12 Entry Level Jobs with Big Earning Potential
Find an Entry Level Jobs That Can Pad Your Wallet
No one ever promised you were going to graduate from college and land yourself a job as CFO. But in today's job market, where competition is particularly keen, it seems as if even the mediocre jobs are few and far between.
Before you relegate yourself to flipping burgers, check out the 12 jobs we've listed here. These jobs, while appropriate for recent college grads looking to enter the work place, have reasonable starting salaries and excellent growth potential.
Graphic Designer
Designs and creates graphics for advertisements, logos, packaging, etc. for organizations and media.
Education: Bachelor's degree, preferably in art, graphic design, or a related field.
Do You Have What It Takes? You are creative and artistic. You work well independently, but also take direction well. You care about presenting products and services in their best light.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: Entry level workers earn a median salary of $46K. Graphic designers with experience can work their way up to the position of Art Director.
Check out Graphic Designer Salaries as well as other graphic art related entry level jobs with similar pay.
Financial Analyst
Analyze financial information for banks, insurance companies, securities firms, and other businesses.
Education: Bachelor's degree in finance, math, economics, accounting, or business management.
Do You Have What It Takes? You love crunching numbers and analyzing data, and using math to implement solutions to complex problems.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: Entry level workers earn a median salary of $47.1K. Opportunity for advancement is excellent, with many organizations picking up the tab for training programs, education, testing, and licensure.
Click here for Financial Analyst Salaries, as well as other related entry level jobs in financial services.
Sales Representative
Sells products and services.
Education: Bachelor's degree. Some companies require a degree in an area relevant to the product or service you are selling, while others desire personal experience.
Do You Have What It Takes? You are competitive, outgoing, and could sell ice to an Eskimo.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: Entry level sales representatives have median earnings of $54.4K, including salary and bonuses. Those with good track records can eventually become sales managers and directors.
Find out more about Sales Salaries and also this list of high income sales careers.
Copywriter
Write advertising copy to be used in all types of media.
Education: Bachelor's degree in communication, media studies, public relations, journalism, or English.
Do You Have What It Takes? You're creative, good with words, and you know what motivates people. You're comfortable working as part of a team, and have terrific listening and communication skills.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: Entry level copywriters make a median salary of $41.8K. There's high growth potential in this career, especially with those who work their way up developing and managing entire advertising campaigns.
Find out more about copywriters, and also check out these related media fields with similar pay.
Human Resources Assistant
Work as part of the human resources team, assisting with payroll, benefits administration, job descriptions, and legal issues.
Education: Bachelor's degree, preferably in business or a related field.
Do You Have What It Takes? You enjoy leading and working with people. You are good at research and analysis.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: Entry level workers earn a median salary of 34.2K. Many organizations have built-in training and mentoring programs that allow relatively quick advancement to director and manager positions.
Check out these Human Resources Salaries, as well as this list of higher-income HR careers.
Public Relations Assistant
Promotes groups, individuals, and companies by writing, selecting, and releasing publicity material.
Education: Bachelor's degree, preferably in public relations or communications.
Do You Have What It Takes? You enjoy helping people, and have excellent listening and communication skills. Your writing and editing skills are superb.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: Entry level workers earn a median salary of 44.7K. The field has good growth potential, with those showing aptitude and success moving on to managerial positions with significantly more responsibility.
Not sure about Public Relations Salaries? Check out these related fields in printing and publishing.
Web Designer
Develops and designs Web applications and Web sites.
Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field.
Do You Have What It Takes? You have a combination of creative and technical skills, and keep up with the latest Internet developments. You enjoy working as part of a team, and have no trouble sticking to deadlines.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: Entry level Web designers earn a median salary of $50.8K. As experience is gained, Web designers gain more independence, work on more complex projects, and manage staffs.
These Web Designer Salaries are great, but there are many careers to choose from in the Internet & New Media field.
Marketing Coordinator
Helps carry out tasks associated with determining demand for products and services, and identifying potential customers.
Education: Bachelor's degree, preferably in marketing, business, or economics.
Do You Have What It Takes? You have excellent research skills, and are good at developing strategies. You understand trends, and know what motivates people.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: Entry level workers earn a median salary of $49.4K. Hard workers who demonstrate marketing savvy can rise to manager, director, or vice-president levels.
Click here for Marketing Coordinator Salaries, or step into the new age and check out Social Media Marketing salaries.
Computer Programmer
Develop and write computer programs.
Education: Bachelor's degree, preferably in computer science.
Do You Have What It Takes? In addition to having the necessary education and knowledge, you have excellent problem solving ability. You excel at creating programs based on specific needs and requirements.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: Entry level programmers earn a median salary of $53.6K. Successful programmers can eventually reach the managerial level, where they have more responsibility and people to supervise.
Here are some Programmer Salaries to choose from, or check out these IT - Computers & Software careers.
Database Analyst
Manages databases, including developing, modifying, and coordinating databases.
Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field.
Do You Have What It Takes? You are methodical, have excellent attention to detail, and are good at determining requirements and needs.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: Entry level database administrators earn a median salary of $55.5K. Growth potential is high, with those who advance to the top managing entire databases and teams.
These Database Analyst Salaries are entry level, but see where you can advance to a higher income IT salary.
Registered Nurse
Works as part of a medical team to assess patients, administer care to patients, and maintain medical records.
Education: Bachelor's degree in nursing.
Do You Have What It Takes? You enjoy helping people, and have excellent listening and communication skills. You are social, service-oriented, and can successfully work as part of a team.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: The median salary of an entry level registered nurse is $63.9K. RNs who complete additional post-basic education are eligible for more advanced, specialized roles.
First look at Registered Nurse Salaries, but then consider other nursing careers in the healthcare industry.
Environmental Engineer
Perform engineering duties that help prevent or control environmental health hazards.
Education: Bachelor's degree in engineering.
Do You Have What It Takes? You care about the environment, and love solving problems. You are excellent at research, and enjoy investigating facts to come up with solutions.
Earnings Potential and Advancement: Entry level workers earn a median salary of $52.5K. While those just beginning often work under experienced engineers in an assistant capacity, as experienced is gained responsibility increases.
These Environmental Engineer Salaries are excellent, but there are other entry level jobs within the environmental field to examine as well.
Whatever You Choose, Be Prepared
Whether you choose one of the entry level jobs on this list or go into something else altogether, the important thing is to properly negotiate that first salary. Salary.com can help.
The first thing you should do is research, so you're able to come to the table armed with the knowledge of what your job is worth. Use our free Salary Wizard below to find out what's a fair salary for your position. You can enter your location, education level, years of experience and more to find out an appropriate salary range before you negotiate.
Good luck.
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