7 of the highest-paying entry-level jobs

When searching for a job, you’ve likely had the frustrating experience of stumbling upon this bullet point in a job listing:

“Requires three to five years of experience in the field.”

What can you do if you don’t have any experience?

Luckily, there are many entry-level positions out there. However, they're not all well paid.

This guide will explore some of the highest-paying entry-level jobs you can start looking for today. We’ll also show you where to find postings for high-paying entry-level jobs hiring near you.

What is an entry-level job?

Entry-level jobs often don’t require previous experience in the field. This means that you can apply as long as you have the other qualifications, such as certain certifications or skills.

Entry-level jobs are amazing starting points for a career. You can build up the experience you need to get other jobs you may want that require years of experience in the field.

An entry-level job is a position that starts at the bottom of the ladder in a company. But often can be the first step in a career path.

There are several types of entry-level jobs.

For instance, some require a bachelor’s degree. These are still considered entry-level because college graduates can get the job fresh out of college even if they don’t have any professional experience.

Other entry-level jobs only require short certifications or other types of training that aren’t as lengthy or expensive as a college degree.

And some only require that you have the necessary skills, even if you acquired those skills on your own without formal education.

Many entry-level positions have a low starting salary. With time, you can build up experience and qualify for better pay, but you often need to start low.

However, some entry-level jobs start with a high salary, even without any work experience.

7 high-paying entry-level jobs

So what are the highest-paying entry-level jobs available on the market?

Here are seven high-paying jobs that you can look into today.

1. Paralegal

Paralegals support lawyers in their day-to-day jobs. They’ll do research, prepare paperwork, and help lawyers prepare for trials and hearings.

You only need an associate degree to work as a paralegal, and the median wage is $52,920 per year.

This works out to $25.44 per hour.

2. Web developer

Web developers create websites and help maintain them.

The level of necessary education varies for web developers. If you’re self-taught but have the ability to develop websites well, you may not need further education.

You can also get an associate degree or bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field.

Web developers make a median annual salary of $77,200 per year, or $37.12 per hour.

3. Software developer

There’s a high demand for software developers. Like web developers, software developers and programmers can be self-taught.

If you have a natural knack for learning how to code and develop software, you may be able to practice on your own before you seek an entry-level position.

Software developers, as the name suggests, develop software. They design computer programs, computer systems, and applications.

In some cases, they work in the video game industry to develop tools and mechanics in video games.

The median annual salary for software developers is $110,140 per year, or $52.95 per hour.

4. Sales representative

There are a wide variety of sales roles in all sorts of industries. Because of this, salaries for sales representatives vary drastically.

Generally, sales representatives are responsible for developing business opportunities and closing sales.

Several types of sales professionals, like advertising sales agents and insurance sales agents, don’t need additional education after a high school diploma or GED.

Others, like financial services sales agents, may require a bachelor’s degree.

5. Social media manager

If you have a deep understanding of how social media operates, you may be a good candidate to become a social media manager.

It’s only recently that people have been able to earn a college degree in social media studies. But you don’t necessarily need to get a college degree to work in this field.

You will need to be highly familiar with social media platforms and what types of posts perform well with an audience.

The median wage for social media managers and specialists is $56,770 per year. You can work directly for a company, or you can work on a freelance basis and help clients as a consultant.

6. Data scientist

It takes a lot of education to become a data scientist. But after all that education, you can start in your field right away.

You’ll need no less than a bachelor’s degree in a field like mathematics, computer science, or statistics. Having a master’s degree is often a good idea, too.

So what do data scientists do? They’re responsible for improving computer software and hardware by designing computer architecture.

There’s a wide salary range for data scientists. Their median salary is $126,830 per year, or $60.97 per hour.

Plus, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), this job will grow by 15% in the next ten years. This is much faster than average.

7. Management consultant

A management consultant, or management analyst, is responsible for conducting studies and evaluations of an organization’s management. They have a median annual salary of $87,660 per year, which works out to $42.14 per hour.

Management consultants usually have a bachelor’s degree in a field like:

• Finance
• Public administration
• Business administration
• Related fields

You can get hired directly by a company to become a management analyst, but you can also become a self-employed consultant.

High-paying entry-level jobs hiring right now

Did some of these high-paying roles sound like they might be a good fit for you?

While some of these entry-level roles do require certifications, and a few require a college degree, there are also options that you can apply for with only a high school diploma and some self-taught education.

You can start looking for jobs available near you using Jobcase.

Some examples of high-paying entry-level job listings you can find on Jobcase include:

• Data scientist
• Management consultant
• Software developer

You can also search for all entry-level positions near you.

All you need to do is choose the “entry-level” filter in the job search settings to make sure that the position you’re looking for is really entry-level.

Some of these entry-level jobs can be done while you work from home, and several of these opportunities pay well, too. You can filter for remote work when you search on Jobcase.

Using our job board, you can find the perfect job opportunity for your unique situation.

Start a lucrative entry-level job

Not all high-paying positions require years of experience. You just need to know where to look.

If you’re a job seeker interested in pursuing a high-paying entry-level job, you can do so by searching on Jobcase. When you sign up, you can get notified when new entry-level positions become available near you.