DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $49,420
- Median hourly wage: $23.76
- Total employment: 200 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Lakeland 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 Lakeland 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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Ramon Espelt Photography // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Home appliance repairers
- Median annual wage: $49,510
- Median hourly wage: $23.81
- Total employment: 50 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
RossHelen // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $49,540
- Median hourly wage: $23.82
- Total employment: 130 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $49,800
- Median hourly wage: $23.94
- Total employment: 960 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $50,160
- Median hourly wage: $24.12
- Total employment: 90 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $50,210
- Median hourly wage: $24.14
- Total employment: 110 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $50,240
- Median hourly wage: $24.15
- Total employment: 240 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $50,400
- Median hourly wage: $24.23
- Total employment: 190 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dusan Petkovic // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $50,410
- Median hourly wage: $24.24
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $50,770
- Median hourly wage: $24.41
- Total employment: 80 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Dental laboratory technicians
- Median annual wage: $51,410
- Median hourly wage: $24.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $51,900
- Median hourly wage: $24.95
- Total employment: 180 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. 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)
Vadim Ratnikov // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. 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
15 / 50#36. 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)
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16 / 50#35. 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
17 / 50#34. 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)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. 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
19 / 50#32. 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
20 / 50#31. 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)
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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. 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
22 / 50#29. 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)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Occupational health and safety technicians
- 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
24 / 50#27. 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)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. 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)
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Kot500 // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. 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
27 / 50#24. 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)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. 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
29 / 50#22. 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)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. 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)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. 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)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. 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
33 / 50#18. 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)
welcomia // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. 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
35 / 50#16. 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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ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. 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
37 / 50#14. 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
38 / 50#13. 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
39 / 50#12. 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)
rlat // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. 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)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. 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
42 / 50#9. 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
43 / 50#8. 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
44 / 50#7. 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)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. 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)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. 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)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. 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)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. 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
49 / 50#2. 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)
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 Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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