Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $46,240
- Median hourly wage: $22.23
- Total employment: 90 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Sebastian 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 Sebastian 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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DuxX // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage: $46,310
- Median hourly wage: $22.26
- Total employment: 80 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
brizmaker // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $46,450
- Median hourly wage: $22.33
- Total employment: 410 people (7.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Median annual wage: $46,690
- Median hourly wage: $22.45
- Total employment: 60 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
5 / 50#45. Brickmasons and blockmasons (tie)
- Median annual wage: $46,750
- Median hourly wage: $22.48
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Carpenters (tie)
- Median annual wage: $46,750
- Median hourly wage: $22.48
- Total employment: 350 people (6.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Median annual wage: $46,790
- Median hourly wage: $22.49
- Total employment: 290 people (5.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
mahc // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Tile and stone setters
- Median annual wage: $46,800
- Median hourly wage: $22.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Bus drivers, school
- Median annual wage: $46,850
- Median hourly wage: $22.53
- Total employment: 110 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $47,380
- Median hourly wage: $22.78
- Total employment: 110 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Irene Miller // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $48,050
- Median hourly wage: $23.10
- Total employment: 150 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $48,110
- Median hourly wage: $23.13
- Total employment: 150 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $48,450
- Median hourly wage: $23.29
- Total employment: 90 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $48,950
- Median hourly wage: $23.54
- Total employment: 70 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $50,110
- Median hourly wage: $24.09
- Total employment: 40 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $50,450
- Median hourly wage: $24.26
- Total employment: 190 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $51,330
- Median hourly wage: $24.68
- Total employment: 520 people (9.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $52,180
- Median hourly wage: $25.09
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $52,400
- Median hourly wage: $25.19
- Total employment: 60 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $54,080
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 180 people (3.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Information and record clerks, all other
- Median annual wage: $54,320
- Median hourly wage: $26.11
- Total employment: 50 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $54,470
- Median hourly wage: $26.19
- Total employment: 240 people (4.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $54,690
- Median hourly wage: $26.29
- Total employment: 60 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services
- Median annual wage: $54,780
- Median hourly wage: $26.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $54,860
- Median hourly wage: $26.37
- Total employment: 60 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $56,950
- Median hourly wage: $27.38
- Total employment: 180 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $56,980
- Median hourly wage: $27.39
- Total employment: 540 people (9.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $57,200
- Median hourly wage: $27.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $57,900
- Median hourly wage: $27.84
- Total employment: 40 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $57,960
- Median hourly wage: $27.86
- Total employment: 60 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $58,230
- Median hourly wage: $28.00
- Total employment: 260 people (4.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $58,830
- Median hourly wage: $28.28
- Total employment: 140 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $58,970
- Median hourly wage: $28.35
- Total employment: 90 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $59,190
- Median hourly wage: $28.46
- Total employment: 140 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $59,610
- Median hourly wage: $28.66
- Total employment: 210 people (3.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $60,000
- Median hourly wage: $28.85
- Total employment: 70 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $60,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.98
- Total employment: 430 people (7.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $60,940
- Median hourly wage: $29.30
- Total employment: 30 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $60,970
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 170 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Healthcare support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $60,980
- Median hourly wage: $29.32
- Total employment: 60 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rlat // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,110
- Median hourly wage: $29.38
- Total employment: 30 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $61,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 170 people (3.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $62,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.26
- Total employment: 80 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $66,140
- Median hourly wage: $31.80
- Total employment: 220 people (3.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $66,910
- Median hourly wage: $32.17
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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sculpies // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $69,470
- Median hourly wage: $33.40
- Total employment: 460 people (8.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $70,370
- Median hourly wage: $33.83
- Total employment: 220 people (3.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $72,970
- Median hourly wage: $35.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $79,470
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 50 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $87,880
- Median hourly wage: $42.25
- Total employment: 90 people (1.65 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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