Entry level jobs aren't typically considered to be particularly lucrative. Conventional wisdom dictates that you start out at the bottom of the ladder with a lower salary, and, over the years, work your way up into higher positions with higher salaries. And while this is often the case, it doesn't always have to be. There are particular roles and fields that pay very generously right from the get-go, with salaries only increasing over time.
Glassdoor crunched the numbers to identify these profitable positions — read on to find out the 25 highest paying entry level jobs and apply today!
Highest Paying Entry Level Jobs
1. Data Scientist
Median Annual Base Salary: $95,000
Companies Hiring: Vanderbilt University, T. Rowe Price, Optiver US, Tradeweb Markets LLC, Capgemini & more
2. Software Engineer
Median Annual Base Salary: $90,000
Companies Hiring: Lenovo, MyVest, John Deere, Snowflake, Relevante & more
3. Product Manager
Median Annual Base Salary: $89,000
Companies Hiring: Cengage, Arthrex, Porsche, Sporcle, KeyBank & more
4. Investment Banking Analyst
Median Annual Base Salary: $85,000
Companies Hiring: Fisher Investments, American International Bank, LiniumCLT, Huntington National Bank, Delaware North & more
5. Product Designer
Median Annual Base Salary: $85,000
Companies Hiring: Tempus Labs, Briggs and Stratton Corporation, Rally Health, Airtable, Dropbox & more
6. UX Designer
Median Annual Base Salary: $73,000
Companies Hiring: ADP, Fjordnet, Red Spark, Auto-Owners Insurance, eXcell & more
7. Implementation Consultant
Median Annual Base Salary: $72,000
Companies Hiring: Omnicell Inc., IBM, Rootstock Software, EmPowerHR, Beeline & more
8. Java Developer
Median Annual Base Salary: $72,000
Companies Hiring: SMC 3, Crown Equipment, Screativesoft, ISO New England, HCL Technologies Limited & more
9. Systems Engineer
Median Annual Base Salary: $70,000
Companies Hiring: United States Olympic Committee, Kaizen Approach Inc., Experitec, D.A.S., Intel Corporation & more
10. Software Developer
Median Annual Base Salary: $68,600
Companies Hiring: Spectrum Communications and Consulting, EAI Technologies, Nexient, Reynolds and Reynolds, Centene & more
11. Process Engineer
Median Annual Base Salary: $68,258
Companies Hiring: Arlon Graphics, WestRock, Intel Corporation, Clover Global Solutions LP, Kimball Electronics & more
12. Front End Developer
Median Annual Base Salary: $67,500
Companies Hiring: Seneca Resources, The Creative Group, GS5 LLC, BlastPoint, Weyco Group Inc & more
13. Product Engineer
Median Annual Base Salary: $66,750
Companies Hiring: Procter & Gamble, NXP Semiconductors, TechnipFMC, Whirlpool Corporation, JELD-WEN & more
14. Actuarial Analyst
Median Annual Base Salary: $66,250
Companies Hiring: Milliman, State Auto Insurance Companies, Fast Switch, Society of Actuaries, AIG & more
15. Electrical Engineer
Median Annual Base Salary: $66,000
Companies Hiring: Harris, RESA Power Solutions, Chesapeake Utilities, Harris Corporation, Allegheny Technologies & more
16. Mechanical Engineer
Median Annual Base Salary: $65,000
Companies Hiring: Airgas, ARRIS, Source One Technical Solutions, Apollo Technical, Microsoft Corporation & more
17. Design Engineer
Median Annual Base Salary: $65,000
Companies Hiring: TAIT & Associates, Star Cutter Company, Stryker, RFA Engineering, HUSCO International & more
18. Applications Developer
Median Annual Base Salary: $65,000
Companies Hiring: Centene, TRC Companies Inc., West Bend Mutual Insurance Co., AIC, TechStaff Inc & more
19. Test Engineer
Median Annual Base Salary: $65,000
Companies Hiring: The MIL Corporation, Shure Incorporated, HHB Systems, PROLIM, QuEST Global & more
20. Programmer Analyst
Median Annual Base Salary: $65,000
Companies Hiring: Ameren, Farmers Insurance, Atos IT Services and Solutions Inc, Monterey County Human Resources, Ipsos & more
21. Quality Engineer
Median Annual Base Salary: $64,750
Companies Hiring: Xactly Corporation, Brainshark, Kelly Engineering, Oxford Solutions, DuPont & more
22. Physical Therapist
Median Annual Base Salary: $63,918
Companies Hiring: AdventHealth, Orange County, Saint Lukes Cornwall Hospital, Gordon Memorial Health Services, Dignity Health & more
23. Field Engineer
Median Annual Base Salary: $63,750
Companies Hiring: Jobot, Southland Industries, Milender White Inc., Compressor Controls, Shimmick Construction Co. Inc. & more
24. Project Engineer
Median Annual Base Salary: $63,000
Companies Hiring: McCarthy Building Co, Georgia-Pacific, AECOM, Bastian Solutions, Performance Contracting & more
25. Business Analyst
Median Annual Base Salary: $63,000
Companies Hiring: Topco Associates, Equity Methods, Dhalite, Naked Lime, NewDay USA & more
Methodology: Glassdoor’s Highest Paying Entry Level Jobs report identifies the jobs with the highest median annual base salaries as reported by U.S.-based employees aged 25 or younger on Glassdoor over the time period 1/01/18 – 12/31/18. Jobs considered for this report must have received at least 25 salary reports in U.S. dollars by U.S-based employees, aged 25 or younger, during the timeframe. In cases where job titles have the same median monthly pay, the job title with the greater number of salary reports receives higher rank. This report takes into account job title normalization that groups similar job titles. Intern level jobs were excluded from this report.
