Are high school diplomas necessary for government jobs?

I'm looking into potential government jobs I could apply for straight out of high school. Do most of these positions require a high school diploma, or are there some roles where it's not a strict requirement?

Government roles often involve public service and require a certain degree of responsibility, potentially dealing with critical systems or sensitive information. For this reason, many government jobs do require a baseline level of education which, in many cases, means a high school diploma or GED (general education diploma). This requirement ensures that applicants have obtained a basic breadth of knowledge, from math and English skills to social studies and even physical education, which could prove beneficial in the workplace.

However, jobs can vary a lot within federal, state, or local governments. For some entry-level administrative roles or manual labor jobs, it might be possible to get hired with less formal education and more emphasis on job-specific training or relevant work experience.

But remember, meeting only minimum requirements may not make you a competitive candidate, especially if there are many applicants. The more skills and higher the educational attainment you possess, the more you differentiate yourself from other candidates. So, if you're seriously considering a government career, it would be a good idea to pursue your high school diploma for maximum options.

And even if you plan to go straight into the workforce instead of attending college, there are vocational or technical training programs you might consider that can increase your qualifications further for certain job types. For instance, if you're interested in working in public health, a certification in a field like emergency medical technician (EMT) training might be useful.