Best Entry Level Jobs For College Grads – Top 15

1. What Is Entry Level?

Entry level is code for “a bottom or lower rung job of the career ladder.” A college degree provides an education, but an employer provides training and experience. To use the full extent of knowledge attained as an undergraduate, an entry level or starting position is usually where recent college grads begin.

2. What Are the Best Ways To Search For Employment?

A sensible start to finding work in your field is to look where the jobs are. If you can relocate, you can find a metropolitan area or even a remote telecommute opportunity. Apply for as many jobs as possible, and be assertive about follow-up. Research companies that have a good reputation—using services, such as Glassdoor—to compare company reviews, and polish your resume with an emphasis on your education and degree.

3. How Does A College Degree Help Me In The Workplace?

Numerous jobs are available to only those with a college degree. If you have a general degree, such as history, English or theater arts, you can parlay the four-year education into management positions, substitute teaching and state and county jobs that require degrees. Focus on jobs that require college degrees to increase earning potential.

4. What Are The Best Entry Level Jobs For College Grads In Business?

Business graduates can find work in small, medium or large business arenas. In the latter, large corporations will often hire business grads in mid-level management positions. Companies like Google, Amazon, Walmart and other large businesses or big box stores love college graduates who have proven their ability to complete a course of study.

We chose jobs and career fields that are plentiful and in which potential employees can work as generalists; we also selected fifteen areas where college grads shine.

What We Reviewed

Account managers pursue business for advertising and marketing agencies and manage the accounts once created. These professionals shepherd the account (new business) from signing them on to communicating how the project is going to finally, presenting the final product or marketing campaign.

Salary

Starting salaries for Account Managers are in the mid-40s in most locations.

Software developers build software to be used in personal computers, especially designing applications (apps) or solutions to existing software and any machinery that has specific software, such as automobiles. This position requires knowledge of code, and usually, the candidate should know two or three current coding languages well. Practical ability is a must, but a degree in any IT capacity is helpful here since code-writing skill doesn’t always arrive at the hiring office attached to a college-graduate.

Salary

Salaries begin in the mid 50s, but in some areas where demand is high and cost of living is also high like Northern California, salaries can begin at $90,000 or more. This is one of the best entry level jobs for college grads in terms of salary.

These individuals test work flow in business processes and come up with a plan to improve output and address issues such as quality assurance, quality control and management effectiveness. Project planning and communication are skills needed in this highly analytical career path. For someone with a business degree, this position is one of the best entry level jobs for college grads since using the degree is highly likely.

Salary

These professionals begin with salaries in the 40s but can quickly climb high with effective analyses.

This position requires a great deal of people contact and a disposition bent on helping others. Customer Service Rep positions are one of the best entry level jobs for college grads undecided about which industry they want to work in, and you will find these jobs in most mid- to large-sized companies.

Salary

These professionals typically earn in the low- to mid-30s when they start work.

Administrative assistants thrive on change and variety and are seasoned multi-taskers who enjoy directing others with grace and patience. This position is a supporting role but can bring a great deal of inside knowledge about executive dealings and strategizing.

Salary

Administrative Assistants have pay ranges that differ depending on the size and scope of the company, from the mid-20s for starting pay to mid-30s at large corporations in cities where cost of living is high like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Working as a recruiter means finding the right person for the right job. This helps both companies who need temporary employees and job seekers. Some recruiters, or “headhunters,” find permanent employees in difficult-to-fill professions, like statistics or nursing. For those just entering the workforce, this is one of the best entry level jobs for college grads who have general degrees, like history or philosophy.

Salary

Recruiters begin with salaries in the mid- to high 30s but can attain bonuses and promotions easily with a strong track record.

Fast food is big business, and retail franchises hire college grads to run restaurants. Experience in the restaurant or hospitality industry is helpful, but often a summer job is enough experience. This fast-paced environment means managing young and sometimes elderly employees, being quick on your feet and enjoying service. Fast food is a catch-all that ranges from Starbucks to Burger King.

This position is great for an individual who likes accounting and money-management and enjoys working with data. Business or accounting degrees are sufficient preparation, and starting salaries begin in the high 40s, with 70K being a realistic salary within five years.

Graphic designers require skills, including expertise in software applications for producing images, logos and other artwork. Graphic Designers can work freelance or for any-sized company and can become consultants. Typically, a graphic designer will need to be organized to complete multiple projects at once. This is one of the best entry level jobs for college grads who want to freelance or start their own business.

Accountants have a reputation as boring but are critical to most operations and have their hands on the most important part of any business:  the money. Accountants use analytical skills and detail-oriented natures every day on the job. A staff accountant is one of the best entry level jobs for college grads because it is a foot in the door but also and eye in the sky to what is happening in the organization.

Salary

Staff accountants typically begin their careers at salaries starting in the high 40s, and this work can pay upwards of 60K within five years.

A college degree can lead to working in law offices, sometimes without additional paralegal training. This work requires logical thinking and verbal skills. Paralegals assist attorneys with case files, help prepare for court and help clients at the early stages of the client-attorney relationship. This is one of the best entry-level jobs for college grads with degrees in English, journalism or history who have solid writing skills.

This is one of the best entry-level jobs for college grads because of the variety of work and certainty of employment, but it doesn’t end there. Nurses make great salaries and do important work they can feel proud of.

Salary

Nurses typically start in the high 40s to low 50s, and nursing shortages are common. Within five years, in an area of speciality, salary could be in the high 60s.

These individuals keep projects on track, often using specific software, like MS Project, to help a team create a timeline and carry out complex tasks over months. This position requires flexibility and knowledge of many facets of the organization plus the ability to motivate a team of disparate individuals.

Salary

Project Coordinators usually start in the mid-30s to mid-40s, but successful completion of several projects can lead to fast promotion.

This engineering career is one of the best entry-level jobs for college grads because it is specific and uses skills learned in school. Electrical engineering is vital to make utilities and complex businesses run and is important in major energy industries, such as automotive and oil and gas. Hands-on experience is helpful in this role, and this career pays well at entry level.

Salary

The starting salary for a typical Electrical Engineer is in the mid-60s.

Secondary and elementary school teachers are in demand and have been for the past decade. The work requires hustle, a sense of humor and a love of children and teens. The degree is good preparation because of student teaching, but the first three years can be rough.

Four-year degrees can be general or specific, and they lead to better jobs attained with only a high school diploma, in most cases. The best entry level jobs for college grads hinge on finding a field where the degree can be applied, then getting a foot in the door. Entry-level is a phrase that should alert job seekers to the fact that a college degree is often all that is necessary to snag that job opportunity and begin the climb to the top.