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1 / 50#50. Engine and other machine assemblers
- Median annual wage: $51,820
- Median hourly wage: $24.91
- Total employment: 60 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in North Port 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 North Port 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. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $52,170
- Median hourly wage: $25.08
- Total employment: 240 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $52,230
- Median hourly wage: $25.11
- Total employment: 320 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Steve Hamann // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Median annual wage: $52,450
- Median hourly wage: $25.22
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $52,470
- Median hourly wage: $25.23
- Total employment: 80 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vagengeim // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Dental laboratory technicians
- Median annual wage: $52,540
- Median hourly wage: $25.26
- Total employment: 80 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $52,650
- Median hourly wage: $25.31
- Total employment: 220 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PHILIPIMAGE // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $53,460
- Median hourly wage: $25.70
- Total employment: 220 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Procurement clerks
- Median annual wage: $53,760
- Median hourly wage: $25.85
- Total employment: 100 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $54,190
- Median hourly wage: $26.06
- Total employment: 100 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Median annual wage: $55,670
- Median hourly wage: $26.77
- Total employment: 340 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $56,390
- Median hourly wage: $27.11
- Total employment: 400 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $57,570
- Median hourly wage: $27.68
- Total employment: 1,130 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $57,950
- Median hourly wage: $27.86
- Total employment: 320 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $58,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 870 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $58,690
- Median hourly wage: $28.22
- Total employment: 1,300 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $59,330
- Median hourly wage: $28.52
- Total employment: 1,000 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $59,510
- Median hourly wage: $28.61
- Total employment: 290 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $59,690
- Median hourly wage: $28.70
- Total employment: 90 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,760
- Median hourly wage: $28.73
- Total employment: 140 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kot500 // Shutterstock
21 / 50#29. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $60,100
- Median hourly wage: $28.89
- Total employment: 280 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $60,100
- Median hourly wage: $28.89
- Total employment: 1,230 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $60,480
- Median hourly wage: $29.08
- Total employment: 30 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $60,690
- Median hourly wage: $29.18
- Total employment: 2,950 people (8.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $61,530
- Median hourly wage: $29.58
- Total employment: 3,010 people (9.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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LStockStudio // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Brokerage clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: Not available
Rido // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $61,760
- Median hourly wage: $29.69
- Total employment: 190 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $62,080
- Median hourly wage: $29.85
- Total employment: 1,190 people (3.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $62,290
- Median hourly wage: $29.95
- Total employment: 300 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $62,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.03
- Total employment: 100 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $62,670
- Median hourly wage: $30.13
- Total employment: 160 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Media and communication workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $63,040
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $63,080
- Median hourly wage: $30.33
- Total employment: 170 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $64,090
- Median hourly wage: $30.81
- Total employment: 3,020 people (9.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $64,520
- Median hourly wage: $31.02
- Total employment: 3,230 people (9.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $66,240
- Median hourly wage: $31.85
- Total employment: 440 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $66,780
- Median hourly wage: $32.11
- Total employment: 710 people (2.13 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: $67,680
- Median hourly wage: $32.54
- Total employment: 1,300 people (3.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $67,980
- Median hourly wage: $32.68
- Total employment: 510 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $68,090
- Median hourly wage: $32.74
- Total employment: 400 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $71,150
- Median hourly wage: $34.21
- Total employment: 990 people (2.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $73,330
- Median hourly wage: $35.26
- Total employment: 400 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $73,470
- Median hourly wage: $35.32
- Total employment: 400 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $76,720
- Median hourly wage: $36.88
- Total employment: 1,440 people (4.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $78,630
- Median hourly wage: $37.80
- Total employment: 430 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Hearing aid specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.97
- Total employment: 180 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $96,870
- Median hourly wage: $46.57
- Total employment: 60 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $100,020
- Median hourly wage: $48.09
- Total employment: 180 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $101,640
- Median hourly wage: $48.87
- Total employment: 60 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $109,940
- Median hourly wage: $52.86
- Total employment: 270 people (0.79 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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