What jobs can high school graduates obtain?  Forbes Magazine compiled a list of the 20 best paying Blue Collar Jobs .  Forbes lists the 20 best-paying blue collar jobs from the government’s Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Every job earns more than the national average of $42,270. The salary averages are for workers with several years’ experience and the jobs are highly competitive; however, for students still in school, they provide a source for career pathways to consider. Remember, beginning salaries are lower than the national averages shown here.

For the full article, including pictures of people at work in these jobs, go to the website listed at the bottom of this Career Headline.

1. Elevator installers and repairers, Average Hourly Wage: $32.57
2. Powerhouse, Substation and Relay Repairers, Average Hourly Wage: $29.18
3. Transportation Inspectors, Average Hourly Wage: $28.46
4. Commercial Divers, Average Hourly Wage: $26.42
5. Oil and Gas Rotary Drill Operators, Average Hourly Wage: $26.14
6. Power-line Installers and Repairers, Average Hourly Wage: $26.11
7. Locomotive Engineers, Average Hourly Wage: $25.71
8. Boilermakers, Average Hourly Wage: $25.53
9. Locomotive Firers, Average Hourly Wage: $25.31
10. Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Average Hourly Wage: $25.31
Adapted from Forbes.com
https://www.forbes.com/2009/06/10/paying-blue-collar-leadership-jobs.html

Please be aware that this list changes.