25 Best Jobs in the US and How Much They Pay in 2024
Looking for salary information for graduates? Here are 25 of the best jobs in the US in 2024 plus how much graduates might expect to earn when entering into these positions.
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What are the best jobs in the U.S.?
This question was recently answered by BusinessInsider, the largest online business news site. The following job titles are the top 25 of the 50 best jobs in the U.S in 2024. The criteria for these rankings included job satisfaction, number of job openings and median base salary.
1. Data Scientist
2. Development Operations Engineer
3. Marketing Manager
4. Occupational Therapist
5. HR Manager
6. Electrical Engineer
7. Strategy Manager
8. Mobile Developer
9. Product Manager (Software)
10. Manufacturing Engineer
11. Compliance Manager
12. Finance Manager
13. Risk Manager
14. Business Development Manager
15. Front End Developer
16. Site Reliability Engineer
17. Mechanical Engineer
18. Analytics Manager
19. Tax Manager
20. Creative Manager (Advertising)
21. Software Engineer
22. Hardware Engineer
23. Corporate Recruiter
24. Quality Assurance Manager
25. Physician Assistant
As you can see, many of these best jobs are within the computer science and IT industries, so those studying these subjects at university are well-prepared to pursue some very rewarding careers, such as data scientist, development operations engineer, and mobile developer.
Studying technical degrees in engineering also tend to lead to higher paying careers, such as electrical engineer (#6), manufacturing engineer, and mechanical engineer.
Though their entry-level salaries tend to be lower than those of more technical careers, graduates of business-related programs are still set to receive fair starting salaries in roles such as marketing manager, HR manager and finance manager.
What are the best entry-level salaries for graduates?
The United States is consistently ranked as one of the best places in the world to study abroad due to its high-quality education and strong job market. Studying at an American institute, despite the availability of scholarships, is a significant investment, and the return can be difficult to quantify.
Expanding on this list of top jobs in the U.S., we've looked specifically at what recent graduates stepping in to an entry-level position can expect to make, as well as what they might be making five-to-ten years down the line once they've picked up some significant industry experience.
In terms of highest graduate salaries, looking at the infographic below shows us a number of top jobs that offer some fairly competitive paychecks at the entry-level (defined as someone with 0-5 years of experience on the job). Finance manager, tax manager, risk manager and physician assistant roles all offer an average annual starting salary of over $80,000.
Take a look at the table below to learn more about how much these top jobs pay graduates vs. more experienced professionals:
| Job | Entry Level (0-5 years) | Experienced (10+ years) |
| Finance Manager | $97,000 | $120,000 |
| Software Engineer | $90,000 | $163,000 |
| Physician Assistant | $86,000 | $114,000 |
| Risk Manager | $85,000 | $114,000 |
| Business Development Manager | $82,000 | $130,000 |
| Tax Manager | $82,000 | $101,000 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $80,000 | $124,000 |
| Site Reliability Engineer | $77,000 | $118,000 |
| Hardware Engineer | $76,000 | $122,000 |
| Front End Developer | $74,000 | $113,000 |
| Analytics Manager | $70,000 | $98,000 |
| Data Scientist | $69,000 | $116,000 |
| Product Manager (Software) | $69,000 | $98,000 |
| Electrical Engineer | $68,000 | $99,000 |
| Creative Manager (Advertising) | $64,000 | $94,000 |
| Development Operations Manager | $57,000 | $92,000 |
| Occupational Therapist | $56,000 | $84,000 |
| Manufacturing Engineer | $53,000 | $71,000 |
| Quality Assurance Manager | $52,000 | $81,000 |
| Compliance Manager | $48,000 | $79,000 |
| Strategy Manager | $47,000 | $129,000 |
| Corporate Recruiter | $45,000 | $61,000 |
| HR Manager | $45,000 | $69,000 |
| Marketing Manager | $44,000 | $107,000 |
| Mobile Developer | $43,000 | $73,000 |
Keystone Team
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The Keystone Team is comprised of experienced educators and advisors dedicated to providing valuable resources and advice to students all over the world.
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