G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
1 / 50#49. Production, planning, and expediting clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $50,350
- Median hourly wage: $24.21
- Total employment: 400 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Deltona that don't require a college degree
Gen Z has figured out that college isn't the only way to land a high-paying job. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 2 in 5 (38.6%) of recent high school graduates opted out of college in 2023, up from 33.8% in 2019.
This shift comes at a good time for high school grads, as companies face labor shortages for many jobs that don't require a college degree. Baby boomers retiring and a trend to reopen factories in the United States have both driven demand for young talent. A July 2024 Intelligent report found that 1 in 3 companies have already dropped bachelor's degree requirements across entry-level, mid-tier, and even senior positions to attract more employees.
The need for skilled workers, regardless of educational attainment, means better pay. Median wages for those with a high school degree are at their highest since 1990, according to the New York Federal Reserve.
At $40,000 on average, these wages are still $20,000 lower than those of a college grad. Yet nearly 1 in 5 workers who opt out of college earn more than employees with bachelor's degrees. Two million high school grads across the U.S. make six-figure annual salaries—without the financial burden of attending a four-year university. As of 2025, the average annual cost of college is more than $38,200 per student, and the average college graduate has more than $39,000 in student debt. It's little wonder that, according to a May 2024 survey from Pew Research, 29% of Americans think attending college is not worthwhile.
However, not every career field pays high school grads equally well, and understanding what the good jobs are is the first step to landing one. Stacker ranked the 50 highest-paying jobs that don't require a college degree in Deltona using annual compensation data from the BLS. The analysis included jobs that listed a high school diploma, a postsecondary nondegree award, or had no formal education requirements for entry-level positions. 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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Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Loan interviewers and clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $50,350
- Median hourly wage: $24.21
- Total employment: 150 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $50,610
- Median hourly wage: $24.33
- Total employment: 60 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $51,110
- Median hourly wage: $24.57
- Total employment: Not available
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers
- Median annual wage: $51,200
- Median hourly wage: $24.61
- Total employment: 40 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $51,990
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 200 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $52,230
- Median hourly wage: $25.11
- Total employment: 230 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $52,360
- Median hourly wage: $25.17
- Total employment: 80 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yulai Studio // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $52,390
- Median hourly wage: $25.19
- Total employment: 100 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $52,560
- Median hourly wage: $25.27
- Total employment: 90 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $52,790
- Median hourly wage: $25.38
- Total employment: 760 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $53,550
- Median hourly wage: $25.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $53,580
- Median hourly wage: $25.76
- Total employment: 1,240 people (5.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $54,040
- Median hourly wage: $25.98
- Total employment: 110 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $54,820
- Median hourly wage: $26.36
- Total employment: 400 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $55,960
- Median hourly wage: $26.91
- Total employment: 50 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $56,030
- Median hourly wage: $26.94
- Total employment: 1,520 people (6.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $56,160
- Median hourly wage: $27.00
- Total employment: 300 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $56,330
- Median hourly wage: $27.08
- Total employment: 140 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $56,990
- Median hourly wage: $27.40
- Total employment: 1,770 people (8.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $57,060
- Median hourly wage: $27.44
- Total employment: 260 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $57,910
- Median hourly wage: $27.84
- Total employment: 740 people (3.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $58,180
- Median hourly wage: $27.97
- Total employment: 510 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,220
- Median hourly wage: $27.99
- Total employment: 610 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $58,570
- Median hourly wage: $28.16
- Total employment: 1,980 people (9.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $59,040
- Median hourly wage: $28.39
- Total employment: 790 people (3.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $59,080
- Median hourly wage: $28.41
- Total employment: 270 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $59,090
- Median hourly wage: $28.41
- Total employment: 990 people (4.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $59,270
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 310 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rido // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $59,410
- Median hourly wage: $28.56
- Total employment: 100 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $59,880
- Median hourly wage: $28.79
- Total employment: 710 people (3.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $60,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 150 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $60,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.13
- Total employment: 140 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Neale Cousland // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage: $61,530
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $62,000
- Median hourly wage: $29.81
- Total employment: 900 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $62,210
- Median hourly wage: $29.91
- Total employment: 610 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $62,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.98
- Total employment: 280 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Median annual wage: $62,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.09
- Total employment: 60 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $63,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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sculpies // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $64,340
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 1,430 people (6.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $74,320
- Median hourly wage: $35.73
- Total employment: 30 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $75,410
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $76,380
- Median hourly wage: $36.72
- Total employment: 240 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $77,040
- Median hourly wage: $37.04
- Total employment: Not available
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.16
- Total employment: 470 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $81,000
- Median hourly wage: $38.94
- Total employment: 240 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $81,180
- Median hourly wage: $39.03
- Total employment: 210 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $81,290
- Median hourly wage: $39.08
- Total employment: 310 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $103,040
- Median hourly wage: $49.54
- Total employment: 130 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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