The journey from your first job to a seasoned professional can mean a significant increase in earnings, but that growth varies widely depending on the career.
This article presents median annual salaries for 50 popular careers across the United States, comparing typical entry-level pay to senior-level pay. Additionally, it calculates the percentage increase between these two stages, helping you identify which careers offer the steepest salary growth and which have more modest increases.
How We Calculated the Data
The salary figures were compiled from a combination of reputable sources including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Glassdoor, Payscale, and industry salary reports from 2024–2025. We used median salary values to represent a typical income, avoiding extremes that can skew averages.
For each career, we identified the entry-level median salary—usually representing professionals with 0–2 years of experience—and the senior-level median salary—generally professionals with 7+ years or in leadership/advanced roles. The percentage increase was calculated using this formula:
Percentage Increase (%) = ((Senior Pay – Entry Pay) / Entry Pay) × 100
This gives a clear picture of how much you can expect your salary to grow as you advance in your career.
What This Means for Your Career Planning
Some careers, especially in technology and finance, offer dramatic salary increases as you gain experience and move into senior roles. For example, Investment Bankers and Machine Learning Engineers see increases of over 90%, reflecting high demand and the value of specialized skills.
Other fields, such as teaching or certain administrative roles, show more modest increases. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re less rewarding—factors like job stability, passion, work-life balance, and benefits also play a role—but it’s important to have realistic expectations about salary growth.
Commission-heavy roles like sales or real estate can have very variable senior earnings, often dependent on individual performance, networking, and market conditions. For these, the senior pay listed is a typical median but top earners can far exceed these values.
Entry-Level vs Senior Salary Table
Below is an interactive table comparing entry-level and senior salaries for 50 careers, sorted by the largest percentage increase.
- Tech and Finance Careers: Typically have higher entry salaries and steep increases due to skill scarcity and business impact.
- Healthcare: Often require long training but senior pay is very competitive.
- Sales & Commission Roles: Large variability; top performers earn significantly more than median senior pay.
- Public Sector & Education: Modest increases, but more stability and benefits.
Choosing a career with strong salary growth is one factor; others like job satisfaction, flexibility, and personal interest are equally important for long-term success.
