There are jobs that pay decently with only a highschool diploma. They’re called trades. You just start off low and work your way up. As long as you have some basic mechanical knowledge (which you can easily get from a factory job) they will teach you the rest on the job. Hell, I’ve only been a refrigeration tech for a bit over 2 years now and while I’m not super wealthy I do make enough that I was able to buy a cheap house in my area on my own.
The idea that you can’t make money without a college degree needs to die. That idea was always beat into my head all through highschool. But dropping out of college is the best decision I ever made. The world needs plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, and mechanics just as much as it needs programmers and accountants. Right now theres even a shortage of trades people because for the past few decades schools haven’t even been presenting it as an option and the existing workforce is retiring.