Highest paying jobs in Owensboro for high school graduates

Published 1:08 pm Monday, April 25, 2022

sculpies // Shutterstock

Highest paying jobs in Owensboro 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 Owensboro, 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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#50. Automotive body and related repairers

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $37,080
– #485 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)

Canva

#49. Helpers–installation, maintenance, and repair workers

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $37,260
– #68 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 30

National
– Annual mean salary: $33,960
– Employment: 91,430
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Pittsfield, MA ($58,590)
— Reno, NV ($50,700)
— Springfield, MA-CT ($50,600)

Rido // Shutterstock

#48. Opticians, dispensing

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $37,970
– #219 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 30

National
– Annual mean salary: $41,380
– Employment: 68,180
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,300)
— New Haven, CT ($69,460)
— Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area ($66,670)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#47. Billing and posting clerks

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $38,220
– #303 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 170

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)

Canva

#46. Helpers–production workers

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $38,520
– #37 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $32,000
– Employment: 239,340
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN ($48,190)
— Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area ($44,860)
— Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($43,950)

Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock

#45. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $38,660
– #296 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)

DuxX // Shutterstock

#44. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $39,210
– #84 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 650

National
– Annual mean salary: $35,220
– Employment: 370,910
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Battle Creek, MI ($60,150)
— Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($54,930)
— Albany, GA ($53,570)

fizkes // Shutterstock

#43. Public safety telecommunicators

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $39,560
– #283 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

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)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection // Wikimedia Commons

#42. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $39,900
– #390 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $44,860
– Employment: 188,450
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($64,510)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($64,140)
— Decatur, IL ($60,740)

Efired // Shutterstock

#41. Bill and account collectors

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $39,950
– #151 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 110

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)

nullplus // Shutterstock

#40. Light truck drivers

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $40,940
– #221 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 400

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)

Rob Kim // Getty Images

#39. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $41,150
– #402 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 470

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)

Pixabay

#38. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $41,840
– #430 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 350

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)

Canva

#37. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $42,240
– #182 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $45,350
– Employment: 35,720
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($61,910)
— Bellingham, WA ($61,210)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,760)

Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $42,400
– #145 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

National
– Annual mean salary: $40,960
– Employment: 116,190
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area ($69,070)
— South Illinois nonmetropolitan area ($61,970)
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($60,690)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $42,850
– #266 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 320

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)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#34. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $43,230
– #311 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

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)

London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images // Getty Images

#33. Machinists

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $44,970
– #320 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 130

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)

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

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $45,110
– #112 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

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)

Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

#31. Carpenters

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $45,490
– #292 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 210

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)

Pixabay

#30. Maintenance and repair workers, general

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $45,640
– #119 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 560

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)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $45,680
– #411 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 30

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)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#28. Chefs and head cooks

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $45,920
– #334 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

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)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

#27. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $47,750
– #320 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

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)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

#26. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $47,810
– #292 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 30

National
– Annual mean salary: $61,860
– Employment: 122,480
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
— Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
— Salinas, CA ($88,050)

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Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $48,290
– #266 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $54,040
– Employment: 103,730
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Madera, CA ($76,040)
— Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,800)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($73,360)

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#24. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $48,430
– #299 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

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)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#23. Insurance sales agents

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $48,440
– #443 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 150

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)

Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#22. Electricians

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $49,920
– #397 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 230

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)

Canva

#21. Construction and building inspectors

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $50,120
– #383 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

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)

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welcomia // Shutterstock

#20. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $50,140
– #356 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

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)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

#19. Postal service mail carriers

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $51,400
– #489 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 160

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)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

#18. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $52,530
– #174 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

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)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $52,930
– #200 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: data not available

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)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

#16. Sheet metal workers

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $53,330
– #162 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

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)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#15. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $54,570
– #352 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

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)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

#14. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $55,860
– #71 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 130

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)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#13. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $56,400
– #229 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 160

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)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

#12. Food service managers

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $56,640
– #316 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

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)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $57,120
– #256 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 390

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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Pxhere

#10. Maintenance workers, machinery

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $59,270
– #40 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 90

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)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

#9. Industrial machinery mechanics

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $59,310
– #158 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 520

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

#8. Chemical equipment operators and tenders

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $59,420
– #29 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 180

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)

Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $59,520
– #311 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 200

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)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $63,580
– #465 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

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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sculpies // Shutterstock

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $65,640
– #332 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 170

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

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $68,970
– #187 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 430

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)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $71,060
– #94 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 480

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)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

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

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $76,780
– #85 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 200

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)

Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons

#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Owensboro, KY
– Annual mean salary: $115,810
– #22 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

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)

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