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Highest paying jobs in Lexington 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY 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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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#50. Chefs and head cooks

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $47,120
– #314 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 340

National
– Annual mean salary: $58,740
– Employment: 101,490
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Leominster-Gardner, MA ($81,020)
— Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area ($79,820)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,600)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $47,330
– #396 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 500

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)

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#48. Glaziers

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $47,540
– #93 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

National
– Annual mean salary: $50,970
– Employment: 52,190
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($78,840)
— Salem, OR ($78,000)
— Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area ($76,680)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#47. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $47,640
– #166 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 210

National
– Annual mean salary: $48,290
– Employment: 133,870
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,600)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,240)
— Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($60,930)

GolF2532 // Shutterstock

#46. Security and fire alarm systems installers

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $47,760
– #116 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 90

National
– Annual mean salary: $52,150
– Employment: 68,920
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Eugene, OR ($70,940)
— Salem, OR ($68,640)
— Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($68,520)

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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

#45. Chemical equipment operators and tenders

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $48,070
– #115 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 120

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)

Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

#44. Carpenters

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $48,150
– #225 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,180

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)

Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $48,250
– #153 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 170

National
– Annual mean salary: $54,420
– Employment: 22,640
– Metros with highest average pay:
— South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area ($85,480)
— Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area ($77,330)
— Longview, WA ($74,500)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

#42. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $48,550
– #287 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 470

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)

Pixabay

#41. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $48,740
– #141 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 460

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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Vera Larina // Shutterstock

#40. Sheet metal workers

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $49,240
– #213 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 200

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)

London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images // Getty Images

#39. Machinists

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $49,900
– #135 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 510

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)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#38. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $50,310
– #445 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 910

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)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $50,740
– #84 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 230

National
– Annual mean salary: $51,440
– Employment: 105,400
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Huntsville, AL ($55,830)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,260)
— Wausau, WI ($55,060)

Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#36. Electricians

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $51,260
– #369 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,240

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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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $52,530
– #203 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

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)

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#34. Dental laboratory technicians

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $53,080
– #12 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $45,230
– Employment: 30,800
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($67,730)
— Idaho Falls, ID ($59,560)
— Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($55,140)

U.S. Air Force photo // Airman 1st Class Greg Erwin

#33. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $53,230
– #17 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 790

National
– Annual mean salary: $42,140
– Employment: 137,510
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Midland, MI ($60,190)
— Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($58,940)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($58,790)

welcomia // Shutterstock

#32. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $53,680
– #238 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 270

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)

Unsplash

#31. Structural iron and steel workers

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $53,790
– #99 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 90

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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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

#30. Postal service mail carriers

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $54,100
– #179 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 530

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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#29. Construction and building inspectors

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $54,140
– #319 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

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)

Canva

#28. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $54,790
– #201 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 650

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)

John Leung // Shutterstock

#27. Brickmasons and blockmasons

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $55,450
– #111 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 70

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

#26. Maintenance workers, machinery

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $55,540
– #82 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 270

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)

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rlat // Shutterstock

#25. Postal service clerks

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $55,810
– #46 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

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)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

#24. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $57,370
– #141 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

National
– Annual mean salary: $67,600
– Employment: 53,420
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($114,400)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($113,220)
— Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA ($112,950)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#23. Insurance sales agents

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $58,880
– #278 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 680

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)

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $59,870
– #27 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

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)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

#21. Food service managers

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $60,310
– #201 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 230

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)

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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#20. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $60,640
– #175 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 770

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)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

#19. Millwrights

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $61,000
– #69 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 110

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)

Unsplash

#18. Crane and tower operators

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $61,360
– #81 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

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)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#17. Advertising sales agents

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $62,200
– #64 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 150

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)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $62,420
– #108 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 2,480

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)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#15. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $62,630
– #312 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 350

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)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $66,300
– #216 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,340

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)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

#13. Industrial machinery mechanics

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $66,520
– #45 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,060

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)

Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $68,210
– #101 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,610

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)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

#11. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $68,280
– #297 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 650

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)

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sculpies // Shutterstock

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $69,220
– #233 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 860

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)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#9. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $70,580
– #31 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 90

National
– Annual mean salary: $76,810
– Employment: 5,670
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Salinas, CA ($104,810)
— Visalia-Porterville, CA ($101,650)
— Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL ($101,610)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $70,830
– #146 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 2,310

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)

Canva

#7. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $71,610
– #346 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 350

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)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $73,490
– #150 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 920

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)

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#5. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $74,880
– #47 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 70

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)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $77,450
– #265 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 260

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)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

#3. Commercial pilots

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $79,280
– #176 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

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

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $92,100
– #260 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 290

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)

Prath // Shutterstock

#1. Detectives and criminal investigators

Lexington-Fayette, KY
– Annual mean salary: $97,860
– #45 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

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)

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