Top 25 College Graduate Entry Level Jobs



By Joyce Huber

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projects 1,882,000 students will graduate this year with a bachelor's degree. While some of these graduates will go on to pursue advanced degrees, many will begin searching for entry-level jobs. The good news is that employers are expected to hire 5.8 percent more new college graduates from the Class of 2017 than they hired from the Class of 2016, according to National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) annual Job Outlook survey.

 High expectations

College graduates have high expectations before graduation that their college degree will open doors to a new career. Still, competition for college graduate entry level jobs is strong. But that doesn't mean all is lost. New grads just need to know where to look. Analysts at WalletHub, a personal finance website that launched in early August 2013, recently published a list of the 2017 best and worst entry-level jobs. They compared 109 entry-level positions and ranked them according to factors such as availability, starting salary, and growth potential.

WalletHub's Top 25 entry-level jobs

Of the top 25 entry-level jobs, more than half are in engineering, and all are in either the health, law, or STEM fields.

 Job Type/Rank/Score
  1. Engineer I (75.08)
  2. Systems Engineer I (74.89)
  3. Architect I (70.46)
  4. Web Applications Developer I (68.11)
  5. Electrical Engineer I (67.28)
  6. Safety Rep I (67.11)
  7. Training Specialist I (66.76)
  8. Software Engineer I (66.45)
  9. Electronics Engineer I (65.74)
  10. Chemical Engineer I (65.11)
  11. Env. Health Safety Engineer I (64.76)
  12. Certified Nursing Asst. (64.42)
  13. Industrial Engineer I (64.20)
  14. Web Designer I (64.08)
  15. Aerospace Engineer I (64.02)
  16. Network Engineer I (62.47)
  17. Attorney I (62.10)
  18. Safety Tech I (61.75)
  19. Biomedical Engineer I (61.66)
  20. Systems Engineering Tech I (60.62)
  21. Systems Administrator I (60.60)
  22. Tax Attorney I (60.06)
  23. Industrial Designer I (59.88)
  24. Certified Occupational Therapist Asst. (59.40)
  25. Financial Analyst I (59.12)
The results can be viewed at
wallethub.com/edu/best-entry-level-jobs/3716/

Top 5 fields for job growth

WalletHub also listed the top 5 fields that represent the best job growth through 2024:
  1. Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant
  2. Operations Research Analyst
  3. T-3 Web Applications Developer I
  4. T-3 Web Designer I
  5. Biomedical Engineer I
If money is at the top of the list, WalletHub also ranked the Top 5 fields for highest starting salaries:
  1. Tax Attorney I
  2. Drilling Engineer I
  3. Attorney I
  4. Patent Attorney I
  5. Employment Law Attorney I
On the other hand, the list includes the top 5 in each category for the worst entry-level jobs, such as mechanics, machinists, carpenters, and painters; the jobs with the lowest starting salaries; and the jobs with least potential for income growth. This last category is important because so many jobs are being replaced by technology.

Where to look


Even if your area is not listed as one of the top 25, that doesn't mean you have to settle for a horrible entry-level job. Every job field offers several career directions, each with its own respective growth and potential.

For example, your field may be human resources. One of WalletHub's top 9 entry-level jobs is a Training Specialist. This job provides training and education in a certain area and usually functions as part of an HR department. What's more, it has a good starting salary of $48,411, a high immediate opportunity rank of 2 (which means this job is in demand by employers), and good job growth potential.



Other high immediate opportunity entry-level jobs include software engineer (4), safety representative (1), architect (7), Systems engineers who build and design complex systems, including spacecraft and bridge (3), and engineer (5). Engineer positions also have high beginning salaries.

To read the complete list, visit www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/9-entry-level-jobs-that-prove-your-first-job-doesnt-have-to-be-terrible/ar-BBApeiD?li=BBnb7Kz#page=1



Where to find the jobs

College graduates have spent much time and money on their education. Searching for the right entry-level job will require some work, but the opportunities are there. Hard work and perseverance will land you, not just a job, but the beginning of a new career.

To start your search for the newest available entry-level job listings, click HERE.

Trending this Week

New York Mets Summer Internship Program

Image
New York Mets Summer Internship Program is available for college students who are rising Juniors, Seniors, and graduate students. The internships run from May to August every summer. Internships run 13 weeks and are full-time, paid positions. Interns make a valuable contribution to the team. Internship areas include Accounting, External Affairs and Community Outreach, Human Resources, Metropolitan Hospitality, Procurement, Project Development, Tickets Sales & Services. Part-time internships are offered in Corporate Partnerships, Marketing & Communications, and Media Relations.
Read more

CVS Health Internships

Image
CVS Health has a highly-rated internship program for both undergraduate students as well as MBA and Master's degree students. This is an internship opportunity for college students to participate in a multi-dimensional program at the largest pharmacy in the United States. Summer internships and year-round internships are available. Internship programs include health-related internships for pharmacy, healthcare operations, dietetics and nutrition, nursing, optometry, and nursing students, as well as corporate internships for students interested in the areas of administration, analytics, marketing, finance, information technology, and law.
Read more

NHL Hockey Internships

Image
NHL Hockey Internships are available across the country for college students interested in getting hands-on experience working for a professional sports organization. Students will find a wide selection of professional sports teams who are looking for interns. Students may major in business, marketing and public relations, graphics and website design, communications, government affairs, journalism and media production, accounting, photography, TV production, and much more.
Read more

Coca-Cola Internships

Image
Coca-Cola Internships are offered to both undergraduate and graduate college students in a wide area of study fields, such as finance, communications, logistics, business, human resources, environmental protection, and more. Internship opportunities include summer internships that last for three months beginning in June, strategic interns created for specific areas following graduation, seasonal interns hired during the year, academic internships that offer credit for work experience, and co-op student internships which offer temporary assignments of four or five months during the school year.
Read more

Marvel Comics Internship Program

Image
Marvel Entertainment, LLC offers internships to college students in the spring, summer and fall who are interested in being part of the entertainment industry. Positions are located in New York and California and are unpaid internships for college credit only. Internships vary across a wide number of departments, including art, editorial, digital media, production, creative services, brand management, business development, sales, publishing, legal, accounting, information technology, human resources and more. Students are welcome to apply for more than one internship.
Read more

U.S. Olympic Committee Internship Program

Image
U.S. Olympic Committee Internship Program is a very competitive and very exciting work experience program for college undergraduate and graduate students. Imagine being in the center of the U.S. Olympics and learning skills in your chosen field at the same time. Students can be studying in any number of disciplines to be eligible to apply for an internship. It can include broadcasting, journalism, marketing, sports medicine, human resources and much more. In addition to a great experience, students also receive a small stipend. All interns live at Olympic Training Centers and eat their meals at the Athletes' Dining Hall.
Read more

Detroit Lions Internships

Image
Detroit Lions Internships offer an exciting opportunity for college students to work in the area of sports management. Many paid internship positions are available in a variety of departments within the Detroit Lions and Ford Field Management. Students must be enrolled full-time in a four-year degree program and have a grade point average of 3.0 or above. They must have completed their junior year of college before applying. Opportunities include athletic training, broadcasting, community relations, digital media, equipment manager during training camp, marketing, events management, media relations, scouting, sponsorships and much more.
Read more

♠︎ Kate Spade ♠︎ Summer Internship Program

Image
Kate Spade Summer Internship Program offers an exciting opportunity for college sophomores, juniors and seniors who are pursing careers in the fashion industry. The annual program provides participants with a strong foundation for entry-level candidates in the fashion industry. The internship program is 10 weeks long. Interns will work with managers on company projects. They will work with corporate across many functional areas and learn how a fashion and apparel corporation works. The company looks for motivated candidates in an effort to develop world class talent.
Read more

The Madison Square Garden Company Student Associate Program

Image
The Madison Square Garden Company Student Associate Program offers paid positions in the fall, spring and summer semesters in New York, California, Chicago and New Jersey. Internships are open to undergraduate and graduate college students. Internships are offered in Madison Square Garden (MSG) Sports, MSG Media, MSG Entertainment, and throughout MSG corporate divisions. Internships cover many disciplines, including Communications, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Sales/Partnerships, Operations, Productions, Technology, and Creative/Graphic Design.
Read more

Summer Vs. Fall Internship -- Which One is Better?

By  Joyce Huber Internships are work-experience programs that let you 'test drive' careers while you are still in college. It not only gives you an opportunity to get a better perspective on careers, but it also gives you valuable experience that you can add to your resume, giving you an edge over other students when it comes time to apply for a full-time job after graduation. It can be an important key to your future.
Read more