G-Stock Studio // ShutterstockHighest-paying jobs for high school graduatesHere’s a riddle: What do anesthesiologists, lawyers, aerospace engineers, and financial advisors have in common? To discover which jobs pay high school graduates the most, Stacker consulted data from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, last updated in May 2025. None of the 50 jobs on this list requires more than a high school diploma or equivalent. All jobs are ranked by their average annual income, and ties are broken by the number of employees on that job. Locomotive engineers– Median annual income in 2024: $77,400– Median hourly income in 2024: $37.21– Total employment in 2024: 31,990– Typical training: Moderate-term on-the-job trainingAll aboard!