High Paying Entry Level Jobs: Entry level jobs that pay well are a good starting point for those entering a profession or making a change in careers. Learn more about top entry level jobs that pay well to help start off your career.
Top 20 High Paying Entry Level Jobs That Pays Well
Not all jobs necessitate years of postsecondary education or extensive experience (and its attendant student loan debt). Some entry level jobs that pay well, and many also provide paid on-the-job training or apprenticeships.
We surveyed hundreds of high-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree using data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to create this list of the best-paid entry-level jobs for U.S. workers.
This list, for the most part, favors jobs with manageable on-the-job training requirements and faster-than-average growth potential. In other words, employers are creating these jobs faster than the overall rate of job growth.
20 Entry Level Jobs that Pay Well
If you’re looking for entry level jobs that pay well, take a look at these 20 possibilities below, and make a choice:
1. Delivery Driver
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
Training Requirements: A few days’ on-the-job training
Median Salary: $34,340
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $22,470 to $70,080
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029) :75,000 new positions (5% growth)
Until I began freelance writing full-time, I’d never had more fun on the clock than I did driving delivery for a local restaurant.
With tips and base pay, I earned good money upward of $20 per hour during peak periods for a job that required no skills or experience apart from the ability to drive.
I learned later that package delivery drivers working for FedEx, UPS, and small courier firms, often do even better.
And recent explosive growth in app-based restaurant and grocery delivery, fueled by outfits like DoorDash, Instacart, and Postmates, means earning a good living as a full-time food delivery driver is more feasible than ever.
2. Flight Attendant
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
Training Requirements: Three to six weeks of on-the-job training; continued employment contingent upon receipt of FAA Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency (renewed annually)
Median Salary: $59,050
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $30,930 to $84,790
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 21,100 new positions (17% growth)
Demand for flight attendants is expected to remain strong through the late 2020s, thanks to increasing air traffic volumes particularly in rapidly growing Asian markets, and ever-larger planes requiring bigger crews.
Airlines generally like to see applicants with at least a year or two of customer service experience, but they’re not picky about where you get this experience.
If you left your high school restaurant server job on good terms, you’ll probably find a domestic airline willing to train you on the finer points of cabin service.
This is a great entry level jobs that pay well, and it is good for those looking to quell their wanderlust, but the irregular hours, the physical toll of long periods of standing, and high customer service expectations challenge some applicants.
3. Restaurant Server (Waiters and Waitresses)
Degree or Certificate Requirements: No formal education requirements
Training Requirements: A few days’ to a few weeks’ on-the-job training (highly variable); state-mandated “responsible serving” coursework as needed
Median Salary: $23,740 ($11.42 per hour, including tips)
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $8.42 to $20.46 per hour (including tips)
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029) : 97,600 new positions (4% growth)
Restaurant service is the most plentiful gig on this list. According to the BLS, more than 2.6 million people work as servers in the United States, with nearly 100,000 set to join them by 2029.
Although servers are increasingly under threat from automation witness the table iPads proliferating across the restaurant industry, full-service restaurants will still need human wait staff for the foreseeable future.
Server compensation of which tips comprise a substantial share increases as you ascend the menu-price ladder, along with employer expectations around service quality and menu knowledge.
Give yourself an advantage over the competition by completing your Food Safety Manager training through 360Training.com. This course will give you the tools needed to take your career to the next level.
4. Bartender
Degree or Certificate Requirements: No degree required; bartender certificate may improve job prospects
Training Requirements: A few weeks of on-the-job training (highly variable); state-mandated “responsible serving” coursework as needed
Median Salary: $24,960 or $12.00 per hour (including tips)
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $8.63 to $22.93 per hour (including tips)
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 38,400 new positions (6% growth)
According to the BLS, the U.S. has an army of bartenders hiding in plain sight.
In 2019, their ranks numbered above 650,000, and another 40,000 positions are projected for the subsequent decade.
That’s slower than overall projected job growth for that period, but high turnover favors new arrivals.
Other than legally mandated “responsible serving” courses, which vary by jurisdiction, bartender training can be pretty casual.
With tips, bartenders working full-time can bring in $60,000 or more per year, with high-end and high-volume establishments offering the greatest opportunity.
5. Flooring Installers
Degree or Certificate Requirements: No formal education requirements (high school diploma or equivalent preferred)
Training Requirements: On-the-job training ranging from a few weeks to four-year apprenticeships
Median Salary: $43,210
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile) : $27,070 to $76,080
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 4,100 new positions (3% growth)
The BLS divides the surprisingly broad universe of flooring workers into multiple subcategories, including “Flooring Installers and Tile and Marble Setters” (to which the above stats pertain) and “Carpet Installers.”
No matter your specialty, this field offers decent pay with little to no prior experience required.
Entry-level flooring installers generally train on the job under the tutelage of an experienced foreperson or crew chief.
Depending on the specialty, it can take months or years to learn the ropes. Formal, paid apprenticeships are common, although their two to four-year duration isn’t ideal for workers unsure about staying in the industry long-term.
6. Oil and Gas Field Roustabout
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent preferred
Training Requirements: A few months’ on-the-job training
Median Salary: $39,420
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $28,700 to $60,650
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 14,700 (25% growth)
Don’t let the funny name fool you. Roustabouts perform a boring but essential oil-and-gas-field function: assembling and repairing mechanical and hydraulic equipment.
It’s not glamorous, and job growth is perennially at the mercy of volatile energy markets, but it’s a great business to be in when extraction companies are hiring.
Although the U.S. oil and gas industry is price-sensitive, the fracking revolution has dramatically increased the country’s accessible reserves, creating plenty of opportunities for equipment operators, drivers, and other hydrocarbon-adjacent workers.
Many of these positions require no more than a high school diploma and a willingness to work long hours in remote locations.
7. Hazmat Removal Worker
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
Training Requirements: A few weeks of on-the-job training, plus safety training mandated by OSHA; some states require licenses or certifications for certain substances, such as asbestos
Median Salary: $45,270
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $30,590 to $76,570
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 3,700 new positions (8% growth)
Hazmat removal is a vast domain. The most common hazardous materials are asbestos and lead, but virtually any environmental contaminant deemed hazardous to biology counts.
Some hazmat removal jobs require no more than a high school diploma and a willingness to wear heavy protective gear, while others necessitate pre-hire training (notably, nuclear waste removal) or OSHA-mandated safety coursework (asbestos, lead, and other contaminants).
If your job involves transporting hazardous materials, you’ll need additional training and likely a special state-issued license in addition to a commercial driver’s license.
Because working with these materials improperly is hazardous to your health, this job favors detail-oriented workers capable of following safety protocols to the letter.
8. Plumber
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent; certain specialties may require welding certificates and coursework on system design, tool use, and safety
Training Requirements: Variable on-the-job training (paid apprenticeships typically last four to five years)
Median Salary: $56,330
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $33,460 to $98,990
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 20,900 new positions (4% growth)
Plumbers are nearly as plentiful as bartenders. According to the BLS, there were about 500,000 of them in 2019, with another 20,000 expected to join the ranks by 2029.
They’re better compensated too, with annual pay for the top 10% of plumbers nearing $100,000.
More demanding subspecialties generally pay more than run-of-the-mill residential plumbing work, although many an entrepreneurial journeyman has built a thriving small business off house calls alone.
Apprentices earn roughly 50% of a full-fledged journeyman’s pay. If you seek high pay right out of high school or technical school that might not cut it for you.
9. Sales Representative
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
Training Requirements: Variable-length on-the-job training
Median Salary: $65,420
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $31,950 to $129,200
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 26,200 new positions (2% growth)
Sales is a diverse field with diverse training requirements.
One constant, however, is a lack of education and employment prerequisites; if you have a high school diploma or GED, a personable manner, and a willingness to learn about what your employer sells, you shouldn’t have trouble landing an entry-level sales position.
That said, sales isn’t for everyone. Note the wide salary range, a function of the profession’s still-standard commission-based compensation structure.
If you’re a convincing salesperson, a consistent six-figure annual haul isn’t outside the realm of possibility. If you lack that killer instinct, then you’re likely to struggle.
10.Elevator Installer
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent; postsecondary coursework may be helpful; many states require licenses
Training Requirements: Four-year apprenticeship, including 2,000-plus hours of paid on-the-job training
Median Salary: $88,540
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $45,950 to $128,500
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 1,900 new positions (7% growth)
Elevator installers and repair personnel perform vital, if largely invisible, work and are compensated appropriately. The biggest hurdle for eager job-seekers is the four-year apprenticeship.
Although no formal postsecondary education is needed to snag an apprenticeship, the program does require more than 100 hours of unpaid classroom instruction in addition to at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job training.
Still, the $80,000 median starting salary is a sweet reward.
If you fail to see the appeal of spending your working hours in crawl spaces and cramped elevator shafts, consider an earthbound trade instead.
11. Administrative Assistant (Office and Administrative Support Worker)
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
Training Requirements: A few weeks’ on-the-job training
Median Salary: $40,990
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $26,880 to $67,510
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): -327,400 new positions (9% decline)
Even amid relentless automation of rote clerical tasks, the administrative assistant role retains its tenacious hold on the white-collar workplace.
That’s likely to change in the coming decade, with significant employment declines expected through 2029.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean employers aren’t hiring administrative assistants. Rather, assistant roles are changing.
Virtual assistants perform an array of administrative functions from the comfort of their own homes, some juggling dozens of clients on multiple continents.
Capable workers have ample opportunities for growth as well, such as rising to office manager after a few years or obtaining a paralegal certificate to take on more specialized duties.
12. Insurance Claims Adjuster
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent; some postsecondary coursework may be helpful
Training Requirements: Variable on-the-job training; larger employers may have formal training courses for new hires
Median Salary: $68,130
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $41,950 to $103,610
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): -22,000 new positions (-6% growth)
Claims adjusting is one of several entry points into the insurance industry.
Even if you don’t dream of owning your own insurance agency one day, this is a great first career-track job to build financial fluency and hone your customer service skills.
Note that the BLS lumps a slew of related insurance industry positions into one broad category: “Claims Adjusters, Appraisers, Examiners, and Investigators.”
Collectively, this category is expected to see modest employment declines through the end of the 2020s, a side effect of relentless automation in the insurance space.
13. Security Guard
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent preferred (some positions may waive this requirement)
Training Requirements: A few weeks’ on-the-job training
Median Salary: $31,080
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $25,400 to $62,450
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 33,300 new positions (3% growth)
This is one of the few jobs that pretty much anyone with a clean criminal record and decent physical fitness can get.
And there’s plenty of opportunity to go around. According to the BLS, more than 1.1 million security guards currently work in the U.S, and some 33,000 new positions are expected to come online by 2029.
Relatively low pay is a limiting factor for ambitious applicants, but a few years’ experience while pursuing a bachelor’s degree sets you up nicely for more glamorous law enforcement work.
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14. Commercial Truck Driver
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent required; many employers prefer commercial driver certificates (typically awarded after a three-to-six-month community college or trucking school course)
Training Requirements: A few weeks’ on-the-job training (co-piloting with a more experienced driver)
Median Salary: $47,130
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $30,660 to $69,480
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 30,600 new positions (2% growth)
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 2.1 million “heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers” traverse America’s highways and byways today.
More than 30,000 are set to join them by 2029, provided no major breakthroughs in vehicle automation happen before then.
Over the longer term, it’s likely that the rise of autonomous vehicles will render commercial truck drivers obsolete, but there’s still plenty of time to snag this entry-level job.
Unless you’re blessed with a forgiving family, long-haul trucking is probably a better fit while you’re unattached because interstate routes typically keep drivers on the road for days at a time.
All commercial truck drivers need commercial driver’s licenses. Those cleared to transport hazardous materials typically need additional state licenses as well.
15. Landscaper (Grounds Maintenance Worker)
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent required; some employers prefer landscape, horticulture, or related postsecondary coursework
Training Requirements: A few days’ on-the-job training for unskilled positions; specialized work (such as golf course management) may require formal coursework
Median Salary: $32,220 ($15.49 per hour)
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $11.03 to $24.05 per hour
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 130,800 new positions (10% growth)
It’s not glamorous, but it is in demand; according to the BLS, more than 1.3 million people work as grounds maintenance workers in the U.S., with more than 130,000 new positions projected by 2029.
In warm climates, work is plentiful year-round; in colder locales, things slow down when the growing season ends.
Many seasonal landscapers make ends meet in the winter with odd jobs, such as shoveling sidewalks, plowing driveways, or working at ice rinks.
Entry-level landscaping jobs require no credentials and very little onboarding; a week under the tutelage of a supervisor is sufficient for most gigs.
Positions with greater responsibility may demand extensive botanical knowledge, particularly when working with native landscapes.
16. Construction Laborer
Degree or Certificate Requirements: No formal education requirements for most positions; some specialized work may require a high school diploma or equivalent
Training Requirements: A few days’ to a few weeks’ on-the-job training, depending on job requirements
Median Salary: $37,080
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $25,770 to $65,780
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 81,000 new positions (5% growth). This is another unglamorous, in-demand job that’s ideal for people who enjoy working outdoors.
Construction laborers are not skilled tradespeople, and entry-level workers are compensated accordingly. The work is often project-based as well, meaning frequent job site switches are the norm.
But there’s plenty of opportunity for advancement.
Many laborers go on to work as apprentices in skilled trades like carpentry and plumbing, while others rise to foreperson or site supervisor roles after years of hard work.
17. Cement and Concrete Mason (Masonry Workers)
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent preferred; relevant vocational school coursework may be helpful
Training Requirements: Variable-length apprenticeships or on-the-job training
Median Salary: $47,710
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $31,580 to $79,640
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): -10,000 new positions (-3% growth)
This semi-skilled line of construction and restoration work requires little more than a high school diploma and an eye for detail.
However, most employers prefer (and may pay for) masons to complete coursework in relevant specialties, such as historical masonry, sustainable masonry, tile, and grout.
Specialization is key for earning potential and career advancement. For example, in older cities like Philadelphia and Chicago, historical mason work is in high demand.
Even as union membership declines in other lines of work, masonry remains heavily unionized, particularly in historic union strongholds across the northern U.S.
18. Roofer
Degree or Certificate Requirements: No formal education requirements
Training Requirements: A few weeks’ to a few months’ on-the-job training
Median Salary: $43,580
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $27,220 to $72,100
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 3,800 new positions (2% growth)
Even on a list of jobs with low barriers to entry, roofing stands out as particularly easy to get into. Roofing contractors aren’t picky about new hires’ educational backgrounds.
Many don’t even require high school degrees. A willingness to learn on the job, a tolerance for heights, and the ability to endure extreme heat and cold are all that’s necessary for a successful roofing career.
Just remember that roofing work is highly seasonal in colder climes.
19. Ridesharing Driver (Taxi Driver and Chauffeur)
Degree or Certificate Requirements: No formal education requirements
Training Requirements: None, although familiarity with local geography is helpful
Median Salary: $25,980
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $19,240 to $40,360
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2018 – 2028): 72,400 new positions (20% growth)
If your car is in good condition, your driving record is clean, and you don’t mind making small talk with strangers, you can start driving for a ridesharing app like Uber or Lyft in no time. You’ll be in good company.
According to the BLS, more than 300,000 ridesharing drivers, taxi drivers, and chauffeurs ply America’s streets, and growth is expected to remain in line with overall workforce expansion despite the looming threat of autonomous vehicles.
The key appeal of driving for a ridesharing app is flexibility. You can drive as much or as little as you like, making this perhaps the perfect side gig for folks without specialized skills.
Downsides include inconvenient peak hours, such as early weekday mornings and the wee hours on weekends, and driving-related headaches like traffic and inclement weather.
20. Pest Control Worker
Degree or Certificate Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent; state licenses may be required
Training Requirements: A few months’ on-the-job training
Median Salary: $37,820
Salary Range (10th to 90th Percentile): $24,980 to $61,170
Growth Outlook (Change in Employment, 2019 – 2029): 7,500 new positions (9% growth)
Are you claustrophobic? If so, then pest control probably isn’t for you. Pest control technicians work in clients’ basements, crawl spaces, closets, outbuildings, and even HVAC ducts.
If you don’t mind confined spaces, pest control is a potentially rewarding line of work that’s easy to learn on the job. Depending on your employer’s specialty termites, rodents, lawn pests, and so on, you’ll receive appropriate on-the-job training within a few months.
You can obtain any required state or local pest control licenses while you work.
Aside from the claustrophobia, the most serious disadvantage of pest control work is working with hazardous chemicals.
Furthermore, it is common for pest control companies to keep workers or teams on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to emergencies, so this isn’t the best line of work for people who prefer not to work evenings and weekends.
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