Highest-paying jobs in Orlando 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 Orlando 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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SritanaN // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $59,400
- Median hourly wage: $28.56
- Total employment: 1,740 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GolF2532 // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Security and fire alarm systems installers

- Median annual wage: $59,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.63
- Total employment: 1,230 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

LStockStudio // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Brokerage clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,690
- Median hourly wage: $28.70
- Total employment: 170 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Hearing aid specialists

- Median annual wage: $59,820
- Median hourly wage: $28.76
- Total employment: 230 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Transportation security screeners

- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 1,250 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $60,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 4,170 people (2.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $60,080
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 10,190 people (7.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $60,210
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 1,330 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $60,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 3,330 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Occupational health and safety technicians

- Median annual wage: $60,420
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 80 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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goodluz // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $60,490
- Median hourly wage: $29.08
- Total employment: 3,170 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $60,740
- Median hourly wage: $29.20
- Total employment: 1,210 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Linda Zupanc // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Costume attendants

- Median annual wage: $60,860
- Median hourly wage: $29.26
- Total employment: 250 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $60,890
- Median hourly wage: $29.27
- Total employment: 5,800 people (4.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $61,270
- Median hourly wage: $29.46
- Total employment: 2,280 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $61,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 14,650 people (10.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $61,690
- Median hourly wage: $29.66
- Total employment: 3,410 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $61,770
- Median hourly wage: $29.70
- Total employment: 1,690 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

- Median annual wage: $61,980
- Median hourly wage: $29.80
- Total employment: 490 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Media and communication workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $62,080
- Median hourly wage: $29.85
- Total employment: 330 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 460 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers

- Median annual wage: $62,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.03
- Total employment: 1,310 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Neale Cousland // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Athletes and sports competitors

- Median annual wage: $63,720
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 160 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $64,430
- Median hourly wage: $30.98
- Total employment: 1,560 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

manine99 // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $64,750
- Median hourly wage: $31.13
- Total employment: 1,030 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $65,510
- Median hourly wage: $31.49
- Total employment: 3,330 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $65,840
- Median hourly wage: $31.65
- Total employment: 280 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $66,520
- Median hourly wage: $31.98
- Total employment: 5,580 people (3.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $67,100
- Median hourly wage: $32.26
- Total employment: 510 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $68,420
- Median hourly wage: $32.89
- Total employment: 2,430 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

funnyangel // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Fire inspectors and investigators

- Median annual wage: $69,170
- Median hourly wage: $33.25
- Total employment: 130 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $75,580
- Median hourly wage: $36.34
- Total employment: 10,140 people (7.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

- Median annual wage: $76,480
- Median hourly wage: $36.77
- Total employment: 780 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $76,960
- Median hourly wage: $37.00
- Total employment: 1,590 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $77,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.16
- Total employment: 2,330 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $77,290
- Median hourly wage: $37.16
- Total employment: 5,230 people (3.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Lodging managers

- Median annual wage: $77,320
- Median hourly wage: $37.17
- Total employment: 770 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $77,380
- Median hourly wage: $37.20
- Total employment: 190 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Flight attendants

- Median annual wage: $80,000
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 3,600 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $81,160
- Median hourly wage: $39.02
- Total employment: 1,000 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrei Agape // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Avionics technicians

- Median annual wage: $81,810
- Median hourly wage: $39.33
- Total employment: 250 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $81,950
- Median hourly wage: $39.40
- Total employment: Not available

DenisKlimov // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $82,490
- Median hourly wage: $39.66
- Total employment: 130 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $84,000
- Median hourly wage: $40.38
- Total employment: 2,150 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Suwin // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay

- Median annual wage: $86,760
- Median hourly wage: $41.71
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 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: $91,350
- Median hourly wage: $43.92
- Total employment: 1,720 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $98,700
- Median hourly wage: $47.45
- Total employment: 50 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $103,640
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 730 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $105,130
- Median hourly wage: $50.54
- Total employment: 290 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $125,040
- Median hourly wage: $60.11
- Total employment: 260 people (0.19 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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