chalermphon_tiam // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $50,180
- Median hourly wage: $24.13
- Total employment: 80 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Cape Coral for high school graduates
For decades, common wisdom held that earning a bachelor's degree would guarantee a high-paying career. Higher education does still seem to be an advantage: A college graduate's average annual salary of $60,000 in 2024 is roughly $20,000 more than that of a high school graduate, and those with bachelor's degrees can typically expect to earn between $630,000 and $900,000 more over the course of a lifetime. However, recent shifts in higher education and the job market have people wondering—with good reason—whether or not a bachelor's degree will really pay off.
According to a 2024 study from the Pew Research Center, 29% of Americans believe obtaining a college degree isn't worthwhile, a trend reflected in shrinking attendance at universities across the nation. Meanwhile, annual college costs have skyrocketed to an average of $38,270 per student in 2025, often necessitating student loans with steep interest rates.
With these factors in mind, it's natural for recent high school graduates to consider vocational opportunities outside of college. Those who do may be pleasantly surprised—many companies have stopped requiring bachelor's degrees for entry-, mid-, and even senior-level positions. And while college graduates' average earnings may be higher, a 2024 report from Launchpad Jobs found that around 1 in 5 nondegree holders out-earn the $70,000 median wages of someone with a bachelor's degree.
Of course, salaries for high school grads vary widely based on job, industry, and location. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Cape Coral for high school graduates. The analysis included jobs that listed a high school diploma or had no formal education requirement. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $50,350
- Median hourly wage: $24.21
- Total employment: 460 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $50,360
- Median hourly wage: $24.21
- Total employment: 1,950 people (6.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Median annual wage: $50,990
- Median hourly wage: $24.52
- Total employment: 250 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $51,180
- Median hourly wage: $24.60
- Total employment: 230 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Community health workers
- Median annual wage: $51,500
- Median hourly wage: $24.76
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $52,290
- Median hourly wage: $25.14
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rezoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Plant and system operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $53,160
- Median hourly wage: $25.56
- Total employment: 30 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $55,090
- Median hourly wage: $26.49
- Total employment: 3,660 people (12.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $56,800
- Median hourly wage: $27.31
- Total employment: 60 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Financial clerks, all other
- Median annual wage: $56,950
- Median hourly wage: $27.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $57,480
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 70 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $57,520
- Median hourly wage: $27.65
- Total employment: 180 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PHILIPIMAGE // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $57,600
- Median hourly wage: $27.69
- Total employment: 190 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $59,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 830 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SritanaN // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $59,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.39
- Total employment: 340 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $59,090
- Median hourly wage: $28.41
- Total employment: 290 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,170
- Median hourly wage: $28.45
- Total employment: 120 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.48
- Total employment: 410 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $59,300
- Median hourly wage: $28.51
- Total employment: 980 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GolF2532 // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $59,420
- Median hourly wage: $28.57
- Total employment: 330 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $59,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.63
- Total employment: 320 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $59,620
- Median hourly wage: $28.66
- Total employment: 200 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $59,680
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 750 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 340 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $60,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.97
- Total employment: 2,490 people (8.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,030
- Median hourly wage: $29.34
- Total employment: 3,020 people (10.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $61,950
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 490 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $61,990
- Median hourly wage: $29.80
- Total employment: 700 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $62,040
- Median hourly wage: $29.83
- Total employment: 490 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Media and communication workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $62,110
- Median hourly wage: $29.86
- Total employment: 50 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $62,420
- Median hourly wage: $30.01
- Total employment: 450 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $62,500
- Median hourly wage: $30.05
- Total employment: 240 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $62,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 780 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Recreational vehicle service technicians
- Median annual wage: $64,260
- Median hourly wage: $30.90
- Total employment: 120 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $65,500
- Median hourly wage: $31.49
- Total employment: 440 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $68,680
- Median hourly wage: $33.02
- Total employment: 240 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $69,880
- Median hourly wage: $33.60
- Total employment: 1,330 people (4.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $71,240
- Median hourly wage: $34.25
- Total employment: 3,940 people (13.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $71,370
- Median hourly wage: $34.31
- Total employment: Not available
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Vladeep // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $75,090
- Median hourly wage: $36.10
- Total employment: 140 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Hearing aid specialists
- Median annual wage: $76,070
- Median hourly wage: $36.57
- Total employment: 80 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $76,990
- Median hourly wage: $37.01
- Total employment: Not available
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $77,150
- Median hourly wage: $37.09
- Total employment: 470 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,210
- Median hourly wage: $37.12
- Total employment: 220 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $78,120
- Median hourly wage: $37.56
- Total employment: 220 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,790
- Median hourly wage: $38.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $88,480
- Median hourly wage: $42.54
- Total employment: 320 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $98,440
- Median hourly wage: $47.33
- Total employment: 200 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $98,530
- Median hourly wage: $47.37
- Total employment: 360 people (1.21 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.
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