Highest paying jobs in Rockford for high school graduates

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Highest paying jobs in Rockford 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 paying jobs for high school graduates in Rockford, IL using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2020 annual mean wage.

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

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#50. Maintenance and repair workers, general

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#49. Tax preparers

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#48. Highway maintenance workers

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#47. Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

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#46. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

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#45. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#44. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

rlat // Shutterstock

#43. Postal service clerks

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

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#41. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

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#40. Insurance sales agents

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#39. Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters

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#38. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

#37. Postal service mail carriers

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#36. Chefs and head cooks

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#35. Industrial machinery mechanics

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#34. Correctional officers and jailers

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

#33. Food service managers

Pxhere

#32. Maintenance workers, machinery

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#31. Public safety telecommunicators

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Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock

#30. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images

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

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#28. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

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#27. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

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#26. Automotive body and related repairers

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#25. Construction and building inspectors

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#24. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

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

Akimov Igor // Shutterstock

#22. Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

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

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#20. Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders

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#19. Sheet metal workers

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#18. Security and fire alarm systems installers

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#17. Brickmasons and blockmasons

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

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#15. Advertising sales agents

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#14. Carpenters

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

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

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#12. Millwrights

4 PM production // Shutterstock

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

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

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

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#9. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#8. Electricians

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#7. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#6. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

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

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#4. Structural iron and steel workers

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#3. Detectives and criminal investigators

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#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons

#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers