The employment picture through the first half of 2020 has been indescribably grim. More than 40 million Americans applied for unemployment through early June, with the unemployment rate staying in the double digits. Yet, even in the midst of this economic slowdown, there are plenty of high-paying jobs out there.
Entry-level jobs are often considered non-desirable, but they serve an important function. For recent graduates, an entry-level job is often the stepping stone to a career; however, in this economic environment, many workers are looking for any type of good-paying job, even an entry-level position.
The good news is that many entry-level jobs actually pay salaries well above the national average. Even better, many of these jobs are in fast-growing industries.
To help identify these opportunities, GOBankingRates sourced data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupation Finder tool and Occupational Outlook Handbook. After screening for jobs with annual salaries above $60,000 that required a bachelor’s degree, GOBankingRates ranked the 50 highest-paying ones.
Although jobs for engineers and scientists were unsurprisingly found to pay well, the growth rate for some of these occupations is not encouraging. Environmental scientists and specialists earn over $71,000 on average, for example, but the growth rate for the industry over the next 10 years is projected to drop by 8% — indicating job loss, not job growth. Yet, plenty of entry-level jobs were found to be both high-paying and fast-growing.
One example is operations, research analysts. At an average salary of $84,810, these workers earn more than double the national average, and the field is projected to grow by 26% over the next decade. Other high-paying occupations, such as market research analysts and marketing specialists, are also expected to grow by at least 20% over the next 10 years.
Whether you’re looking for your first job out of college or a new job after being laid off, use this list as a starting point to learn about available, high-paying careers. You can also search online for companies that are currently hiring. Even in times of economic uncertainty, with some diligent searching, you should be able to find a number of entry-level jobs that pay at least $60,000.
