I don’t know about you but when I leave school, I will definitely be searching far and wide for the highest paying entry-level jobs. And even if you aren’t a fresh college graduate, a lot of times just completing a technical degree or choosing to go back to work after you’ve had kids puts you in the same boat as entry-level applicants. As the world economy is trying to bounce back from debilitating losses over the past 10 years, it’s difficult to sort through and even apply for the highest paying entry-level jobs. Overall you don’t know which ones will give you fair compensation for your hard work, and which ones will be just a complete waste of time. But when you get right down to it, there are some careers that will leave you financially stable, and on the right path to a supervisory position after a few years of hard work.
Most real estate brokers have not graduated college and many of them turn out to be very successful right off the bat. The thing with real estate is that you don’t really know how the housing market will react on a daily basis, so much of the time you’re gambling with the economy. But the upside is that it is one of the highest paying entry-level jobs mostly because you work for yourself off commission from your company, so the harder you work usually means the more money you make. I know many people that run like crazy on a daily basis to sell homes and end up being just as successful, if not more successful, than lawyers and doctors. And consequently those professions come with the baggage of having spent tens of thousands of dollars and a decade on education.
Have you seen the movie “Love and Other Drugs”? well if you haven’t, or you have and you don’t remember it, let me refresh your memory: an out of work 20-something ladies’ man falls in love with a girl with early onset Parkinson’s disease after taking a job as the pharmaceutical rep who ends up supplying her with medication. And the main reason why he took the job was in the hopes of making a fortune on sales. Luckily for him he fell in love and made a decent living. So if you’re out there looking for the highest paying entry-level jobs, consider being a pharmaceutical sales representative. Under the same principle as working hard and earning commission, you could end up making more than a real estate broker, who already makes a pretty penny!
Okay, so maybe you’ll always be in the shadow of the lawyers you work for, and you have to be available every minute for their requests, BUT you’ll be making 10 times more than any other assistant out there. You’re not a receptionist at a doctor’s office or a summer camp; you get to work with official legal cases and help represent lawyers on a daily basis. Not to mention the hours are great and one of the high paying entry-level jobs that actually allows you to exercise what you studied in college and your skills. Many arts and business majors end up leaving school to work in a boring office, shred paper and get coffee for two years before actually doing what they were trained to do in school. As a paralegal you are an essential member of the team who is certainly compensated as one.
I have yet to find an investment banking analyst or furthermore an investment banking analyst’s assistant, who didn’t make much more than the average employee. There’s always money to be made in homes, banks, loans, and stocks. And everything an investment banking analyst does involves managing money and by default making it. When it comes to highest paying entry-level jobs, you really can’t go wrong working in the financial district. Even if the economy does another nose dive, you still end up being on the higher end of the spectrum of the salaries. Not to mention the only place you can go is up considering this is an entry-level position, so work hard, get promoted and watch the dollars roll in.
Perhaps this one was the most surprising one to me, because after all who thinks there’s any money left in books and libraries? Contrary to popular belief, there is plenty of money to be made working in a library, in particular in college campus libraries and notable medical schools. Keeping track of every publication and literary work is hard work, and although computers aid tremendously in your job requirements, a real live person is still valued by most. When striving to be a library technician and work in one of the highest paying entry-level jobs, customer service skills are essential. So don’t hesitate to put on a big smile, in some cases you don’t even need a college degree, and the average starting salary is 40k!
Some of you might be reading this and thinking that all these jobs seem really boring and dry, so if that sounds like you, a graphic designer is probably the perfect fit out of this list of highest paying entry-level jobs. Graphic designers are savvy on computers and beneficial assets to advertising companies and business corporations alike. Working with art naturally allows you to be very flexible creatively and it’s definitely one of the best ways to work in a job doing what you love while always making some decent cash. In most cases graphic designers only need an Associate’s degree or technical certification.
Last but not least in this compilation of highest paying entry-level jobs, is working as an entrepreneur. And what I say entrepreneur, I mean it in every sense of the word. The best part of being your own boss and starting your own company (or companies), is that you get to make the rules and you get the benefit of keeping all the profit. Although starting your own business is much more difficult than working in an office or for someone else, many young people (men in particular) are known to put all their chips down and making incredible amounts of money just within the first year of working.
Job searching is never easy or simple, but sometimes you can narrow your options down just enough to find the right fit. Do any of these jobs sound promising to you? Are you currently employed at any one of these positions and very pleased with your annual salary? Please share your thoughts and feelings!