Highest Paying Jobs With A GED

The highest-paying jobs with a GED diploma might be yours if you are open-minded and ready to go on a more unexpected path.

There are many traditional and new jobs that can earn you much more than an average salary. You’ll be surprised by what can be ahead.

If you have confidence and are willing to enhance your skills, consider one of these jobs. Having a GED diploma is enough for any of these jobs.

If you need to get your GED, explore our GED classes online for free to kickstart your GED journey. If these online lessons are fine for you, just go on with Onsego GED Prep, a full-scope accredited program.

So, let’s get started with our review of some of the highest paying jobs with a GED. One of the new jobs that can give you a solid cash boost is becoming a social media creator.

Social Media Creator

By creating interesting videos that people want to watch, you can be paid by YouTube (so, Google). You don’t need to be a model or celebrity to earn a six-figure income.

For example, Evan Fong, under the name VanossGaming, adds commentary to video games, and each of his videos gets about 1 mln views. According to Forbes, he made more than 17 million last year.

Even if you get a lower number of views, you can still make good money. If you manage to get to 80,000 views per month (difficult, but not that hard), you can make $10,000+ per month.

YouTube creators make videos about everything, from product reviews, lifehacks, and funny things your cats do, to how-to videos.

The point is that you need to be able to capture viewers. Your income comes from the advertisements shown along with your videos. You don’t need to ask for sponsors or contact anyone; you are paid by YouTube.

If you have a pleasant voice with good diction and some ideas for videos, give it a shot.

Another new and well-paid occupation is an Internet entrepreneur, but also when you’re thinking about becoming a firefighter, earning your GED will be required.

By using websites such as Udemy or Skillshare, you can sell your own course. This can be about anything; for example, a course about bread baking created by Teresa L Greenway was bought by 17,000 people, and Teresa earned 510 K in a few months.

You don’t even need to build your own website, or think about payment processing or advertising, to make money online. All these things are handled by online learning platforms. What you need is the idea.

Another New Job is Paid Media Specialist

This is one more of the highest paying jobs with a GED. Paid media advertising is what it says: you pay for advertising your business. Common forms of paid media that you’re likely to see are Facebook ads, Google Ads, or Twitter Ads.

Large and small businesses are using these online platforms to manage eye-catching, keyword-focused, or in another way relevant online advertisements to get their business and name right in front of their targeted audiences, the ones that are most likely to purchase their products.

In comparison to other media types, paid media is not that hard to understand. Paid Media looks like traditional advertising in a way that you’re putting ads together for your services or products and placing them on your preferred third-party online platform where your targeted customers will hopefully see them.

You may learn how to deal with this job via online courses. There is, for example, Google Academy that offers free digital training courses provided by Google. On freelancers’ websites, such as Upwork, FlexJobs, or Freelancer, you can easily find clients who need help with website advertising. It’s a hot job.

Camille T., who mainly uses Upwork to get hired, earned 400K in the last year. There are also some fine new opportunities, such as the Career Certificate Programs developed by Google, that will lead to well-paying positions.

Let’s now focus on more traditional jobs that are also well-paid and require a GED diploma. The numbers are from 2020, so the earnings will probably have gone up since then.

Real Estate Appraiser

Annual Salary around $69K-$200K

Real Estate Appraisers are also named Valuation Consultants or Appraisers. They appraise properties and determine values. Their reports are used for sales, mortgages, purchases, or investments and loans. This position also belongs to the highest paying jobs with a GED.

Real estate appraisers determine the final estimated values of properties. They look at things such as location and the value of similar properties. Replacement costs, depreciation, and income potential also play a role.

Real estate appraisers prepare written reports in line with appraisal standards. They outline the methods used for their estimations. Additionally, they collect and analyze data to identify real estate market trends.

Certified residential appraisers are in higher demand and may charge more for their services. Usually, when applying, an employer will carry out a background check to verify your listed information, so be sure not to exaggerate or lie about your credentials.

Appraisers must have an excellent command of the English language. It goes without saying that well-rounded communication and customer service skills are prerequisites.

Appraisers must have a basic understanding of geography, arithmetic, calculus, geometry, and statistics. Knowledge of buildings and construction, basic engineering, and computers are also needed.

Farm Products Purchasing Agent

$69K-94K

Farm Products Agents are also named Grain Buyers, Merchandising Managers, or Grain Merchandisers. They buy farm products either for resale or for further processing. This group also includes tobacco buyers, tree farm contractors, market operators, and grain brokers.

Farm Products Agents buy farm products such as grains, milk, grains, or Christmas trees. They are responsible for negotiating contracts with agricultural producers. Generally, they are also responsible for the movement of goods and/or people by road, rail, air, or sea.

To be successful in this profession, you must understand the principles of business. You need to have basic knowledge of arithmetic, statistics, calculus, algebra, and geometry. You must understand the basics of customer service, economics, and accounting. A thorough command of the English language is a must.

Boilermaker

$69K-$105K

Boiler Makers, or boilermakers, are also called Boiler Mechanics or Boiler Technicians. They assemble, construct, repair, and maintain boiler house auxiliaries and stationary steam boiler systems.

These professionals align plate sections or structures for assembling boiler frame tanks and/or vats. This involves the use of power and hand tools, wedges, plumb bobs, dogs, and turnbuckles.

They will also test assembled vessels and monitor how boilers and boiler furnaces are cleaned. They inspect boiler fittings, check and, if needed, repair regulators, safety valves, water columns, automatic control mechanisms, and auxiliary machines.

They must understand know how to use torches, caulking hammers, jacks, power saws, welding equipment, threading dies, or metalworking machinery. They also need to attach rigging and understand how to signal hoists or crane operators to lift heavy parts into place. Public safety is key, and they also must have a command of construction and building procedures.

Earth Driller

$47K-$84K

Earth Drillers are also called Drill Operators, Blast Hole Drillers, Drillers, or Well Drillers. They operate various drills such as pneumatic, rotary, and churn drills. They may also use explosives, and this group includes earth boring and horizontal boring machine operators.

These professionals tap, for example, salt deposits and sub-surface water. They remove core samples at soil testing or mineral explorations and facilitate the use of explosives in construction and mining.

Earth Drillers operate controls to align drills and stabilize machines. They are responsible for starting, stopping, and controlling the drilling operations, and they insert casings into holes.

They are responsible for regulating air pressure, downward pressure, and rotary speed according to what type of concrete or rock is being drilled.

Postal Service Processor, Processing Machine Operator, Mail Sorter

$59K-$72K

These professionals are also called Mail Handlers, Automation Clerks, Distribution Clerks, or Mail Processors. They process outgoing and incoming mail for distribution.

Mail Handlers sort, examine, and route mail. They operate, load, adjust, and must be able to repair mail sorting, processing, and/or canceling machines. They must keep records of sacks, pouches, and shipments, as well as other mail-handling tasks at the postal service.

Postal Service Processors must clear jams in postal sorting equipment, and they operate computer scanning equipment, mimeographs, addressographs, bar-code sorters, and optical character readers.

They must be able to read and understand what’s written and communicate effectively. It is also their duty to manually sort odd-sized packages and mail and segregate items that need special handling.

Rail-Track Equipment Operator

$59K-$72K

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators are also called Track Laborers, Track Inspectors, Track Maintainers, or Track Repairers. They inspect, maintain, and repair railroad tracks in public railroad service or in, for example, factory yards or gravel pits and mines. So you see, you don’t need a degree from Harvard to get a rewarding and successful career!

These operators may use ballast cleaning machines or railroad bed tamping machines. In general, they will patrol track sections and locate, report, or repair broken or damaged tracks. They will adjust or repair track switches while using replacement parts and wrenches.

These professionals also weld track sections like frogs and switch points together, so they must be able to change the controls of machines or trucks quickly. They must be able to use their legs and arms together while standing or sitting and focus on public safety.

Usually, a GED or high school diploma is needed for this position, but there are quite a few options open to individuals without a secondary education degree.

Postal Service Mail Carrier

$57K-$69K

A Mail Carrier is also called a Letter Carrier, City Letter Carrier, or RCA (Rural Carrier Associate). These professionals sort mail and deliver it on set routes on foot or by vehicle.

They scan labels on parcels and letters to confirm receipt and obtain signed receipts for insured, registered, or certified mail. They also collect associated fees or charges and complete necessary paperwork.

On their routes, Mail Carriers will collect mail from public mailboxes, businesses, and homes and return that to the post office. They need to understand what customer service, security, sales, and public safety are all about, and their command of the English language must be good.

Mail Carriers must be able to use software systems such as Address Management System (AMS), Automated Data Collection System (ADCS), and Delivery Operations Information System (DOIS).

Sheet Metal Worker

$51K-$62K

Sheet Metal Workers are also called HVAC Sheet Metal Installers, Journeyman Sheet Metal Workers, Sheet Metal Workers, or Sheet Metal Mechanics. They assemble, repair, install, or manufacture sheet metal equipment and products such as furnace casings, control boxes, ducts, and drainpipes.

These professionals set up and operate machines to cut, straighten, and bend sheet metal. They shape sheet metal over blocks, anvils, or forms while using hammers and use welding and soldering machines to join metal parts.

This job also includes assembling, smoothing, and inspecting joints and seams of burred surfaces. Duct installers work with prefabricated sheet metal ducts that are used for air conditioning, heating, and that kind of purpose.

Apart from the assembly or construction of sheet metal products, sheet metal workers decide on project requirements like scope, methods, assembly sequences, and/or materials using drawings, blueprints, and/or verbal or written instructions.

Mine And Channeling Machine Operator

$49K-$58K

Mine Cutters and Channeling Machine Operators are also Longwall Shearer Operators or Shear Operators. They operate types of machinery like longwall plows and shears, and cutting machines. They cut channels along the seams or face of coal mines or other mining surfaces.

Mine and Channeling Operators facilitate separating, blasting, or removing materials or minerals from mines or from the surface of the Earth. This mechanical engineering job involves shale planers.

These professionals place jacks and roof support like timber and install casings to prevent situations such as cave-ins. They use machines to make holes or cuts and cut entries between haulage ways and mining rooms.

It is their responsibility to take care of security and safety and notice when problems may occur. They must be able to quickly manage machinery and recognize different sounds.

It is a physically demanding job, and these professionals must be able to use their arms and legs while standing, sitting, or lying down.

Farm Labor Contractor

$49K-$57K

Farm Labor Contractors are also referred to as Field Supervisors or Field Managers. These professionals recruit temporary or seasonal agricultural workers. They are responsible for transportation, housing, and providing meals for these workers.

Holding a high school or GED degree is not required, but it wouldn’t hurt. Often, the job includes paying wages to workers and providing sanitary field facilities and drinking water.

If you’re interested in this job, you should have well-rounded leadership skills.

Dragline, Excavating, And Loading Machine Operator

$484K-$57K

These operators are also called Dragline Oilers, Loader Operators, or Heavy Equipment Operators. They operate machinery equipped with shovels, buckets, or scoops to load or excavate loose materials.

Dragline operators use foot pedals, move levers, and turn dials. They operate powerful machines such as stripping or power shovels, backhoes, or scraper loaders.

It is their duty to inspect and/or set up equipment prior to operations. They need to understand machine limitations and capabilities and get familiar with digging plans. Safe and efficient digging procedures are their top priorities.

Dragline Operators are usually working with mechanical equipment in construction, mining, or building sites, and security and public safety concerns must have their full attention.

Trailer Truck Driver

$46K-K74K

These professionals are also named Drivers, OTR (Over The Road Drivers), Road Drivers, or Truck Drivers. They drive trucks or tractor-trailer combinations with capacities of more than 26,000 pounds GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight).

Trailer Truck Drivers need to hold commercial driver’s licenses and often must load or unload their trucks. It is their duty to check their vehicles mechanically and ensure safety and working emergency equipment.

Truck Drivers must attend to appropriate safety procedures when transporting dangerous goods and inspect loads to make sure that their cargo is secure.

They are responsible for the movement of goods and people mainly by road but sometimes also by air, rail, or sea. A customer-focused professional attitude is needed as well as a proper command of the English language.

Terrazzo Worker/Finisher

$44K-$72K

Terrazzo Workers and Finishers are also called Terrazzo Installers or Terrazzo Tile Setters. These professionals are working with a mixture of cement, pigment, sand, or marble chips to create decorative and durable surfaces to stairways, floors, or cabinet fixtures.

These professionals measure specific amounts of ingredients to create terrazzo or grout in line with standard specifications and formulas. They use scales and graduated containers and place the ingredients into portable mixers. They must have a basic understanding of building, construction, and design.

Terrazzo Workers will have to understand how to grind a surface and work with power grinders or how to polish a surface with surfacing or polishing machines. They cut metal strips for division purposes and press these into the terrazzo base to make changes of color or joints to form patterns or designs and help prevent cracks.

Solderer/Brazer

Annual Salary around $44K

Solderers and Brazers are also called Fabricators or Wirers. These professionals solder or braze components together to assemble fabricated or prefabricated metal parts while using a soldering torch, soldering iron, or a welding machine.

They place workpieces together using hand tools, rules, or squares or place items in jigs, fixtures, or vises. They apply melted solder along a workpiece’s adjoining edges and solder or weld joints while using gas torches, soldering irons, or ultrasonic equipment.

Solderers and Brazers additionally inspect seams for defects and, when needed, repair broken parts or defective joints. They must be able to put small parts together with their fingers and move and/or hold items with their hands.

People interested in securing a job in this field usually like activities and work that include hands-on activities and problem-solving strategies.

Welder/Cutter/Welder Fitter

Annual Salary around $44K

Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters are also called Fabricators or Welder-Fabricators. These professionals use flame-cutting or hand-welding equipment to join or weld metal components. They also fill indentations, holes, or seams in metal products.

They must be able to weld together components in vertical, flat, or overhead positions, and they must understand what it takes to operate safely with their equipment. They align, layout, position, and secure assemblies and parts prior to the assembly while using combination squares, straight edges, rulers, and/or calipers.

Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters must be able to keep their arms and hands steady as they are working with various items and welding equipment in their hands. They must also understand how the products they work with are manufactured and how they must be joined together.

Construction Laborer

Annual Salary around $39K

Construction Laborers (or Construction Workers) perform tasks that involve physical labor at building and construction sites. Usually, they operate hand-held or power tools such as air hammers, cement mixers, earth tampers, mechanical hoists, measuring and surveying equipment, and many more instruments and equipment.

They prepare and clean building sites, set braces for excavation support, erect scaffolding, dig trenches, and clean up debris and waste materials. They also may have to control traffic around work zones and signal operators to facilitate movement, adjustment, or alignment of equipment, machinery, or materials.

Construction Workers need to be able to use their arms and legs while standing, sitting, or lying down. They must understand how to operate and change the controls of machines and equipment. They also must be able to focus on security issues and public safety.

Refuse And Recyclable Materials Collector

Annual Salary around $40K

Refuse and Recyclable Materials Collectors are also called Rolloff Truck Drivers or Sanitation Laborers. They collect and dump recyclable materials or refuse from containers into their trucks.

They operate semi-automated or fully automated hoisting devices to raise and dump the contents of refuse bins into the bodies of their trucks. Before starting out on their routes, they must inspect the trucks to ensure proper and safe operating conditions.

Refuse Collectors drive trucks along established routes through industrial, business, or residential areas. They must be able to use their arms and legs while standing or sitting and properly adjust the controls of their trucks or other machines.

People that are interested in this line of work usually like activities including hands-on and practical problems and solutions.

Paving And Surfacing Equipment Operator

Annual Salary around $42K

Paving & Surfacing Equipment Operators are also called Paver Operators or Roller Operators. They operate equipment for applying asphalt, concrete, or some other material to airport runways and taxiways, roadbeds, or parking lots. They also work on tamping dirt, gravel, or other materials.

These professionals operate specialized machines to spread, level, smooth, or steel-reinforce concrete, asphalt, or stone on roadbeds. They monitor material flow, and the distribution of paving material, adjust machine settings and point workers to low spots to add material.

These operators must have command of building and construction and be able to focus on security and public safety. They need to be able to adjust the controls of machines quickly and use their arms and legs while sitting and standing. Sometimes they also need to control traffic at road construction sites.

Parking Enforcement Worker

Annual Salary around $42K

Parking Enforcement Workers are also called Ticket Writers, Parking Enforcement Officers (PEOs), College Service Officers, or Community Service Officers. They patrol city streets, public parking lots, or other assigned areas to issue parking tickets to illegally parked vehicles or overtime parking violators.

These professionals enter and retrieve details regarding vehicle registration, status, and identification while using hand-held devices. They patrol assigned areas on foot or by vehicle to ensure compliance with existing parking ordinances in public spaces.

Parking Enforcement Workers write citations and warnings for illegally parked vehicles. They also are monitoring public safety and security and need to have an understanding of applicable laws and (local) government regulations.

People interested in this profession must be able to communicate clearly and listen to the public quietly to avoid misunderstandings. They must be able to pay attention to various situations without being distracted.

Logging Equipment Operator

Annual Salary around $43K

Logging Equipment Operators are also called Loader Operators, Skidder Drivers, or Skidder Operators. These professionals drive logging tractors or wheeled vehicles with logging arches, frontal shears, bulldozer blades, grapples, cable winches, hoisting racks, or crane booms.

They fell trees and skid, stack, load, or unload stack logs and pull stumps and clear brush. They must have some understanding of mechanics, and before they can use their heavy equipment, they must be able to inspect everything for safety. They must be able to perform basic maintenance tasks.

As they deal with public safety, their focus must be on security. They must control their hydraulic tractors that are equipped with booms and tree clamps to lift trees. Working in accordance with established and strict company and industry standards is key. So here you have it, the list of Highest Paying jobs with a GED.

Last Updated on November 15, 2024.