Jobs That Pay 50k a year with no experience

“Entry-level” often evokes images of overworked and underpaid employees “paying their dues” to gain experience — so they can eventually advance their careers and land high-paying jobs. Entry-level jobs might even seem like the opposite of tech jobs, which most people think require a Bachelor’s degree in computer science because they pay so well. It’s true that tech jobs are high-paying and that tech is a field with huge potential for growth, but that doesn’t mean you need tons of education or work history to get your foot in the door.

Are entry-level tech jobs good jobs?

For someone fresh out of school with their new college degree, entry-level jobs can be a big step up from internships, but for someone who wants to switch careers, an entry-level job can feel like a huge step backward. In tech, that’s not necessarily true. Even an entry-level tech job can be a huge step up in terms of salary, benefits, work-life balance, and more.

Entry-level tech jobs — even the ones that don’t require experience — tend to pay well from the start, too. And, while entry-level tech jobs often require learning some coding skills (which is why Skillcrush exists!), they’re also a great place to gain the tech experience you’ll need for a successful tech career.

Another bonus about entry-level tech jobs? They aren’t reserved for coders and designers. There are plenty of roles that allow you to get started in tech before you’ve even learned to code or design.

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So how do I get a high-paying job in tech with no experience?

Here are 11 of our favorite entry-level tech jobs for people new to the industry, fresh graduates from our Break Into Tech course, or even people with no tech experience whatsoever:

What are the easiest (and highest paying) tech jobs to get with no experience?

Job Title

Median Salary

Digital Marketing Manager/Digital Marketing Coordinator

$69,493

Digital Strategist

$59,334

Content Marketing Manager

$82,059

Web Developer

$50,157

Data Analyst

$64,438

Digital Analyst

$54,541

Digital Project Manager/Web Project Manager

$82,110

Junior Web Designer

$52,535

Social Media Manager/Social Media Coordinator

$56,514

Web Editor

$58,556

CMS Manager

$82,059

First, What Skills Do You Need to Land an Entry-Level Job in Tech?

When you’re looking at the job requirements for an entry-level position, you might see a lot of listings that “require” three to five years of experience in addition to an Associate’s degree, a Bachelor’s degree, or even a Master’s degree. And you’re probably thinking to yourself, “How is this an entry-level position if they want me to have years of experience?!”

Here’s a piece of career advice: job “requirements” and “qualifications” are really just a wish list for the perfect candidate. They’re not the bare minimum of qualifications the person hired will actually have.

So when you see “must have 3-5 years experience” — or a laundry list of programming languages you should be an expert at for an entry-level software developer job — think less about whether you have those skills or experience right now and more about whether you feel capable of performing the job as a whole.

After all, you can always get on-the-job training. Still, you’ll want to make sure you emphasize the skills you do have, and how those skills make you the best candidate.

Another great piece of career advice? Start learning the skills you know your dream job or company requires. There’s a lot to be said for the candidate who walks into a job interview and says, “I have a basic understanding of how to code, but I’m also currently enrolled in a course on HTML and CSS to expand those skills.” (And if you’re not? Try signing up for our free coding camp, or take a look at our Break Into Tech course if you’re eager to become a software developer as soon as possible.

11 High-Paying Tech Jobs to Consider if You Have No Experience

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), computer systems and information technology jobs, which include cybersecurity and information systems roles, have a high potential for job growth (they’re also one of the highest paying fields on average for full-time roles). According to BLS data, web developer and digital design jobs only require an Associate’s degree, but have a median salary of $77,200.

Feeling inspired? Here are some entry-level tech jobs that are a great way to get started on a new career path. None of them require a ton of experience, but most of them pay an average salary of at least $50,000 (and some companies might pay a lot more than that).

Added bonus: many of them don’t require the traditional “tech” knowledge you’d probably expect, even though they’re tech industry jobs. All digital skills are job skills, so we’ve included roles that are geared toward marketing, editorial, and web development alike (plus some other wild cards).

Digital Marketing Manager

Digital marketing managers are in charge of digital and social media marketing for a company or brand. They focus mostly on increasing sales, brand awareness, and customer loyalty. They often manage all of the company’s customer-facing online presence, including websites, social media profiles, advertising, and other communications.

Digital marketing managers are also on the front lines of discovering new avenues for digital promotion. When new sites, platforms, and technologies are released, it’s their job to assess whether they might be a good marketing solution for the brand.

Ideal skills (to have or to learn):

The tech skills you’ll need for a digital marketing manager position include some familiarity with search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing (SEM), experience with conversion tests and experiments, and proficiency with marketing database apps, email, social media, and online advertising.

Median Salary: $69,493*

*Salary data for this article was gathered via Glassdoor and based on submitted salaries with 0-1 years of experience when available and 1-3 years of experience when there was insufficient data for roles with 0-1 years of experience.

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Digital Strategist

Digital strategists collaborate with other team members on the long-term goals and strategy of a brand. This also includes recommendations for the specific methods used to implement that strategy. It’s a great position for someone who’s innovative and enjoys collaborating with others. They often work very closely with the marketing team, as well as sales and product teams.

Ideal skills (to have or to learn):

If you want to become a digital strategist, you’ll need a few tech and digital skills, mostly along the lines of online advertising, creating HTML emails and email marketing, metrics and analytics programs, and social networking.

Median salary: $59,334

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Content Marketing Manager

Content marketing managers handle the marketing-focused content of a brand, including writing blog posts, newsletters, white papers, and sometimes social media posts that align with the company’s strategy. They also promote that content, often in collaboration with others on the marketing team.

Ideal skills (to have or to learn):

Being able to consistently come up with new and innovative ideas for content and how to promote it is a vital skill that content marketing managers need to possess. It’s also handy if you have some basic HTML and CSS skills (for creating email campaigns as well as formatting blog posts and articles), as well as WordPress skills, since there’s a good chance that’s what you’ll be publishing content with (WordPress is by far the most popular content management system (CMS) out there).

Median salary: $82,059

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(Junior) Web Developer

Web developers create the code that powers websites and web apps. They work with programming languages including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, PHP, and Python. They also maintain and scale sites as they grow and evolve over time. Some developers work alongside designers, while others take on both roles. If you’re brand new to tech and really after an entry-level web developer job with little to no experience, you’ll probably want to look for job titles like “Junior Web Developer” or “Jr Web Engineer.”

Ideal skills (to have or to learn):

Being able to interpret designs and implement them according to the designer’s specifications is a vital skill that developers need to have, regardless of what type of coding language they’re working in. Developers often have tight deadlines to meet, so enjoying a fast-paced environment is a must. Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Landing a Junior Developer’s Job.

Median salary: $50,157

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Data Analyst

Data analysts collect data and information to find insight on specific topics. Data is often collected through surveys, metrics, and other methods, and then analysts compile the data, interpret it, and present it in more user-friendly formats (like charts or infographics). It’s also their job to identify where improvements might be made to processes based on hard data, and to identify trends in data they collect.

Ideal skills (to have or to learn):

Data analysts usually need to be proficient with databases, programming languages like JavaScript or XML, and data mining and segmentation processes. Design skills are also handy, since presenting your findings in an easy-to-understand way is vital.

Median Salary: $64,438

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Digital Analyst

Digital analysts collect, analyze, and interpret digital marketing data. They create and identify key performance metrics, and quantify how effective different approaches are. They also often engage in A/B testing, customer feedback and research, and other marketing data collection. Good digital analysts have a mix of business and marketing skills, technical skills, and analytical skills.

Ideal skills (to have or to learn):

Digital analysts need to have a thorough knowledge of metrics apps like Google Analytics, as well as tools for A/B testing and customer research. Basic HTML and CSS skills are also handy, since it makes testing much more streamlined (since minor changes don’t have to be done through a designer or developer). But since you can learn HTML and CSS through our free coding camp, this is an ideal entry-level tech job for beginners.

Median salary: $54,541

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Digital Project Manager / Web Project Manager

Project managers are the Type A organizers who keep web development or other tech-related teams on track. That might mean interfacing with clients if you wind up working at a digital agency or web design firm, but also includes day-to-day coordinating between web designers, web developers, and other stakeholders. PMs tend to run a lot of meetings and write a lot of recap emails, so great presentation and communication skills aren’t just a plus, they’re a must.

Ideal skills (to have or to learn):

When you’re further down the project management career path, there are formal courses on project management (and resulting certifications), but if you’re new to tech, a junior project manager role heavily relies on interpersonal skills and organizational abilities.

That said, since you’ll be working on a tech team, a working knowledge of HTML and CSS as well as other web design and graphic design platforms is a great advantage (so you know how to communicate with your tech colleagues!). If your firm builds sites on WordPress or another CMS, they may want you to be able to step in and help clients with smaller projects — like page formatting or content uploads. Lastly, it’s great to have a working knowledge of various project management platforms like Basecamp, Jira, Slack, etc.

Median Salary: $82,110

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(Junior) Web Designer

Like junior web developers, junior web designers typically work as assistants or apprentices to more experienced designers on a team. That might mean helping with the formatting of weekly newsletters, generating assets for various presentations or projects, or even designing smaller sites. Web designers work with HTML and CSS as well as programs like Photoshop (for creating wireframes, mockups, and site assets).

Ideal skills (to have or to learn):

You’re going to need some working knowledge of design fundamentals, creating mockups (likely via the Adobe Creative Suite — so if you have print design experience, you’re ahead of the game), and how HTML and CSS works. Bonus points if you’re well versed in responsive design, which is the industry standard these days.

Median salary: $52,535

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Social Media Manager / Social Media Coordinator

Thanks to the rise of content marketing, social media management does, in fact, qualify as a “tech job.” Social media roles are a great starting point for anyone interested in a career in digital marketing in general. To excel as a social media manager, you’ll need to feel comfortable pulling data and reports, organizing social calendars, and tracking patterns to devise strategies for growth. Many of these roles also benefit from a working knowledge of design and writing skills — you’ve got to know how to write quippy captions!

Ideal skills (to have or to learn):

Attention to detail, passion for social media trends, copywriting abilities, basic knowledge of analytics tools and data interpretation, and some experience with social media scheduling tools (MeetEdgar, HubSpot, Later, etc.).

Median salary: $56,514

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Web Editor

If you’re passionate about writing and editing, plus have some tech skills, a web editor role might be perfect for you. Think of this as one of the best entry-level tech jobs for non-techies. Many sites publish content daily, whether that’s in the form of blog content or new product pages. A web editor is responsible for uploading, formatting, and optimizing that content for visitors. Sometimes, the web editor is also part of the editorial team, helping to revise articles to make sure they’re better formatted for digital readers.

Ideal skills (to have or to learn):

You’ll need a strong knowledge of content management systems (WordPress is king, but these days, many sites are run on Squarespace as well) and ideally some copywriting skills. Many sites are increasingly interested in optimizing for search, so some SEO experience is a plus.

Median salary: $58,556

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Web Content Manager / CMS Manager

Actually, this role closely parallels a web editor role. The main distinction (if any) is that while a web editor may actually play a role in editing content, most web content managers (sometimes called CMS managers) are responsible for the process of formatting and optimizing that content for the web.

Often, these roles exist at larger e-commerce or media sites where there’s a lot of content to upload, publish, and refresh. This is a great role for someone who’s thorough and likes getting things organized. It’s also a great role if you’d like to move into a digital editor or copywriter role someday, but you know your writing skills need work.

Ideal skills (to have or to learn):

Strong knowledge of how content management systems work, especially WordPress. Experience with Excel and/or other spreadsheet programs, attention to detail, and some SEO knowledge would be a plus.

Median salary: $82,059

We all have to start somewhere when embarking on a new career, but thankfully the starting point in tech is usually pretty great! There’s no need to take giant steps backward in terms of income just because you want to take a new path.

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Adda Birnir

Adda Birnir is the founder and CEO of Skillcrush. She was named one of 20 Women to Watch in technology by the Columbia Journalism Review, has been featured by Fast Company and the BBC, and serves as a member of the New York City Workforce Development Board. Adda is a graduate of Yale and lives in Queens with her husband and two sons.

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