Entry-level careers worth starting in
Five hundred and forty careers with low preparation requirements, careers you can step into without a degree or with on-the-job training, where the path from no experience to your first role is short and well-trodden. Each card below carries the typical preparation path, the salary range from entry to senior level, and a short read on what the work actually involves day to day. You are looking at page 9 of 11 for entry-level careers.
540 careers in Entry-level careers worth starting in, page 9 of 11
Postal Service Mail Carrier
High School Diploma · $60,550
Postal service mail carriers sort letters and packages at the post office each morning, then deliver them along an…
Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor, and Processing Machine Operator
High School Diploma · $58,470
Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Examine, sort, and…
Postmasters and Mail Superintendent
High School Diploma · $96,660
Postmasters run post offices within the federal postal system, directing carriers, clerks, and daily operations under…
Pourers and Casters, Metal
High School Diploma · $51,810
Operate hand-controlled mechanisms to pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds to produce castings or…
Power Plant Operator
High School Diploma · $102,040
Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
Prep Cook
High School Diploma · $35,320
Prepares food items for cooking by washing, peeling, chopping, and cutting ingredients. Assists cooks and chefs in…
Preschool Teacher Assistant
High School Diploma · $36,780
Assists lead teachers in providing care and educational activities for young children in a preschool setting.…
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Material
No Formal Education Needed · $35,060
Pressers use steam presses and hand irons to remove wrinkles, set seams, and shape garments in factories, dry cleaners,…
Print Binding and Finishing Worker
High School Diploma · $42,290
Bind books and other publications or finish printed products by hand or machine. May set up binding and finishing…
Print Production Assistant
High School Diploma · $45,780
Assists in the production of printed materials by performing various tasks such as operating printing equipment,…
Printing Press Operator
High School Diploma · $45,780
Printing press operators set up machines, mix inks, and monitor output in production facilities. They check printed…
Private Investigator Solo Practice
High School Diploma · $51,220
Conducts independent investigations for clients, gathering evidence for legal, personal, or business matters.
Procurement Clerk
High School Diploma · $50,580
Procurement clerks build purchase orders by cross-referencing vendor quotes, checking budget codes, and confirming…
Production Assembler
High School Diploma · $44,650
Assembles components and sub-assemblies to produce finished goods, ensuring quality and efficiency in a manufacturing…
Production Assistant
High School Diploma · $59,570
Facilitates daily operations and logistics for film, television, or event productions, ensuring smooth execution of…
Production Helper
High School Diploma · $39,070
Assists in manufacturing and assembly processes, ensuring smooth operation and product quality. Supports skilled…
Production Line Worker
High School Diploma · $44,650
Assemble and inspect products on a manufacturing line, ensuring quality standards and production targets are met.…
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerk
High School Diploma · $59,650
Production, planning, and expediting clerks track job orders, monitor inventory, and push work between departments to…
Professional Dog Trainer
High School Diploma · $39,990
Teaches dogs obedience, specialized skills, and addresses behavioral issues.
Psychiatric Aide
High School Diploma · $44,910
Psychiatric aides help people with serious mental illness manage daily tasks like eating, dressing, and taking…
Public Health Inspector
Bachelor's Degree · $90,150
Enforces public health regulations and conducts inspections to ensure community safety and well-being.
Public Safety Telecommunicator
High School Diploma · $53,040
Public safety telecommunicators answer 9-1-1 calls, dispatch police, fire, and EMS, and relay updates between callers…
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumper
High School Diploma · $61,770
Pump operators tend power-driven pumps at refineries, treatment plants, and mining sites, monitoring gauges and…
Rail Car Repairer
High School Diploma · $67,530
Rail car repairers diagnose and fix faults in subway cars, freight wagons, and light-rail vehicles at maintenance…
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostler
High School Diploma · $60,600
Hostlers and dinkey operators shift locomotives and railcars through industrial yards, docks, and quarries on short…
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator
High School Diploma · $70,070
Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in…
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firer
High School Diploma · $68,840
Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators couple rolling stock, throw track switches, and relay traffic signals to…
Railroad Conductors and Yardmaster
High School Diploma · $78,000
Railroad conductors manage train crews on moving freight or passenger trains, coupling cars, checking cargo, and…
Reading Specialist
Bachelor's Degree · $65,120
Diagnoses and addresses reading difficulties, implementing strategies to improve literacy skills.
Receptionist
High School Diploma · $38,010
Greet and welcome visitors, manage incoming calls, and perform various administrative tasks to ensure smooth office…
Receptionists and Information Clerk
High School Diploma · $38,010
Receptionists greet visitors, answer phones, and route calls to the right departments. They also log mail and schedule…
Recreational Vehicle Service Technician
High School Diploma · $52,000
Recreational vehicle service technicians repair motorhomes, travel trailers, and conversion vans, diagnosing faults…
Recruiting Coordinator
Associate's Degree · $50,610
Support the recruiting team by scheduling interviews, coordinating candidate travel, managing ATS data entry, preparing…
Recycling and Reclamation Worker
High School Diploma · $40,240
Recycling and reclamation workers sort and break down materials at recovery facilities and scrapyards, operating…
Recycling Coordinator
High School Diploma · $62,890
Recycling coordinators manage collection routes, supervise crews, and track tonnage data for municipal governments and…
Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmason
High School Diploma · $61,290
Refractory materials repairers rebuild heat-resistant linings inside industrial furnaces, kilns, and ladles for steel…
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector
High School Diploma · $49,690
Refuse and recyclable material collectors haul bins and bags into compactor trucks along set routes, starting before…
Reiki Practitioner
Certificate or Vocational Training · $115,210
Provide energy healing sessions using the Reiki system of hands-on and distance healing, supporting clients' physical,…
Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Worker
No Formal Education Needed · $58,970
Rebar workers place and fasten steel reinforcement into concrete forms on bridges, high-rises, and highway projects.…
Removal and Moving Specialist
High School Diploma · $40,240
Pack, load, transport, and unpack household or commercial goods for customers moving home or office, providing a…
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerk
High School Diploma · $44,390
Reservation and transportation ticket agents book seats, cancel reservations, and process ticket changes for airlines,…
Retail Loss Prevention Specialist
High School Diploma · $42,540
Retail loss prevention specialists monitor surveillance footage, audit cash handling, and investigate theft by…
Retail Salesperson
High School Diploma · $35,410
Retail salespersons greet customers, answer product questions, and guide people toward purchases on the sales floor.…
Rock Splitters, Quarry
No Formal Education Needed · $48,740
Separate blocks of rough dimension stone from quarry mass using jackhammers, wedges, or chop saws.
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
High School Diploma · $50,140
Rolling machine setters run heavy cylinders that bend, flatten, or thin metal and plastic to precise tolerances on…
Roof Bolters, Mining
High School Diploma · $78,540
Roof bolters drill into underground mine tunnel ceilings and walls, then install steel or resin-anchored bolts to stop…
Roofer
High School Diploma · $55,440
Roofers install and replace weather barriers on homes and commercial buildings, working with shingles, metal panels,…
Rotary Drill Operator, Oil and Gas
No Formal Education Needed · $67,890
Rotary drill operators run drilling equipment that pulls oil and gas from underground formations, working onshore or on…
Roustabout, Oil and Gas
No Formal Education Needed · $46,960
Roustabouts bolt together pipe racks, grease valves, and fix broken equipment for oil and gas drilling crews across…
Saddler Leatherworker
High School Diploma · $46,570
Crafts and repairs leather goods, specializing in saddles, harnesses, and other equestrian equipment.