Graduation is on the horizon and as tons of grads flood the marketplace for employment, they will want to know which entry-level jobs offer the most promise for present and the future success.
Today, WalletHub has released its report on 2016's Best & Worst Entry-Level Jobs . Analysts for the financial website compared 109 entry-level positions based on 11 key metrics including "median starting salary," "projected job growth by 2024," and "median tenure with employer."
To the surprise of no one, the 10 best entry-level jobs are in engineering, technology and safety:
- Engineer I
- Systems Engineer I
- Safety Representative I
- Web Applications Developer I
- Env., Health, and Safety Engineer I
- Electrical Engineer I
- Safety Technician I
- Software Engineer I
- Training Specialist I
- Architect I
At the other end of the spectrum, we find the 10 worst entry-level jobs are largely loaded with manual labor:
- Drilling Engineer I
- Machinist I
- Emergency Dispatcher
- Automotive Mechanic I
- Tool and Die Maker I
- Carpenter I
- Boilermaker I
- Plumber I
- Floor Assembler I
- Welder I
It is important to note, that the jobs that topped the list, don't always bring the most money.
Tax attorney didn't make the list of the best entry-level jobs, but the median starting salary for the job is $92,148, six times higher than that of a college teaching assistant, the job with the lowest median starting salary of $15,792.
While drilling engineers have the highest median annual salary of $129,990, the job is on the list of the worst entry-level jobs. Still, that salary is five times higher than that of a bank teller which carries and annual salary of $26,410.
Bank tellers also have the worst outlook for income growth (1.81) compared to employee relations specialist which has the highest potential for income growth (6.1).
When it comes to overall job growth, your best bet is to become a certified occupational-therapy assistant, a job which has the highest projected job growth by 2024 at 42.7 percent.
Technology remains a solid career path, but not if you are a computer operator. Almost 20 percent of jobs in that field are expected to be cut by 2024.
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