Highest-paying jobs in Fort Smith for high school graduates

Stacker
#50. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $45,270
- Median hourly wage: $21.76
- Total employment: 340 people (3.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#49. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $45,450
- Median hourly wage: $21.85
- Total employment: 470 people (4.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

- Median annual wage: $46,430
- Median hourly wage: $22.32
- Total employment: 170 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

- Median annual wage: $46,520
- Median hourly wage: $22.36
- Total employment: 140 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

- Median annual wage: $46,610
- Median hourly wage: $22.41
- Total employment: 50 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#45. Food batchmakers

- Median annual wage: $47,000
- Median hourly wage: $22.60
- Total employment: 350 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#44. Cargo and freight agents

- Median annual wage: $47,400
- Median hourly wage: $22.79
- Total employment: 160 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#43. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $47,540
- Median hourly wage: $22.86
- Total employment: 210 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

- Median annual wage: $47,550
- Median hourly wage: $22.86
- Total employment: 410 people (4.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#41. Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters

- Median annual wage: $47,990
- Median hourly wage: $23.07
- Total employment: 120 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#40. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $48,340
- Median hourly wage: $23.24
- Total employment: 220 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#39. Lodging managers

- Median annual wage: $48,530
- Median hourly wage: $23.33
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#38. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $49,390
- Median hourly wage: $23.74
- Total employment: 170 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#37. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $49,440
- Median hourly wage: $23.77
- Total employment: 230 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#36. Structural metal fabricators and fitters

- Median annual wage: $49,450
- Median hourly wage: $23.78
- Total employment: 110 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#35. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $49,510
- Median hourly wage: $23.80
- Total employment: 380 people (3.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#34. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers

- Median annual wage: $49,570
- Median hourly wage: $23.83
- Total employment: 400 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

- Median annual wage: $49,740
- Median hourly wage: $23.91
- Total employment: 970 people (10.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#32. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $50,270
- Median hourly wage: $24.17
- Total employment: 90 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#31. Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers

- Median annual wage: $50,320
- Median hourly wage: $24.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#30. Printing press operators

- Median annual wage: $50,760
- Median hourly wage: $24.41
- Total employment: 160 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#29. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $51,350
- Median hourly wage: $24.69
- Total employment: 30 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#28. Surveying and mapping technicians

- Median annual wage: $51,540
- Median hourly wage: $24.78
- Total employment: 30 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#27. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $51,910
- Median hourly wage: $24.96
- Total employment: 460 people (4.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#26. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $52,120
- Median hourly wage: $25.06
- Total employment: 170 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#25. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $53,120
- Median hourly wage: $25.54
- Total employment: 150 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#24. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $53,340
- Median hourly wage: $25.64
- Total employment: 50 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#23. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $54,650
- Median hourly wage: $26.28
- Total employment: 90 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#22. Computer numerically controlled tool operators

- Median annual wage: $54,790
- Median hourly wage: $26.34
- Total employment: 390 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#21. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $55,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.57
- Total employment: 70 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#20. Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $55,410
- Median hourly wage: $26.64
- Total employment: 110 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#19. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $56,160
- Median hourly wage: $27.00
- Total employment: 110 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#18. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $56,430
- Median hourly wage: $27.13
- Total employment: 60 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#17. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $56,500
- Median hourly wage: $27.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

- Median annual wage: $56,850
- Median hourly wage: $27.33
- Total employment: 1,030 people (10.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#15. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $56,880
- Median hourly wage: $27.34
- Total employment: 780 people (8.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#14. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $57,470
- Median hourly wage: $27.63
- Total employment: 410 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

- Median annual wage: $57,840
- Median hourly wage: $27.81
- Total employment: 1,130 people (11.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

- Median annual wage: $58,070
- Median hourly wage: $27.92
- Total employment: 460 people (4.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#11. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.49
- Total employment: 70 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#10. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $60,440
- Median hourly wage: $29.06
- Total employment: 210 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#9. Service unit operators, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $62,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

- Median annual wage: $64,520
- Median hourly wage: $31.02
- Total employment: 510 people (5.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

- Median annual wage: $65,390
- Median hourly wage: $31.44
- Total employment: 120 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#6. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $69,980
- Median hourly wage: $33.65
- Total employment: 150 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $72,580
- Median hourly wage: $34.90
- Total employment: 130 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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

- Median annual wage: $77,090
- Median hourly wage: $37.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#3. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $78,320
- Median hourly wage: $37.66
- Total employment: 80 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $81,460
- Median hourly wage: $39.16
- Total employment: 70 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $95,920
- Median hourly wage: $46.12
- Total employment: 110 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock