Best & Worst Entry-Level Jobs: What New Grads Need to Know Before Jumping Into the Workforce
Winter graduation season is right around the corner, and if you’re part of the Class of 2025, you’ve got something to celebrate — employers are planning to hire 7.3% more graduates this year than they did in 2024! 🎓 That’s good news for anyone polishing their résumé and stepping into the “real world.”
To help new grads (and career changers) get a clear picture of what’s waiting out there, WalletHub just released its annual list of 2025’s Best and Worst Entry-Level Jobs — and the results might surprise you.
💼 The Study Behind the List
WalletHub compared over 100 different entry-level positions using 12 key metrics — everything from starting salaries and job growth to long-term stability and how long people tend to stay in those roles. The goal? To find out which first jobs give you the best foundation for a lasting career.
🏆 The Best Entry-Level Jobs for 2025
If you’ve got a knack for technology or engineering, you’re in luck — these fields dominate the top of the list.
Top 10 Best Entry-Level Jobs:
- Hardware Engineer I
- Certified Nursing Assistant – Nursing Home Salaries
- Engineer I
- Software Engineer I
- Safety Representative I
- Electrical Engineer I
- Safety Technician I
- Operations Research Analyst I
- Electronics Engineer I
- Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant
💡 Takeaway: Tech and healthcare continue to lead the pack when it comes to opportunity, pay, and growth potential.
🚫 The Toughest Entry-Level Jobs
Not every field offers the same runway for success. While these careers may be fulfilling in other ways, WalletHub ranked them lowest for factors like salary growth, job stability, or future demand.
10 Worst Entry-Level Jobs:
99. Tool and Die Maker I
100. Benefits Administrator I
101. Telecommunications Technician I
102. Architectural Drafter I
103. Emergency Dispatcher
104. Boilermaker I
105. Automotive Mechanic I
106. Mechanical Drafter I
107. CNC Machine Programmer I
108. Welder I
💭 Reality check: These jobs can still be valuable stepping stones, but they may not offer the same financial or long-term security as top-ranked positions.
📊 What the Data Reveals
A few highlights from WalletHub’s findings:
- 💰 Biggest Paycheck: Hardware engineers start strong — their average starting salary is 6.1 times higher than that of a college teaching assistant, which lands near the bottom.
- 📈 Most Growth Potential: Consumer loan officers have 2.5 times more income growth potential than bank tellers.
- 🕰️ Longest Tenure: Geotechnical, mining, and drilling engineers stick around the longest — more than twice as long as creative roles like PR specialists and designers.
- 🔒 Fastest Growing Field: Information security analysts top the charts for projected job growth by 2033 (cybersecurity isn’t slowing down anytime soon).
- 📉 Lowest Unemployment Rates: Finance-related jobs — accountants, analysts, and credit specialists — are the most stable, while building trades face higher unemployment.
🎯 The Bottom Line
Whether you’re still picking a major, updating your LinkedIn, or sending out job applications, knowing where the opportunities are can make all the difference.
The 2025 job market looks promising, especially for those diving into tech, healthcare, and finance. But no matter where you start, every job can be a stepping stone toward something bigger — experience, skills, and connections that lead you to where you truly want to be.
So polish that résumé, keep an open mind, and remember: your first job doesn’t define your future — it just launches it. 🚀
Hey y’all, let’s talk about something just as important as landing that first job — making your paycheck stretch once it hits your bank account! 💵
Here are a few “Frugal Mom–approved” tips for new grads:
- Don’t upgrade your lifestyle too fast. You don’t need the fancy apartment or designer bag right away. Celebrate the milestone, but live below your means while you build savings.
- Take advantage of job perks. If your company offers health insurance, retirement matching, or even free lunches — that’s money you don’t have to spend out of pocket!
- Start an emergency fund. Even setting aside $25 per paycheck builds peace of mind. Life happens — and it’s always better to be prepared.
- Budget like a boss. Use free tools or apps to track spending. Watching where your money goes now helps you avoid big regrets later.
- Invest in yourself. Take that online course, buy the book that helps you grow, or network in your field. Your best investment will always be you.
So whether your first job lands in the “best” or “worst” column, remember this: what matters most isn’t where you start, but how you use what you earn — in money, experience, and confidence. 🌸
To find out more tips check out my other blog Adventures of Frugal Mom.
