mahc // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Tile and stone setters
- Median annual wage: $49,690
- Median hourly wage: $23.89
- Total employment: 120 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Port St. Lucie 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 Port St. Lucie 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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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $49,940
- Median hourly wage: $24.01
- Total employment: 360 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $50,300
- Median hourly wage: $24.18
- Total employment: 130 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Fusionstudio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles
- Median annual wage: $50,660
- Median hourly wage: $24.36
- Total employment: Not available
Vagengeim // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Dental laboratory technicians
- Median annual wage: $51,470
- Median hourly wage: $24.75
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kardasov Films // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Sailors and marine oilers
- Median annual wage: $52,290
- Median hourly wage: $25.14
- Total employment: 50 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PHILIPIMAGE // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $52,310
- Median hourly wage: $25.15
- Total employment: 240 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $52,810
- Median hourly wage: $25.39
- Total employment: 110 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Khromova Anna // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Fence erectors
- Median annual wage: $52,910
- Median hourly wage: $25.44
- Total employment: 50 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $53,100
- Median hourly wage: $25.53
- Total employment: 1,020 people (6.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $53,390
- Median hourly wage: $25.67
- Total employment: 90 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $54,330
- Median hourly wage: $26.12
- Total employment: 110 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $54,380
- Median hourly wage: $26.14
- Total employment: 190 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $55,520
- Median hourly wage: $26.69
- Total employment: 1,210 people (7.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $55,880
- Median hourly wage: $26.87
- Total employment: 310 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GolF2532 // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $56,220
- Median hourly wage: $27.03
- Total employment: 70 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services
- Median annual wage: $56,370
- Median hourly wage: $27.10
- Total employment: 100 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Median annual wage: $56,800
- Median hourly wage: $27.31
- Total employment: 160 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $56,970
- Median hourly wage: $27.39
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $57,300
- Median hourly wage: $27.55
- Total employment: 100 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $57,680
- Median hourly wage: $27.73
- Total employment: 220 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $57,820
- Median hourly wage: $27.80
- Total employment: 50 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $58,160
- Median hourly wage: $27.96
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $58,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 500 people (3.0 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: $58,840
- Median hourly wage: $28.29
- Total employment: 1,460 people (8.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.34
- Total employment: 550 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $59,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.43
- Total employment: 70 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $59,710
- Median hourly wage: $28.71
- Total employment: 330 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 540 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $60,810
- Median hourly wage: $29.23
- Total employment: 1,590 people (9.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,030
- Median hourly wage: $29.34
- Total employment: 450 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: 80 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Media and communication workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $61,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: Not available
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $62,100
- Median hourly wage: $29.86
- Total employment: 220 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,250
- Median hourly wage: $29.93
- Total employment: 210 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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sculpies // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $63,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.50
- Total employment: 1,340 people (8.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $63,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 290 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $63,860
- Median hourly wage: $30.70
- Total employment: 550 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $66,060
- Median hourly wage: $31.76
- Total employment: 160 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $68,600
- Median hourly wage: $32.98
- Total employment: 710 people (4.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vladeep // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $75,700
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 40 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $75,920
- Median hourly wage: $36.50
- Total employment: 100 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $77,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.49
- Total employment: 1,020 people (6.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,830
- Median hourly wage: $38.38
- Total employment: 100 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $80,260
- Median hourly wage: $38.59
- Total employment: 160 people (0.94 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: $80,530
- Median hourly wage: $38.72
- Total employment: 190 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $85,910
- Median hourly wage: $41.30
- Total employment: 320 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $104,590
- Median hourly wage: $50.28
- Total employment: 170 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $105,560
- Median hourly wage: $50.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $112,880
- Median hourly wage: $54.27
- Total employment: 180 people (1.08 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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