What Is a Good Entry Level Salary? A Guide for New Grads
Starting salaries can vary greatly based on location or line of work, so there’s no one answer to the question, “What is a good starting salary?” The size of the paycheck will differ based on where someone lives, the industry they work in, the hiring institution or company, and other hard-to-tabulate variables.
It can be worthwhile to figure out a good starting salary in your field before sitting down with a prospective employer or HR representative to discuss pay. Here are some helpful resources to get a handle on entry level salary rates across the U.S., along with tips for negotiating compensation.
Key Points
• Entry-level salaries vary widely by location, industry, and role.
• New hires can often negotiate for higher pay or benefits by highlighting their skills and preparing a confident pitch.
• Besides salary, consider negotiating for benefits like tuition reimbursement, flexible schedules, or professional development support.
• Living on a starting salary can be tough, especially with student loans. Budgeting and choosing lower-cost areas may help.
• Refinancing student loans may reduce monthly payments or interest rates but for federal loans, it means forfeiting federal protections and benefits.
Understanding Entry Level Salaries
Entry level salary information changes on a regular basis, but many job-focused websites offer insights into the going rates. For instance, ZipRecruiter, a well-known employment marketplace, lists the average U.S. starting salary by state. In spring 2025, entry-level wages in North Carolina are $12.39 per hour or $25,763 per year, while New York pays $17.51 per hour or $36,426 per year, on average.
Still, even state-by-state salary averages don’t show the whole picture. Although 34 U.S. states currently have minimum wage requirements higher than the federal minimum wage, which remains set at $7.25 per hour, the amount an early-career new hire might expect can also vary by county and city within the same state.
Along with location, the industry an individual works in can play a big role in what kind of starting salary a new hire might expect. For instance, a data scientist at a tech company might be able to earn as much as $165,000 right out of the gate, while a newly minted journalist might expect something closer to $61,000.
One way to grasp what sort of salary an employee might expect is to do targeted research on the specific industry, location, and position you’re interested in. If you’re in the early stages of college, you might want to align your course of study with a high-paying entry level job.
How to Research a Good Starting Salary for Your Career Path
If you’re interviewing for jobs and you want to know if you’re being offered the current market rates for a particular position (or location), there are some websites that can help, including:
• Payscale, for example, allows employees to create personalized salary reports based on their job title, years of experience, and city.
• Salary.com offers a similar feature, allowing job seekers to search for positions by keyword and compare them accordingly.
• Glassdoor publishes employee-generated information on salary by specific company and position. It also hosts reviews by current and former employees, which may help a job applicant learn more about what it’s actually like to work there.
Recommended: Average Pay in the U.S. Per Year
Negotiating a Higher Offer
If your dream job doesn’t come with a dreamy paycheck, there are ways to negotiate a higher offer.
Negotiating a salary can be scary, especially for a recent grad who’s never done it before. Nevertheless, discussing salary up front can have a significant effect on your paycheck — and, by extension, your long-term earnings.
When thinking about the salary negotiation, don’t forget about the benefits package. In addition to higher pay, you may want to factor such things as tuition reimbursement, a flexible schedule, or commuting expenses into your total compensation package.
Preparing to Negotiate
Before you sit down with the employer to negotiate, having a well-researched starting salary in mind is a good place to start.
Of course, it’s not likely that an early-career new hire can simply negotiate up to the salary of an employee in the same role with years of experience. But it’s still possible to make the case to hiring managers about why a higher starting rate is merited.
As you negotiate, be sure to:
Highlight Your Skills
When asking for a higher starting salary, it could be helpful to give concrete examples of how your current skills might benefit the company. In these conversations, it may be possible to push an offer up a few percentage points, especially when the skills required are in high demand.
Practice Your Pitch
Rehearsing what you’ll say ahead of time can help you hone a confident delivery style. What’s more, it can help you be prepared for questions that come your way regarding why you deserve higher pay.
Negotiate Other Benefits
On top of baseline salary, as mentioned, it’s also possible in some roles and industries to negotiate for other valuable forms of compensation — such as fitness stipends, work-from-home time, funding for continued education, and more.
Job candidates may also inquire about future career growth and promotion potential, which could lead to a bigger salary later down the road.
Navigating Post-College Life, Financially and Beyond
Navigating life after college can be exciting and challenging. Trying to make ends meet on a starting salary might be particularly tough, especially for those who need to pay back student loans. Approximately 42.7 million borrowers have federal student loan debt, with the average balance being $38,375.
A flexible and adaptable approach to finances and location could make the transition to post-college life more manageable. For instance, recent graduates who are in a position to choose a new place to live might opt to move to a city with a lower cost of living.
Learning how to make a budget can also help college grads manage their bills and living expenses.
Refinance Student Loan Debt
For borrowers struggling to pay student loans on a starting salary, additional options exist. Those with outstanding federal student loans may qualify for income-driven repayment plans, loan forgiveness for public service, or student loan deferment.
Another option is to refinance student loans with a private lender. This involves replacing your current loans with a new loan that ideally has a lower interest rate or better loan terms.
Refinancing student loan debt could potentially save a borrower money each month — or help them pay off student loans faster — depending in part on the student loan refinancing rates they get.
A student loan refinancing calculator can help you see how much you might save and whether refinancing makes sense for you.
It’simportant to note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal benefits, like income-driven repayment and loan forgiveness.
Recommended: Student Loan Consolidation vs. Refinancing
The Takeaway
Getting a good starting salary in your first job depends on your occupation and location and the company doing the hiring, among other factors. Entry level salaries can vary widely, but it is possible to negotiate. Do some research to find out what jobs in your field and area typically pay, and then make a pitch to the hiring manager about why you deserve higher compensation.
As you’re settling into your life after college and managing your finances on a starting salary, it can be helpful to make a budget. This can make it easier to cover your living expenses and the bills you owe, including student loan payments.
Looking to lower your monthly student loan payment? Refinancing may be one way to do it — by extending your loan term, getting a lower interest rate than what you currently have, or both. (Please note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal forgiveness and protections. Also, lengthening your loan term may mean paying more in interest over the life of the loan.) SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms that fit your budget.
FAQ
What is considered a good starting salary in 2025?
A good starting salary in 2025 depends on where you live, your occupation, and the company or institution doing the hiring, among other factors. The average starting salary in the U.S. for 2025 graduates is $68,680, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. To get a sense of what someone in your field might earn for an entry-level job, you can check out websites like Payscale and Salary.com.
What’s the average entry-level salary in the U.S.?
The average entry-level salary in the U.S. for college graduates in 2025 is $68,680, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
What are the highest paying entry-level business jobs?
In general, the highest paying entry-level business jobs are management consultant, which has an average entry-level salary of approximately $86,584; IT business analyst, with an average starting salary of about $62,390; and investment associate, with an average starting salary of around $53,056. Keep in mind that your salary also depends on where you live and the company that’s hiring, among other factors.
How can I increase my starting salary offer?
To increase your starting salary offer, be prepared to negotiate. First, research what the starting salary is for the position in your location. You can find this information on Payscale and Salary.com. Practice what you plan to say ahead of time so that you can speak confidently. Be sure to highlight the skills you would bring to the job and explain with concrete examples, how those skills could benefit the company.
Finally, in addition to salary, you can negotiate benefits such as vacation time, the ability to work from home, and even commuting expenses. Even if you don’t score an increase in your starting salary, you may be able to get some other valuable perks.
Is $50,000 a good starting salary out of college?
It depends on the field you’re in and your location, but $50,000 is below the average starting salary in the U.S. of $68,680 for college graduates in 2025. However, for those in certain fields, such as psychology, in which the average starting salary is $44,700, $50,000 would be a good entry level salary.
What factors affect a good starting salary?
Factors that affect a good starting salary include location, the industry you’re in, the degree you have, and the job you’re applying for. For example, in 2025, engineering graduates are expected to have the highest entry-level pay, with an average salary of more than $78,000. Plus, jobs in different locations pay different wages. The average general starting salary in New York state is more than $10,000 more than the average in North Carolina, for instance.
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