Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Median annual wage: $51,820
- Median hourly wage: $24.92
- Total employment: 290 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay 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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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $52,840
- Median hourly wage: $25.40
- Total employment: 850 people (3.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $53,200
- Median hourly wage: $25.58
- Total employment: 70 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $53,470
- Median hourly wage: $25.71
- Total employment: 80 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $53,630
- Median hourly wage: $25.78
- Total employment: 310 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Glenn Highcove // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Median annual wage: $53,880
- Median hourly wage: $25.90
- Total employment: 520 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $54,430
- Median hourly wage: $26.17
- Total employment: 560 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $54,940
- Median hourly wage: $26.41
- Total employment: 1,970 people (8.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $55,380
- Median hourly wage: $26.63
- Total employment: 1,250 people (5.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $56,630
- Median hourly wage: $27.23
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $56,660
- Median hourly wage: $27.24
- Total employment: 80 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $56,830
- Median hourly wage: $27.32
- Total employment: 930 people (3.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#37. Cargo and freight agents (tie)
- Median annual wage: $57,850
- Median hourly wage: $27.81
- Total employment: 80 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vagengeim // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Dental laboratory technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $57,850
- Median hourly wage: $27.81
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $58,050
- Median hourly wage: $27.91
- Total employment: 230 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $58,170
- Median hourly wage: $27.97
- Total employment: 90 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $58,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 600 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $58,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.15
- Total employment: 960 people (3.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,600
- Median hourly wage: $28.17
- Total employment: 230 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $58,890
- Median hourly wage: $28.31
- Total employment: 120 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $59,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.38
- Total employment: 580 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $60,090
- Median hourly wage: $28.89
- Total employment: 280 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman023_photography // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Riggers
- Median annual wage: $60,170
- Median hourly wage: $28.93
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $60,180
- Median hourly wage: $28.93
- Total employment: 600 people (2.47 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: $60,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.01
- Total employment: 1,440 people (5.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $60,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 60 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $61,100
- Median hourly wage: $29.37
- Total employment: 100 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $61,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $61,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: Not available
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,670
- Median hourly wage: $29.65
- Total employment: 2,150 people (8.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $61,920
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 430 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,950
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 110 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
33 / 50#17. Structural iron and steel workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 110 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Construction and building inspectors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 360 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $64,200
- Median hourly wage: $30.87
- Total employment: 360 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $64,860
- Median hourly wage: $31.18
- Total employment: 180 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $66,620
- Median hourly wage: $32.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $68,150
- Median hourly wage: $32.77
- Total employment: 2,020 people (8.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $69,120
- Median hourly wage: $33.23
- Total employment: 1,020 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $72,300
- Median hourly wage: $34.76
- Total employment: 80 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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First Class Photography // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
- Median annual wage: $73,040
- Median hourly wage: $35.12
- Total employment: 140 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $74,460
- Median hourly wage: $35.80
- Total employment: 960 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $75,470
- Median hourly wage: $36.29
- Total employment: 630 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $77,210
- Median hourly wage: $37.12
- Total employment: 60 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Hearing aid specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,170
- Median hourly wage: $37.58
- Total employment: 30 people (0.13 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: $79,920
- Median hourly wage: $38.42
- Total employment: 340 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $80,270
- Median hourly wage: $38.59
- Total employment: 210 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $86,770
- Median hourly wage: $41.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $87,380
- Median hourly wage: $42.01
- Total employment: 220 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $106,450
- Median hourly wage: $51.18
- Total employment: 250 people (1.02 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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