These are the best, and worst, states for high-paying entry-level jobs

Ashley Nash
·3 min read
The South Dakota State Capitol Building stands quiet early Saturday morning, Jan. 16, 1999, in Pierre, S.D. South Dakota was ranked as the best state for high-paying entry-level jobs in a new study. (AP Photo/Doug Dreyer)
The South Dakota State Capitol Building stands quiet early Saturday morning, Jan. 16, 1999, in Pierre, S.D. South Dakota was ranked as the best state for high-paying entry-level jobs in a new study. (AP Photo/Doug Dreyer) | Associated Press

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.

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  • 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:

  1. South Dakota: 76% of entry-level job listings offering pay above the state’s median wage.

  2. Montana: 75.2%.

  3. Idaho: 72.7%.

  4. Iowa: 70.5%.

  5. New Mexico: 69%.

  6. Indiana: 68.2%.

  7. Wyoming: 68.1%.

  8. Nebraska: 67.6%.

  9. Kentucky: 67.1%.

  10. West Virginia: 66.9%.

  11. Kansas: 66.8%.

  12. Arkansas: 66.6%.

  13. Arizona: 66%.

  14. Mississippi: 65.9%.

  15. Missouri: 64.9%

  16. 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%.