If you've explored your post-high school options and are interested in entering the workforce after graduating, it's important to know that you can move your way up into a great career and keep an eye on advancing your education! Here are 10 jobs you can work with a high school diploma. 

*Note: Before making a big decision about your post-high school plans, we recommend talking to a parent, guardian, or trusted adult. They can support you in making a decision that’s best for you and help you think through the short and longer-term implications.

Recreation Educator 

If you’ve ever worked at a summer camp, helped with childcare, or supported elderly relatives, recreational education could be a good fit for you. These jobs may be at community centers, youth camps, nursing facilities, or parks departments. These jobs are focused on the health, well-being, and safety of participants. This can look like designing workout classes, leading art activities, or supervising small children. Recreation educators and workers earned around $31,000 in 2022.

Community Health Worker 

Community health workers are the frontline people in hospitals, outreach organizations, and nonprofits in your community who seek to improve the health outcomes for individuals in your area. There was an expansion of awareness for these kinds of jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the need and demand for this work is still high. In this job you may lead outreach campaigns for certain vaccines or provide workshops on healthy habits for new parents. You may also have a caseload of people who you are specifically trying to help recover from an illness or to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Community health workers earned around $46,000 in 2022.

Delivery Truck Driver 

Depending on the type of deliveries and cargo, delivery truck drivers may be organizing and transporting goods within a specific neighborhood or within a large geographic area. Some companies and types of delivery services will also pay you to get a specific license and go through paid training to start. It’s key to know that these are physically demanding jobs, and could require long hours behind the wheel and potentially lifting and moving heavy cargo. Delivery truck drivers earned around $38,000 in 2022.

Skincare Specialist

Skincare specialists work in spas, health clubs, salons, or are self-employed. This type of job will likely require some additional training and licensing after high school. Skincare is a growing field and more workers are needed, so if you are interested in the beauty industry, this could be a great way to get in! Skincare specialists earned around $38,000 in 2022. 

Retail Manager

Retail sales and management are great jobs to seek with a high school diploma, especially if you’ve been working in retail during high school. Retail managers supervise and coordinate retail sales workers in a store or a department. They can also purchase merchandise or set budgets. Retail managers earned around $50,000 in 2022.

Electrician 

Electricians install, maintain, and repair electrical power, lighting, and communication systems for buildings, roads, businesses, governments, and more! These jobs will require some additional training, licensing, and potentially an apprenticeship program– but the payoff is worth it. Electricians are sought after in every community and will always be in demand. Electricians earned around $60,000 in 2022.

Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager 

No matter what community you live in, there is a real estate market! Property, real estate, and community associate managers make sure their properties are maintained and that problems are resolved for tenants. These are often jobs based in an office and involve attention to details in contracts and other paperwork related to housing. Property, real estate, and community associate managers earned around $61,000 in 2022.

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker

Landscaping and groundskeeping are great jobs if you love to work outside. In this field, you may start as a laborer or gardener, but if you seek training and on-the-job experience, you can learn landscape architecture, botany, and entrepreneurship. This type of work is often offered by small businesses and by large public entities like school districts, hospital systems, and city parks departments. Groundskeeping workers earned around $36,000 in 2022.

Chef and Head Cook 

Chefs and head cooks supervise the food preparation in kitchens– restaurants, hotels, schools, or within catering organizations. They make sure that food is served in a timely and safe manner, so in addition to food prep, they focus on cleanliness and efficiency in the kitchen. It’s key to know that chefs often work either early mornings or late nights, and on weekends and holidays. Chefs and head cooks earned around $56,000 in 2022.

Medical Records Specialist  

Medical records specialists perform administrative and recordkeeping tasks in healthcare settings such as hospitals and community health centers. They are often the first person you speak to when you go to the doctor or dentist, and they make sure that patient records stay confidential. They support patient needs and communicate with healthcare professionals to make sure everything runs smoothly. This is also a field that may offer paid on-the-job training! Medical record specialists earned around $47,000 in 2022.

Want to learn about even more jobs you can work with a high school diploma? Click here!