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2022’s Best & Worst Entry-Level Jobs – WalletHub Study

Staff Report

Tuesday, April 12th, 2022

With employers planning to hire over 26% more graduates from the Class of 2022 than they did from the Class of 2021, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst Entry-Level Jobs, as well as accompanying videos and expert commentary.

To take stock of the first-timer employment landscape, WalletHub compared more than 100 different types of entry-level positions based on 12 key metrics. The data set ranges from average starting salary to projected job growth by 2030 to median tenure with an employer.

Best Entry-Level Jobs

Worst Entry-Level Jobs

1. Software Engineer I

99. Architectural Drafter I

 

2. Electronics Engineer I

100. Consumer Credit Analyst I

 

3. Engineer I

101. Mechanical Drafter I

 

4. Systems Engineer I

102. Claims Processing Clerk

 

5. Industrial Engineer I

103. Welder I

 

6. Electrical Engineer I

104. Aircraft Painter I

 

7. Operations Research Analyst I

105. Building Inspector

 

8. Hardware Engineer I

106. Emergency Dispatcher

 

9. Web Applications Developer I

107. Floor Assembler I

 

10. Env., Health, and Safety Engineer I

108. Boilermaker I

 

Best vs. Worst 

  • Tax attorneys have the highest average starting salary, $102,509, which is 5.9 times higher than that of a college teaching assistant, the job with the lowest at $17,428.

  • Employee-relations specialists have the highest income growth potential, 5.52, which is 3.3 times higher than that of a bank teller, the job with the lowest at 1.65.

  • Benefits administrators, attorneys, employment law attorneys, patent attorneys and tax attorneys have the longest median tenure with their employers, 5.80 years, which is 2.1 times higher than that of a certified occupational therapist assistant, the job with the shortest at 2.80 years.

  • Certified occupational therapist assistants have the highest projected job growth by 2030, 36.10 percent.

  • Accountant, budget analyst, claims adjuster, credit analyst, financial analyst and consumer loan officer are among the jobs with the lowest unemployment rate, 2.4 percent, which is 2.8 times lower than that of a building inspector, electrician and plumber, which are among the jobs with the highest at 6.7 percent.

For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-entry-level-jobs/3716