. Maintenance workers, machinery

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $56,120
– #73 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 500

National
– Annual mean salary: $51,960
– Employment: 65,240
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($77,890)
— Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($77,690)
— Savannah, GA ($76,260)

Canva

#32. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $56,570
– #176 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,450

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)

Unsplash

#31. Crane and tower operators

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $57,190
– #108 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 150

National
– Annual mean salary: $64,010
– Employment: 44,060
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($131,160)
— Syracuse, NY ($103,350)
— Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($99,990)

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Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock

#30. Community health workers

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $57,220
– #11 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,370

National
– Annual mean salary: $46,000
– Employment: 58,670
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,110)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($65,530)
— Bend-Redmond, OR ($61,820)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#29. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $57,230
– #254 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,870

National
– Annual mean salary: $65,230
– Employment: 503,390
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,590)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,760)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,420)

Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock

#28. Occupational health and safety technicians

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $57,830
– #64 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 70

National
– Annual mean salary: $57,870
– Employment: 20,950
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Evansville, IN-KY ($77,880)
— Anchorage, AK ($77,690)
— Oklahoma City, OK ($77,100)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

#27. Real estate brokers

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $58,040
– #81 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: data not available

National
– Annual mean salary: $81,630
– Employment: 44,610
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($152,460)
— Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($133,810)
— Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($132,320)

Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#26. Electricians

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $58,080
– #228 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 3,540

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)

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SritanaN // Shutterstock

#25. Industrial machinery mechanics

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $58,830
– #179 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 2,490

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)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

#24. Chemical equipment operators and tenders

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $59,230
– #30 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 980

National
– Annual mean salary: $53,330
– Employment: 93,060
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area ($91,300)
— Billings, MT ($88,420)
— Baton Rouge, LA ($76,050)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#23. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $59,390
– #190 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,990

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)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

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

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $59,970
– #162 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 210

National
– Annual mean salary: $62,400
– Employment: 50,660
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($98,380)
— Salt Lake City, UT ($94,070)
— Santa Rosa, CA ($92,800)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

#21. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $61,600
– #74 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $68,170
– Employment: 29,550
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,300)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,930)
— South Illinois nonmetropolitan area ($101,630)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#20. Insurance sales agents

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $62,990
– #203 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 3,890

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)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

#19. Millwrights

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $63,340
– #50 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 330

National
– Annual mean salary: $59,080
– Employment: 44,400
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,590)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,580)
— Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($80,780)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

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

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $64,270
– #76 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 6,560

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)

Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images

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

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $64,870
– #165 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 4,390

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)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

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

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $65,230
– #255 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 3,710

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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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#15. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $66,100
– #261 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,810

National
– Annual mean salary: $70,650
– Employment: 287,150
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Kennewick-Richland, WA ($104,350)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($95,200)
— Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area ($92,500)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

#14. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $70,230
– #272 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 630

National
– Annual mean salary: $74,410
– Employment: 114,930
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($117,700)
— Salinas, CA ($110,180)
— North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area ($109,740)

Canva

#13. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $70,300
– #50 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: data not available

National
– Annual mean salary: $86,200
– Employment: 24,730
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($130,290)
— Kansas City, MO-KS ($113,590)
— Urban Honolulu, HI ($113,480)

sculpies // Shutterstock

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

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $70,440
– #208 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 2,040

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)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

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

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $70,490
– #156 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 6,690

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)

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4 PM production // Shutterstock

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

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $75,540
– #107 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 2,530

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)

Canva

#9. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $77,030
– #299 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 400

National
– Annual mean salary: $97,180
– Employment: 122,310
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($182,700)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($170,740)
— Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($164,600)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

#8. Power plant operators

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $79,730
– #96 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

National
– Annual mean salary: $81,890
– Employment: 32,960
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Fresno, CA ($129,650)
— Wenatchee, WA ($123,180)
— Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA ($114,660)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

#7. Postmasters and mail superintendents

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $84,690
– #39 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $79,660
– Employment: 13,880
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($97,930)
— Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($96,450)
— San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($94,460)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

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

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $84,880
– #161 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,220

National
– Annual mean salary: $90,120
– Employment: 240,290
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Portland-South Portland, ME ($129,860)
— Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($121,360)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($121,250)

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Prath // Shutterstock

#5. Detectives and criminal investigators

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $90,200
– #85 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 170

National
– Annual mean salary: $89,300
– Employment: 105,980
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($132,210)
— Anchorage, AK ($127,070)
— Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($123,460)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

#4. Power distributors and dispatchers

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $93,480
– #25 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

National
– Annual mean salary: $93,260
– Employment: 9,940
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($131,560)
— Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($129,570)
— Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($123,540)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

#3. Commercial pilots

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $98,530
– #110 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 150

National
– Annual mean salary: $110,830
– Employment: 37,120
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($185,920)
— Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($184,260)
— Savannah, GA ($177,450)

Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $100,410
– #149 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 930

National
– Annual mean salary: $105,100
– Employment: 132,210
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($159,890)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,170)
— Trenton, NJ ($144,620)

Canva

#1. Transportation inspectors

Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $101,580
– #8 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 120

National
– Annual mean salary: $81,320
– Employment: 27,360
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Portland-South Portland, ME ($112,260)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($111,930)
— Anchorage, AK ($108,140)

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