Transportation Inspectors
As a transportation inspector, you’ll be hands-on with all manner of transportation, from freight trains to passenger trains, inspecting them for any safety issues or mechanical faults.
Crane and Tower Operators
Don’t let anyone tell you that manual labor is menial. If you have a knack for heavy machinery and a strong physique to back you up, being a crane or tower operator could be the perfect first job for you straight out of high school (though you will likely need a specific license in order to operate the machinery).
Sales Representatives (of Services)
Sales may not be for everyone in the long term, but it’s a field that teaches you a lot about communication and interpersonal relationships. You could make a great salesperson straight out of high school, provided it’s not in the insurance, advertising, or financial worlds, since those typically require degrees.
Rail Car Repairers
If you’ve always had a fascination with trains, then being a railcar repairer will not only satisfy your financial needs but will also nurture your inner child. No qualification necessary - training is conducted (see what we did there?) on the job over a long period of time, and pays around $31.58 per hour.
Property Association Managers
Being a property association manager means leasing properties, inspecting the grounds, and liaising with both tenants and owners. This is different from a fully-qualified realtor, and involves plenty of “boots-on-the-ground” labor. The best part? All you need is a high school diploma.
Flight Attendants
Global pandemics have a way of disrupting all kinds of workforces, but flight attendants were hit particularly hard. Still, this remains a lucrative and engaging career choice for high school graduates (provided they’re able to register with the Federal Aviation Administration), which nets you a comfortable salary while also taking you to new and exciting locales.
Rail-Track Layers
Here’s another one for all the ferroequinologists (train fans) out there. Being a track layer gives you a first-hand experience of how these things operate. You’ll also be playing an extremely important role, for what good is a train without a track to run on?
Fabric Pattern Makers
This occupation will likely appeal greatly to fashion and clothing enthusiasts and aspiring designers. In a nutshell, being a fabric pattern maker involves both designing and cutting the master patterns used to create all kinds of clothes.
Lodging Managers
This field is admittedly a little harder to get into, since most hotels, motels, and other places of temporary accommodation typically don’t need more than two managers. Still, it’s worth looking into, especially if you’re able to coordinate and direct large teams of people.
Loading Machine Operators
It’s true what they say: the children yearn for the mines! In all seriousness, being a loading machine operator means getting to grips with all kinds of heavy machinery normally associated with mining and digging. You’ll play an important role in moving coal, rock, and ore, as well as plenty of power tools.
Telecommunications Line Installers
Ever craved absolute power? Well, as a telecommunications line installer, you’ll have the entire country in the palm of your hand, since you’ll be responsible for laying down cable and fiber optics network lines - you know, those things that give you Internet, phone service, and cable television.
Wellhead Pumpers
As a wellhead pumper, you’ll be responsible for running power pumps (as well as other bits of equipment) in oil fields in order to pump gas or oil. It requires moderate on-the-job training, and pays around $33.66 per hour - not bad for your first job straight out of high school, huh?
Pile Driver Operators
As a pile driver operator, you’ll be responsible for moving piles and other vertical elements needed for the construction of buildings and other structures. It’s an important role that nevertheless doesn’t require much training, all of which you’ll receive in real time on the job.
Gas Compressor and Pump Operators
For those of you who prefer something a little more hands-on, being a gas compressor/pump operator can be a pretty lucrative vocation, netting you around $34.38 per hour. You’ll operate machinery needed to transmit or recover butane, nitrogen, hydrogen, and natural gas, though do be aware that this field isn’t exactly bursting with opportunity, with only 1,000 such jobs existing nationwide.
Construction and Building Inspectors
While you will need to be licensed by the state, you won’t need anything else higher than a high school diploma in order to become a building inspector. You’ll be responsible for ensuring that any building or construction is up to scratch, as well as signing off on their completion before they go to market.
Boilermakers
Being a boilermaker means first playing the role of apprentice to a boilermaker. Thereafter, you’ll be responsible for assembling and maintaining boilers, and you will likely have to travel frequently to meet with clients. It’s a physically demanding job that keeps you on your toes - and it definitely isn’t for everyone.
First-Line Supervisors (for Manufacturing and Production)
Here’s another one for those of you eyeing to take up a management position. As a first-line supervisor in the manufacturing and production industries, you’ll be responsible for a team of workers, from inspectors to precision workers, and will need to ensure a smooth and steady workflow.
Chemical Plant and System Operators
Working in a chemical or pharmaceutical plant may sound like a difficult job, but if Homer Simpson can do it, you most certainly can, too! It requires a moderate amount of training on the job, after which you should be fully up to speed.
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
Train fans are eating well with this list, it seems. As a railroad conductor, you’ll obviously be responsible for coordinating your workers, reviewing train schedules, and taking charge of the rail yard as a whole. This earns you around $35.62 per hour and requires some on-the-job training.
Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
As a secretary at the executive level, your exact tasks and responsibilities will vary based on the executive you answer to, but will most likely involve scheduling meetings, conducting research, and preparing correspondence. It’s a fairly engaging job if you can handle what will likely be a fairly fast-paced office environment.
Control and Valve Installers
Thermostats, gas regulators, and electric meters - all of them have valves, and every valve needs an installer and operator in order to maintain. You’ll likely find an abundance of listings if you search the natural gas and electric power industries.
Stationary Engineers
Stationary engineers are often called boiler operators, since boilers are one of the most common pieces of stationary machinery, but you can expect to work on plenty of other devices as well. This line of work typically demands night and weekend hours, so be prepared to sacrifice your nights.
Police Officers
If you’re a glutton for abuse, then being a police officer may be the job for you. You’ll need to go through the academy, of course, and pass fitness tests, polygraph exams, and meet other requirements before you can be considered, but it could be well worth your time if you’ve always idolized law enforcement officers. Just don’t expect any glory straight off the bat.
Roof Bolters in Mining
Despite mining being a moderately large industry, there aren’t many listings for roof bolters, and those that exist tend to be centered around Kentucky and West Virginia (no surprise there). Still, if an opportunity comes your way, roof bolting can be a fairly lucrative career path for those with a high school diploma.
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators
Being a claim investigator means reviewing insurance claims and ensuring that all payments and settlements are made in accordance with company policy. You’ll likely work for an insurance carrier or brokerage, but you could also be employed by the state or federal governments.
Locomotive Engineers
Locomotive engineering is a fancy way of saying that you’ll get to drive a real, honest-to-heaven train! Whether you transport passengers or cargo will all depend on the company you work for, and you’ll need to interpret signals and comply with train rules and regulations.
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics
Do we even need to lay out the responsibilities of a first-line supervisor again? You’ll be overseeing the activities of mechanics, installers, and repairmen working in automotive repair shops, real estate developments, and car dealerships.
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Workers
Ditto for this one, but instead of car dealerships and auto repair shops, you’ll be working on construction sites, overseeing the activities of workers and tradesmen. Expect this industry (and the job opportunities it presents) to continue to grow in the coming years.
Transit and Rail Police
Transit and rail police officers do pretty much exactly what you’d expect them to. They’re responsible for protecting railroads and transit property, typically on behalf of transportation agencies but sometimes for state and local governments.
Gas Plant Operators
As a gas plant operator, you’ll be working hands-on with pressurized pipeline systems and will be responsible for transporting natural gas on behalf of utility companies. Expect to earn around $40.10, and be prepared to train long and hard to fully get to grips with the demands of the occupation.
Signal and Track Switch Repairers
Trains would quite literally go off the rails if it weren’t for the signals and track switches that guide them along their path. As such, the people responsible for maintaining those devices perform an immensely crucial function, and can earn upwards of $40.19 per hour for their efforts.
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retails Sales Workers
Earlier on, we listed being a sales representative as a worthwhile post-high school career. Well, if you’re an ambitious sort, you could go a step above them and become a first-line supervisor instead, responsible for hiring, budgeting, accounting, and general personnel management.
Subway and Streetcar Operators
It’s hard to imagine a place like New York City functioning without the services of the subway. As such, subway and streetcar operators are held in pretty high esteem and can earn upwards of $40.78 while being employed by the state.
Gambling Managers
If you live around the Nevada or California areas, a job in the casino industry could be highly profitable, particularly if you can become a gambling manager. You’ll be responsible for ensuring all house rules are followed, as well as ensuring that staff members perform their duties correctly.
Farmers and Ranchers
The agricultural industry took a huge hit from the global pandemic, but it’s expected to bounce back. When it does, being a farmer, rancher, or general agricultural manager is sure to pay well while keeping you active, fit, and outdoors.
Models
It may look easy, but models do quite well for themselves, earning, on average, around $40.78 per hour. As a model, you’ll pose for magazines and photo shoots while also modeling garments, jewelry, and other accessories for prospective buyers.
Electrical Power Line Installers
If you thought being in charge of everyone’s Internet usage was a power trip, just wait until you try being an electrical power line installer. You’ll be responsible for erecting poles and laying lines and cables, which will, in turn, make you responsible for everyone’s electricity usage.
Postmasters
Being a postmaster (or mail superintendent, whichever floats your boat) puts you in charge of orchestrating all the operations of your local post office. Keep in mind, however, that these jobs are vulnerable to takeover by automated systems.
Detectives
If you grew up on shows like Sherlock, Elementary, The Mentalist, or any other police procedural with a quirky lead, being a detective will be right up your alley. You won’t be able to break the rules like they do, and you’ll need to first go through the ranks of a police officer, but you’ll otherwise still be responsible for investigating and preventing crimes.
Petroleum Pump System Operators
Petroleum pump system operators, fuel gaugers, and refinery operators all work in the gas industry, which Texas still maintains a chokehold over. It’s a job that requires only a moderate amount of training and that can earn you around $46.90 per hour.
Power Plant Operators
Through the use of specialized machines in the employ of either electric companies or local governments, power plant operators are responsible for generating electricity, and typically require long-term training.
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
These managers are responsible for planning, coordinating, transporting, storing, and distributing products based on their employer’s practices and regulations. It’s an extremely lucrative post-high school job that can pay upwards of $49.05 per hour.
Elevator/Escalator Installers and Repairmen
Following an apprenticeship, elevator and escalator installers will also need to become licensed in the state where they work. Thereafter, they’ll be responsible for installing elevators and escalators in malls, offices, hotels, airports, and residential buildings.
Power Distributors
Responsible for the coordination, distribution, and regulation of electricity (and steam), power distributors play an important role, though this job is under threat of automation in the coming years.
