goodluz // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $51,920
- Median hourly wage: $24.96
- Total employment: 420 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Lakeland 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 Lakeland 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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Vadim Ratnikov // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Earth drillers, except oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $51,940
- Median hourly wage: $24.97
- Total employment: 90 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $53,190
- Median hourly wage: $25.57
- Total employment: 190 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $53,470
- Median hourly wage: $25.71
- Total employment: 60 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Recreational vehicle service technicians
- Median annual wage: $54,140
- Median hourly wage: $26.03
- Total employment: 90 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vladeep // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $54,600
- Median hourly wage: $26.25
- Total employment: 100 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $54,680
- Median hourly wage: $26.29
- Total employment: 70 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $54,960
- Median hourly wage: $26.42
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $55,870
- Median hourly wage: $26.86
- Total employment: 670 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ibnu alias // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $56,230
- Median hourly wage: $27.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vitpho // Shutterstock
11 / 50#39. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $56,450
- Median hourly wage: $27.14
- Total employment: 7,360 people (28.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Occupational health and safety technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $56,450
- Median hourly wage: $27.14
- Total employment: 90 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $56,610
- Median hourly wage: $27.22
- Total employment: 130 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,940
- Median hourly wage: $27.38
- Total employment: 820 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $57,130
- Median hourly wage: $27.47
- Total employment: 130 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $57,880
- Median hourly wage: $27.83
- Total employment: 1,230 people (4.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $58,110
- Median hourly wage: $27.94
- Total employment: 150 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $58,140
- Median hourly wage: $27.95
- Total employment: 560 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,340
- Median hourly wage: $28.05
- Total employment: 690 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $58,560
- Median hourly wage: $28.16
- Total employment: 480 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $59,110
- Median hourly wage: $28.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $59,420
- Median hourly wage: $28.57
- Total employment: 270 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $59,990
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 300 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $60,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.85
- Total employment: 940 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $60,210
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 410 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $60,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.14
- Total employment: 90 people (0.34 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: $60,820
- Median hourly wage: $29.24
- Total employment: 2,450 people (9.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $61,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $61,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 540 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $61,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.61
- Total employment: 2,140 people (8.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santi lumubol // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $61,810
- Median hourly wage: $29.72
- Total employment: 90 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $62,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.99
- Total employment: 1,730 people (6.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $63,210
- Median hourly wage: $30.39
- Total employment: 1,460 people (5.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $63,980
- Median hourly wage: $30.76
- Total employment: 930 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $64,100
- Median hourly wage: $30.82
- Total employment: 390 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rlat // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $64,730
- Median hourly wage: $31.12
- Total employment: 120 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $66,790
- Median hourly wage: $32.11
- Total employment: 1,340 people (5.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $68,320
- Median hourly wage: $32.85
- Total employment: 1,460 people (5.58 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: $69,210
- Median hourly wage: $33.27
- Total employment: 1,810 people (6.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $69,330
- Median hourly wage: $33.33
- Total employment: 70 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Skycolors // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $69,990
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,730
- Median hourly wage: $35.93
- Total employment: 1,180 people (4.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $75,720
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 340 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $81,740
- Median hourly wage: $39.30
- Total employment: 180 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $93,990
- Median hourly wage: $45.19
- Total employment: 190 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,480
- Median hourly wage: $45.90
- Total employment: 400 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $96,150
- Median hourly wage: $46.22
- Total employment: 200 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $97,590
- Median hourly wage: $46.92
- Total employment: 50 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $101,820
- Median hourly wage: $48.95
- Total employment: 170 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $106,930
- Median hourly wage: $51.41
- Total employment: 100 people (0.39 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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