10 High-Paying Jobs That Don’t Require A High School Diploma

Not completing high school can come off as a daunting situation to find yourself in, especially when you feel you must have a high school diploma to get a job. However, this is not true. Some jobs don’t require that you have a high school diploma. With a sellable skill you are great at and a good plan, you can earn a decent income working on any of these jobs.

Freelance jobs like writing, proofreading, graphic designing, Virtual Assistance, or economy jobs like food courier services, pet walking, and Uber driving.

Alternatively, you can work as a mining machine operator, truck driver, or bookkeeper in high-paying jobs. These jobs are some of the best-paying jobs you can land without a high school diploma.

If you don’t have a high school diploma and you’re looking for the best jobs from which you can earn a decent income, then keep reading this post. We’ll share the ten best jobs that don’t require a high school diploma.

Let’s cut to the chase and find out what the best jobs you can get, even without a high school diploma are.

What Are The Best Jobs I Can Start Without A Highschool Diploma?

There are a lot of jobs you can get without a high school diploma, but some are better than others. For example, if you’re trying to start a career with no qualifications, it’s probably not a great idea to become an airline pilot or an accountant. You’ll need a high school degree, at the very least.

But there are plenty of other jobs that don’t require much education. As someone looking to earn decently without a high school diploma, here are some of the highest-paying jobs you can look to land without a high-school diploma:

1. Freelance Writer

If you are looking for a relatively easy job to hop onto, consider working as a freelance writer. When beginning as a freelance writer, you can earn up to minimum wage or less sometimes.

Charging $5 for articles from 300 to 500 words in length is typical for newbie freelancers. This average amounts to about $20 to $40 per hour.

However, you’re earning potential scales rapidly as you get more experienced and have tons of reviews and work samples in your arsenal. You can make as much as $100 per hour as a professional writer.

You don’t need to be an expert to begin working as a freelance writer in any niche of your choice. With excellent research abilities, you should be good to go. However, having some niche-related experience tucked in your arsenal will be a plus.

You can write content for niches like games, fashion, health, fitness, or more technical places like Computer Science, finance, etc.

There are a couple of freelance platforms you can start with. You can begin with household names like Upwork or Fiverr.

However, you want to brace yourself, knowing that landing your first freelance writer task will be the job’s most challenging part. So you must be resilient enough not to be discouraged when starting. Notwithstanding, with your few first jobs completed and some good reviews in your pocket, you’ll be in a better position to earn more comfortably.

2. Graphic Designer

Graphic designing is a great skill that can earn you a lot of money from taking freelance design jobs. As an intermediate freelance graphic designer, you can make about $35 per hour. With more experience in your arsenal, you can earn as high as $150 to $300 hourly.

Furthermore, you don’t need a high school diploma to be a Graphic designer. You can take lessons online using common resources like YouTube. However, you must be good with design tools like the Adobe Creative Suite. You can hone your graphic design skills to near perfection with lots of practice.

When beginning, you can search for freelance jobs on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr,  or Freelancer. As a freelance graphic designer, you will have to design logos, posters, content for social media, and promotional materials. Typically your client will specify what it is they want.

As a newbie freelance designer, you want to build your design skills and portfolio to be as robust and appealing as possible. You will need this to create a striking first impression on potential hires.

You can create and post content on social media to grow your followers. A tip from us is to design and post content on your Instagram. Get your website and complete free graphic design jobs for friends to grow your portfolio.

3. Virtual Assistant

Another great freelance job you can take up without a high school diploma is the job of a virtual assistant. Working as a virtual assistant allows you to do the job of a secretary remotely from anywhere in the world.

As a starting virtual assistant, you can earn about $15 hourly. With some more experience, you can make a per-hourly income of up to $20.

You will need skills like bookkeeping, communication, social media management, proofreading and editing, project management, research, data entry, email management, etc.

However, this job has no one size fits all portfolio of skills. If you’re considering becoming a VA, you want to have many skills up your sleeves, be competent at learning, and be capable of handling many roles.

To land your first jobs, you can visit freelance platforms like Toptal and Upwork or job sites like Indeed and Flexjobs.

Moreover, it would help if you built an attractive resume when beginning as a virtual assistant. You can spice up your resume by completing any free or low costing certification course. Some good examples are the Google Project Management certificate course, SalesForces Administrator, Facebook Certified Digital Marketing Associate, etc.

4. Proofreader

If your grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills are reasonable, you can consider working as a proofreader. This is a lot easier than writing. If you can recognize grammatical errors with ease and correct them, you are good enough to get started.

Working as a proofreader can earn you $12 per hour as a beginner. However, with some experience and certification, you can make about $50 per hour.

In general, working as a proofreader entails you will be required to scan through texts for typos, spelling, and grammar errors. Some specific content you will most likely be required to proofread includes blog posts, books, and ebooks, technical materials, or academic papers. 

When starting as a freelance proofreader, you want to begin by building a compelling profile online. An excellent way to do this is by including the title proofreader in your social media profiles. Also, you can post content related to proofreading on your social media, e.g., “common spelling errors to avoid.” Doing this will build social proof and increase your chances of getting hired.

In addition, you will need to equip yourself with the tools you need to do your job. As a beginner, you want to familiarize yourself with standard style guides. AP, MLA, and APA style guides are typical examples of tools you will find helpful. You want to be familiar with the basics of each style and any new updates.

Moreover, you should ensure to deliver satisfactorily on your first few jobs. You will need this to keep landing more jobs.

5. Delivery Driver

Courier services are in high demand nowadays. You can pick a job as a delivery driver and earn up to $20 per hour and more.

You can work as a food delivery driver or deliver many other items. Sites like DoorDash, Instacart, Postmates, etc., are a few examples of places you can work for. To get started working with most of these places, you need to fill out an online application form, pass their background checks, and own a scooter of your own.

Alternatively, you can sign up on Amazon Flex and work in shifts referred to as blocks. This option is very flexible since you can choose what shifts are convenient for you.

However, besides being available only in major cities of the U.S for now, what you can earn from Amazon Flex depends on certain factors. Factors like the number of packages in your block, your vehicle size, the closely located your delivery venues are, traffic, and how fast you are with completing your assigned deliveries.  

6. Dog/Cat Walker

If you are a dog or cat lover, you can turn this fun quality into a means to earn money. Websites like Wag, Rover, steady, Pet.com, etc., allow you to make money from rendering services like dog walking, pet boarding, doggy daycare, house sitting, and drop-in visits.

Working as a pet walker is a great side hustle you can take on to get extra bucks, but it will be challenging to make this a full-time job. Working as a full-time pet walker will typically require getting a lot of jobs, which is problematic.

Sign up on any pet job app like Rover, Wag, Pet care, etc., and create your profile. These sites generally allow you to choose the services you want to perform and dog sizes and breeds you can handle comfortably. When dog owners go through your profile, they can decide whether they’d love to have you work with them.

When starting, you want to focus on how well you organize your profile. Include any experience you have had with handling animals. This would appear attractive to most pet owners since an experienced hand is most likely the best option when looking to get a pet nanny.

7. Truck Driver

Truck driving is an excellent option if you are looking for a job with relatively better pay than others. Truck drivers earn about $47,000 per annum, according to BLS reports.

There is generally a shortage of truck drivers due to the increase in online shopping. And for this reason, many companies are willing to pay higher salaries and even attach bonuses when you sign on as a truck driver.

You can choose to work for a company or own and drive your truck. You can apply to companies like DOT foods transportation, ATS trucking, Walmart, GP Transcom, etc. Companies like this offer the best pay for truck drivers. However, to get employed in any of these places, you want to have your CDL license ready.

When starting, you want to choose the right state before applying, as different forms pay drivers differently. You also want to choose a company that genuinely cares about you and not just the first company that comes looking for you after you’ve gotten your CDL license. You will typically earn more if you are an owner-operator.

Additionally, you can earn more if you team up with other trustworthy truck drivers. Most companies are more willing to hire driving teams than solo drivers. This is because team drivers tend to be more efficient.

However, in the long run, there is the risk of losing your job as a truck driver since everything is fast getting automated. But for the time being, it is an excellent paying job to look at among the list of jobs you could get without a high school diploma.

8. Salesperson

Working as a salesperson is a job with excellent growth potential you can consider taking on without a high school diploma. The products they sell can be anything from food and beverages to clothing to electronics. They also may sell services such as insurance or health care.

Salespeople work in many different industries and at all levels within an organization. For example, a retail sales associate works on the front lines of a store selling merchandise directly to customers, while a business-to-business sales professional sells products or services to other businesses. You’ll be good to go with the ability to relate well with people, resilience, and a good enough enthusiasm to learn.

On average, the retail salesperson earns about $27,000 per annum, and sales engineers a whopping $108,000. However, your salary as a salesperson typically depends on the industry. Some industries pay better than others.

You can get hired if you perform well in your job interview, even if your resume is not robust. When starting, it may be slow, but with good experience, you should scale up and earn more in no time.

9. Food Delivery

You can also consider a food delivery job an excellent job that doesn’t require a diploma. On average, food delivery riders earn anywhere from $10 to $20 hourly.

Websites like Grubhub, Shipt, instacart, Uber eats, DoorDash, etc., are good companies you can apply to. To get started, you must visit their websites and fill out and submit an application.

However, most of these companies require that you are at least 18 years of age, pass a security background check, have a valid driver’s license, and own a scooter or bike. 

In addition, most companies allow you different delivery options. You can choose to deliver on foot or using a scooter, bike, or car. Again, this job is flexible since you are typically engaged only during breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours. So you can use the rest of your time for anything else.

10. Grocery Shopper

It turns out that many people find doing their grocery shopping a bore or simply just don’t have the time to do it. They will gladly pay for the services of a grocery shopper. You can leverage this and take on the job of a grocery shopper.

Working as a grocery shopper can earn you about $12 or more per hour. Companies like Instacart and Shipt are great places you can apply to work with. 

As a grocery shopper, you will typically have to fetch everything on a grocery list written by your client. You can also choose to deliver the groceries as well. Doing this will get you extra cash.

However, as a grocery shopper, you must be physically fit enough to lift loads to 30 pounds more comfortably. You should also own a good smartphone and a car.

What Are High-Paying Jobs Can I Start Without Completing School?

Jobs like graphic design, dog walking, freelance writing, truck driving, etc., are high-paying opportunities available for you even with little or no schooling. In general, filling these job roles requires easy-to-learn skills you can develop without going through school.

Here is a list of other high-paying jobs that don’t require schooling:

• Tour guide jobs
• Private Tutoring
• House painting
• Personal trainer jobs
• Massage therapy
• Flight attendant
• Website development
• Computer Programmer

Can I Be Successful Without A High School Diploma?

While having a degree is a great way to start in life, it’s not a defining factor for success. You can be successful even without a high school diploma. You can learn any high-paying digital skills or take on high-paying jobs that don’t require a diploma, like truck driving, pet walking, etc. With a good strategy and faith in yourself, you can make it.

How Can I Survive Without A Highschool Diploma?

You can survive even without a high school diploma by making some brilliant decisions. You can learn a skill and offer it as a freelance service. You can learn repairs. If you are bilingual, you can work as a language translator. You generally want to pick a skill you are good at and hone it to perfection.

You can also take things a step further and get your GED. This will open you up to more opportunities. 

Are Jobs That Don’t Require A High School Diploma That Pays Well?

Yes, there are high-paying jobs that don’t require a high school diploma. You could take on a job as a housekeeper, personal shopper, custodian, barista, butcher, florist, or delivery driver. These are all high-paying jobs that you can take on without a high school diploma. In some instances, you will only need some form of training or experience to begin.

Is It Easy To Get A Job That Doesn’t Require A High School Diploma?

Yes, landing a job that doesn’t require a high school diploma is easy. But, to get high paying, no diploma jobs, you will most likely need to put in some hard work into researching and getting training. Nonetheless, getting started on a job that doesn’t require a high school diploma is easy. 

While getting a high school diploma is good and something you want to do if you can. However, not having one shouldn’t deter you from reaching for success. There are several jobs you can get that don’t hold a high school diploma as a prerequisite. We’ve put together our 10 best jobs you can get without a diploma to help you make the right choice.