Yes! Finally there is a list of occupations that pay $20 or more per hour if you only have a high School Diploma!
*U.S. workers with only a high school diploma face an unemployment rate almost twice that of college educated workers and earned significantly less on average.
BUT! Don’t lose hope! There are still other career options that are open!
*As of 2014, there are 115 occupations that require a high school diploma and pay $20 per hour or more. 70% of these jobs do require some training but not an actual college degree.
By “Training” we mean apprenticeships, intern/externships or vocational schooling to obtain licensure or certification. Of course many of these jobs are considered “entry level” which requires no experience, but that varies in each state and by each employer.
**The 10 Highest Paying Jobs for High School Graduates: No Training or Short-Term Training required.
-Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers–104,000 jobs in 2014 -First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers–253,000 jobs in 2014 -Gaming Managers–5,000 jobs in 2014 -Real Estate Brokers–51,000 jobs in 2014 -First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers–496,000 jobs in 2014 -First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers–442,000 jobs in 2014 -Legal Support Workers–52,000 jobs in 2014 -Postal Service Mail Carriers-283,000 jobs in 2014 -Transit and Railroad Police–5,000 jobs in 2014 -Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers–171,000 jobs in 2014
**The 10 Highest Paying Jobs for High School Graduates: Moderate to Long–term Training.
-First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives–100,000 jobs in 2014 -Elevator Installers and Repairers–21,000 jobs in 2014 -Detectives and Criminal Investigators–114,000 jobs in 2014 -Nuclear Power Reactor Operators-7,000 jobs in 2014 -Commercial Pilots–35,000 jobs in 2014 -Power Distributors and Dispatchers–12,000 jobs in 2014 -Power Plant Operators–40,000 jobs in 2014 -Electrical Power Line Installers and Repairers–116,000 jobs in 2014 -Transportation Inspectors–26,000 jobs in 2014 -Postmasters and Mail Superintendents–22,000 jobs in 2014
***Some other career opportunities you could also consider are an Aircraft Mechanic (55K), Welding Inspector (60K), Fire Captain (61K), Electrical Technician (48K) or MRI Technologist (62K).
So if you are regretting not getting that college education when you had the chance to, these could be some options to look into if you are trying to find a more lucrative career path.
*Careerbuilder.com – CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists List the Best Paying Jobs for Workers with High School Degrees.
**Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Situation, July 2014; workers 25 and older. Minimum entry-level education. All legal support workers not listed separately; does not include Paralegals, Court Reporters, Title Examiners or Legal Assistants. ***5 High-Paying Blue-Collar Jobs – By Hannah Hamilton – Monster.com