Vera Larina // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $47,830
- Median hourly wage: $23.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Myrtle Beach 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 Myrtle Beach 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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2 / 50#49. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $47,950
- Median hourly wage: $23.05
- Total employment: 110 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Noin90650 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers
- Median annual wage: $47,990
- Median hourly wage: $23.07
- Total employment: 60 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Recreational vehicle service technicians
- Median annual wage: $48,310
- Median hourly wage: $23.23
- Total employment: 60 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $48,610
- Median hourly wage: $23.37
- Total employment: 440 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $48,640
- Median hourly wage: $23.39
- Total employment: 200 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $48,770
- Median hourly wage: $23.45
- Total employment: 470 people (3.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $49,030
- Median hourly wage: $23.57
- Total employment: 350 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $49,360
- Median hourly wage: $23.73
- Total employment: 610 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $49,600
- Median hourly wage: $23.85
- Total employment: 200 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Joey Chung // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $49,630
- Median hourly wage: $23.86
- Total employment: 1,520 people (10.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $49,840
- Median hourly wage: $23.96
- Total employment: 100 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $49,910
- Median hourly wage: $23.99
- Total employment: 1,050 people (7.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $50,530
- Median hourly wage: $24.29
- Total employment: 60 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $50,920
- Median hourly wage: $24.48
- Total employment: 200 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $51,240
- Median hourly wage: $24.64
- Total employment: 70 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $51,410
- Median hourly wage: $24.72
- Total employment: 710 people (4.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $51,870
- Median hourly wage: $24.94
- Total employment: 200 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $52,010
- Median hourly wage: $25.01
- Total employment: 140 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $52,040
- Median hourly wage: $25.02
- Total employment: 540 people (3.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $52,260
- Median hourly wage: $25.13
- Total employment: 120 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $52,520
- Median hourly wage: $25.25
- Total employment: 430 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $55,250
- Median hourly wage: $26.56
- Total employment: 320 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $55,340
- Median hourly wage: $26.61
- Total employment: 140 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $55,860
- Median hourly wage: $26.86
- Total employment: 120 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $56,500
- Median hourly wage: $27.16
- Total employment: 500 people (3.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $57,570
- Median hourly wage: $27.68
- Total employment: 290 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $58,140
- Median hourly wage: $27.95
- Total employment: 1,320 people (9.17 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: $58,190
- Median hourly wage: $27.98
- Total employment: 320 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $59,320
- Median hourly wage: $28.52
- Total employment: 130 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $59,910
- Median hourly wage: $28.80
- Total employment: 190 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 110 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $60,000
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 170 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $60,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.01
- Total employment: 140 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $61,000
- Median hourly wage: $29.33
- Total employment: 120 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $62,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.19
- Total employment: 760 people (5.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $63,000
- Median hourly wage: $30.29
- Total employment: 590 people (4.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $63,060
- Median hourly wage: $30.32
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 60 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $66,850
- Median hourly wage: $32.14
- Total employment: 1,030 people (7.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $68,310
- Median hourly wage: $32.84
- Total employment: 60 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $70,420
- Median hourly wage: $33.85
- Total employment: 80 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $74,510
- Median hourly wage: $35.82
- Total employment: 150 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $74,990
- Median hourly wage: $36.05
- Total employment: Not available
Yulai Studio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $76,210
- Median hourly wage: $36.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $80,750
- Median hourly wage: $38.82
- Total employment: 90 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,730
- Median hourly wage: $39.29
- Total employment: 30 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $87,480
- Median hourly wage: $42.06
- Total employment: 120 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $91,090
- Median hourly wage: $43.79
- Total employment: 90 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $99,990
- Median hourly wage: $48.07
- Total employment: 170 people (1.21 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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