Whether you’re a fresh college graduate, or starting off in a new career, finding entry-level jobs that pay well can be a struggle in some areas. To find which cities and states offer the highest amount of entry-level jobs that pay higher than the state’s median wage, Resume.io analyzed job listings in each state to see how each area ranks.
Findings: The study found that South Dakota is the best state to find a high-paying entry-level job, with over 76% of entry-level job listings offering pay above the median wage. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, South Dakota’s median hourly wage is $19.17. South Dakota’s cost of living is also about 6% lower than the national average, according to RentCafe.
- Bozeman, Montana, was ranked as the best city for high-paying entry-level jobs, with 87.8% of job listings offering pay above the state’s median wages. Montana also comes in second on the list of states for entry-level pay, with 75.2% of entry-level jobs offering pay above the median salary. Montana’s median hourly wage is $20.29. However, Montana’s cost of living is about 2% higher than the national average.
- Hawaii had the least entry-level jobs with pay above the state median, and 66.1% of the state’s entry-level job listings offered pay below the state’s median, which is $23.35 per hour.
- Washington, D.C., is the worst city in the country for high-paying entry-level jobs, according to Resume.io, with only 26.4% of entry-level jobs offering pay above the city’s median. The median hourly pay in D.C. is $30.43.
Best cities for high-paying entry-level jobs: Following Bozeman was Iowa City, Iowa, which had 87.7% of job listings offering pay above the state’s median salary. These cities were followed by Jackson, Mississippi (84.8%), Kansas City, Kansas (83.1%), and Fort Smith, Arkansas (79.7%). Provo, Utah, ranked 16th on the list, with 74.6% of entry-level job listings offering pay above the state median.
Worst cities for high-paying entry-level jobs: After Washington, D.C., Honolulu, Hawaii, was named one of the worst cities for high-paying entry-level jobs (36.4%), followed by Virginia Beach, Virginia (38.6%), Anchorage, Alaska (39.0%), and Bloomington, Minnesota (40%).
Best states for high-paying entry-level jobs:
- South Dakota: 76% of entry-level job listings offering pay above the state’s median wage.
- Montana: 75.2%.
- Idaho: 72.7%.
- Iowa: 70.5%.
- New Mexico: 69%.
- Indiana: 68.2%.
- Wyoming: 68.1%.
- Nebraska: 67.6%.
- Kentucky: 67.1%.
- West Virginia: 66.9%.
- Kansas: 66.8%.
- Arkansas: 66.6%.
- Arizona: 66%.
- Mississippi: 65.9%.
- Missouri: 64.9%
- Utah: 63.2%.
Worst states for high-paying entry-level jobs:
50. Hawaii: 33.9% of entry-level job listings offering pay above the state’s median wage.
49. Massachusetts: 39.6%.
48. Alaska: 46.4%.
47. Michigan: 46.5%.
46. New Hampshire: 46.6%.
45. Virginia: 49.5%.
44. Pennsylvania: 50.8%.
43. New Jersey. 51.5%.
42. Wisconsin: 51.7%.
41. Vermont: 52%.
40. Colorado: 53.5%.