The average college graduate in 2020 earned $1,305 a week, while the average high school graduate takes home just $781, according to the .
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. 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.
compiled a list of the highest paying jobs for high school graduates in Portsmouth, NH-ME using data from the . 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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Sabel Blanco // Pexels
1 / 50#50. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $49,350
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,650
- Employment: 248,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($69,160)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($68,140)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($64,980)
#49. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $49,790
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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)
Rob Kim // Getty Images
3 / 50#48. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,070
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 960
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)
evgenii mitroshin // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,380
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 520
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,750
- Employment: 283,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- California-Lexington Park, MD ($57,040)
--- Lima, OH ($56,660)
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($50,510)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Advertising sales agents
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,390
- #205 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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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#45. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,480
- #265 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Procurement clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $51,010
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,400
- Employment: 61,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($58,310)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,800)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($56,330)
Creative Tools // Flickr
8 / 50#43. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $51,870
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $35,960
- Employment: 155,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portsmouth, NH-ME ($51,870)
--- Cedar Rapids, IA ($51,490)
--- South Illinois nonmetropolitan area ($51,430)
#42. Surveying and mapping technicians
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $51,890
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,770
- Employment: 53,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,710)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($77,840)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,960)
#41. Automotive body and related repairers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $52,070
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
11 / 50#40. Carpenters
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $53,710
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
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)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Postal service mail carriers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $53,850
- #227 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)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,180
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,420
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
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)
rlat // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Postal service clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,640
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images // Getty Images
16 / 50#35. Machinists
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $55,330
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Sheet metal workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $55,980
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $56,580
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
#32. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $57,430
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
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)
Hulton Archive // Getty Images
20 / 50#31. Electricians
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,290
- #226 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
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
21 / 50#30. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,380
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,850
- #82 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)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,040
- #197 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
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)
Brian S. Hagberg // Wikimedia Commons
24 / 50#27. Self-enrichment teachers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,360
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,930
- Employment: 222,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)
welcomia // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,670
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
goodluz // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Real estate sales agents
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $60,660
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $60,940
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Industrial machinery mechanics
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $62,280
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
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)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Chefs and head cooks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $62,570
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)
#21. Construction and building inspectors
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $64,590
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#20. Tax preparers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $65,380
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $66,140
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,400
- #58 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,680
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 980
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)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food service managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,700
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Property, real estate, and community association managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $69,090
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $69,170
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Lodging managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $70,830
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,270
- Employment: 31,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area ($122,290)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($121,090)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,410)
sculpies // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $74,150
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
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
40 / 50#11. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $76,270
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 720
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)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Insurance sales agents
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,060
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,710
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,830
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
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)
Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images
44 / 50#7. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,980
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 820
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
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $81,570
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
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)
Prath // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $86,790
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $91,750
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $94,530
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $113,410
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $116,230
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
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)
