Most employment positions require a high school diploma or GED. If you didn’t complete your high school education, you can take courses to receive your GED or high school diploma for adults to boost your qualifications, landing you better positions. Here’s an overview of nine jobs you can obtain with a high school diploma:
1) Transport/Storage/Distribution Manager
A transport, storage, and distribution manager can earn more than $90,000 per year, and the position typically needs no training. Most managers don’t require formal education past high school, as you can learn everything on the job. The jobs under this umbrella include distribution and warehouse management, shipping supervision, and transportation director. You’re expected to adhere to budgets, direct dispatching, supervise workers, and route operations.
2) Elevator Installers and Repairers
Most elevator installers and repairers undergo training as an apprentice working under experienced technicians. The position offers a median annual wage of $80,000+ and boasts a decent projected growth rate. Apart from transport and distribution managers, elevator installers and repairers are the only non-college-educated workers that earn more than $80,000 per year.
3) Detectives and First-Line Supervisors
First-line supervisors of police, detectives, and criminal investigators don’t need formal training beyond high school. Anyone with the right aptitudes and work ethic can become a detective or first-line supervisor, earning up to $77,210 per year. The job involves moderate-term training on the job. Criminal investigators perform various duties, including investigating crime scenes, compiling facts, and gathering evidence. You may be required to undergo training at a police academy.
4) Police Officer and Dispatcher
Becoming a police officer or dispatch requires completing a high school diploma, and training at a local police academy. You don’t need formal education beyond high school but must pass the police entrance exam. The roles of a police officer include pursuing and apprehending criminals and filling reports. Dispatch officers use radio to communicate with field officers and direct them to the right locations. Police officers earn an average salary of $54,167.
5) Transportation Inspector
The national average salary of a transport inspector is $74,453 per year. Duties include examining vehicles to ensure they’re compliant with safety regulations. Transport inspectors inspect cars for illegal modifications, malfunctions, and environmental hazards and report violations. You can enroll in a trade school, but the job generally requires no further training beyond high school.
6) Media and Communication Equipment Workers
Jobs in the picture and video industry, with more than a quarter of workers in the Los Angeles metro area. Your roles may include taking on crew positions like gaffer, grip, and boom operator. The more specialized your post, the higher you’ll earn. Top positions pay more than $70,000 per year.
7) Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
With a median salary of over $70,000 per year, postmasters and mail superintendent jobs are among high-paying careers requiring a high school diploma. The low education barrier attracts many people, but employment requires moderate-term training on the job. Management and organization skills and business administration knowledge are also key to attracting the highest salaries for such positions. Graduates with on-the-job experience will also earn more.
8) Farm Manager
A high school education can give you the basic knowledge necessary to become a farm manager, a job earning an average of $50,000+ per year. Farm managers oversee the daily operations and activities of agricultural property. The manager supervises other staff and inspects machinery and crops. New entrants will begin as seasonal workers, farmhands, or other lower levels. You can then work your way up the ranks through several years of on-job experience.
9) Firefighter
Becoming a firefighter involves completing training at a local firefighting academy and further on-job learning with your employer. The academy training teaches you how to put out fires, rescue individuals from burning buildings, and administer first aid. As a firefighter, you can earn an average of $44,830 per year and have various bonus packages because of the hazardous work environment.
Other Jobs You Can Get With a High School Diploma for Adults
High school graduates have many other opportunities across all industries. You can become a gaming manager, mail carrier, community health worker, power plant operator, or audiovisual technician. Other jobs include ironworker, equipment operator, public transportation operator, insurance agent, commercial pilot, and nuclear power reactor operator. Most job positions accept high school graduates but involve on-the-job training.
Anyone can complete a high school diploma to obtain their dream job and lay the foundation for further education. Institutions, like the Excel Center, offer programs to earn a high school diploma for adults, so you can study online and get your accreditation regardless of your age. Graduating high school instantly increases your salary range and qualifies you for entry-level in most industries. Make sure you get your diploma from a reputable and accredited institution.