Maps
Mapped: Which is the Best U.S. City for Entry-Level Jobs by Pay?
Click to view this graphic in a higher-resolution.
Which is the Best U.S. City for Well-Paid Entry-Level Jobs?
The anxieties around a first-job are immense: fear of the unknown, performance pressure, and the need to navigate new professional environments.
But good pay can help manage these worries. Lots and more has been written on which careers are the highest-paid, but how does geography factor into the equation?
To find the best U.S. city and state for well-paid entry-level jobs, NeoMam Studios visualizes data from Resume.io showing the percentage of local entry-level job listings that offer a salary above (and below) a city or state’s median hourly wages.
Ranked: 50 U.S. Cities By Entry-Level Job Pay
This dataset covers each U.S. state, as well as Washington, D.C. and 50 major cities. Median wage data is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the number of entry-level jobs and their pay rates from Indeed.com.
Bozeman, Montana (nicknamed “Boz Angeles” for its constant stream of celebrity visitors) and Iowa City both have nearly 88% of their entry-level jobs promising above their state’s median pay.
For an apples-to-apples comparison however, Iowa City’s median wage comes in slightly higher at $22.52/hour compared to Bozeman’s $20.71/hour.
Note: Toggle the embedded table between U.S. cities and states ranked by best entry-level jobs.
Another Midwestern urban center, Kansas City, ranked fourth, promises a high likelihood of above-media pay for first-job hunters (83.1%).
Generally, the more populous the city, the more jobs, and the higher the likelihood of beating median pay. However larger cities that are not the state capital also seem to do well on this metric: Fort Smith, Arkansas (ranked 5th), Lexington, Kentucky (6th), New Haven, Connecticut (7th), and Oakland, California (8th).
Ranked: U.S. States By Entry-Level Job Pay
Click to view this graphic in a higher-resolution.
In South Dakota, and Montana, ranked first and second in the state by best entry-level pay ranks, more than three-quarters of junior role listings offer pay above the state’s median wage.
This works out more than $19.17/hour ($39,900/year) for South Dakota and $20.29/hour ($42,200/year) for Montana for their entry-level jobs.
In fact the first nine states on the ranks, where nearly 70% of the entry-level job listings offer above-state-median pay, are from the Midwest or West.
Kentucky, ranked 10th, has 67% of their starter job openings stating above median pay ($40,200/year), the highest from the American South.
Predictably, states with higher median pay (California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Washington, New York) have lower numbers of entry-level job openings which promise pay above that level.
However, exceptions occur. For example, Wyoming’s median pay comes in around the same as Maine ($21.80/hour) but 68% of its entry-level job listings offer median-beating pay, compared to Maine’s 57%.
Hawaii is the worst state for a decent starting salary, with two-thirds of the analyzed listings offering below the median pay of $48,600/year. Most of the state’s jobs are concentrated in the tourism industry, part of the service sector, known for long hours, seasonal work, and low pay.
This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Demographics
Map: The World’s Oldest and Youngest Countries, by Median Age
The median age is a single indicator of the age distribution of a population, useful for policy planning for the world’s oldest and youngest countries.
Mapped: The World’s Oldest and Youngest Countries
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
We visualize the world’s oldest and youngest countries by median age, based on 2024 estimates from the CIA World Factbook.
It can help government and private companies plan for age-specific demand for goods and services from the resident population.
Ranked: Countries by Median Age in 2024
Monaco and Japan—two countries with high life expectancies and low birth rates—have some of the highest median ages (50+) in the world.
A high median age is indicative of an aging population. Without policy support, this can lead to economic ramifications.
Here are the median ages of 200+ countries and territories in the world.
Rank | Country/Territory | Median Age |
---|---|---|
1 | 🇲🇨 Monaco | 57 |
2 | 🇵🇲 Saint Pierre & Miquelon | 51 |
3 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 50 |
4 | 🇦🇩 Andorra | 49 |
5 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 48 |
6 | 🇧🇱 Saint Barthelemy | 47 |
7 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 47 |
8 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 47 |
9 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 47 |
10 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 47 |
11 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 46 |
12 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 46 |
13 | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 46 |
14 | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 46 |
15 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 46 |
16 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 46 |
17 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 46 |
18 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 45 |
19 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 45 |
20 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 45 |
21 | 🇸🇭 Saint Helena | 45 |
22 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 45 |
23 | 🇬🇬 Guernsey | 45 |
24 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 45 |
25 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 45 |
26 | 🇮🇲 Isle of Man | 45 |
27 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 45 |
28 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 45 |
29 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 45 |
30 | 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 44 |
31 | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 44 |
32 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 44 |
33 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 44 |
34 | 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 44 |
35 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 44 |
36 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 43 |
37 | 🇻🇮 Virgin Islands | 43 |
38 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 43 |
39 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 43 |
40 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 43 |
41 | 🇫🇷 France | 43 |
42 | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 43 |
43 | 🇲🇴 Macau | 43 |
44 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 42 |
45 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 42 |
46 | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 42 |
47 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 42 |
48 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 42 |
49 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 42 |
50 | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 41 |
51 | 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | 41 |
52 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 41 |
53 | 🇨🇰 Cook Islands | 41 |
54 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 41 |
55 | 🇸🇽 Sint Maarten | 41 |
56 | 🇦🇼 Aruba | 41 |
57 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 41 |
58 | 🇬🇧 UK | 41 |
59 | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 41 |
60 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 40 |
61 | 🇨🇳 China | 40 |
62 | 🇨🇨 Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 40 |
63 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 40 |
64 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 40 |
65 | 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia | 40 |
66 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 40 |
67 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 40 |
68 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 39 |
69 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 39 |
70 | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 39 |
71 | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 39 |
72 | 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts & Nevis | 39 |
73 | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 39 |
74 | 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands | 39 |
75 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 38 |
76 | 🇯🇪 Jersey | 38 |
77 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 38 |
78 | 🇨🇽 Christmas Island | 38 |
79 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 38 |
80 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 38 |
81 | 🇨🇼 Curacao | 38 |
82 | 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent & the Grenadines | 38 |
83 | 🇦🇮 Anguilla | 37 |
84 | 🇩🇲 Dominica | 37 |
85 | 🇨🇱 Chile | 37 |
86 | 🇫🇴 Faroe Islands | 37 |
87 | 🇲🇸 Montserrat | 37 |
88 | 🇬🇮 Gibraltar | 37 |
89 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 37 |
90 | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 36 |
91 | 🇦🇱 Albania | 36 |
92 | 🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna | 36 |
93 | 🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands | 36 |
94 | 🇰🇵 North Korea | 36 |
95 | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 36 |
96 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 36 |
97 | 🇬🇩 Grenada | 35 |
98 | 🇵🇫 French Polynesia | 35 |
99 | 🇵🇼 Palau | 35 |
100 | 🇬🇱 Greenland | 35 |
101 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 35 |
102 | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 34 |
103 | 🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 34 |
104 | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 34 |
105 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 34 |
106 | 🇲🇫 Saint Martin | 34 |
107 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 34 |
108 | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 34 |
109 | 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | 34 |
110 | 🇮🇷 Iran | 34 |
111 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 33 |
112 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 33 |
113 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 33 |
114 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 33 |
115 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 32 |
116 | 🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands | 32 |
117 | 🇧🇳 Brunei | 32 |
118 | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 32 |
119 | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | 32 |
120 | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 32 |
121 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 32 |
122 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 32 |
123 | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 32 |
124 | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 32 |
125 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 32 |
126 | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 32 |
127 | 🇵🇦 Panama | 32 |
128 | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 31 |
129 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 31 |
130 | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 31 |
131 | 🇲🇲 Burma | 31 |
132 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 31 |
133 | 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 31 |
134 | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 31 |
135 | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 31 |
136 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 30 |
137 | 🇬🇺 Guam | 30 |
138 | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 30 |
139 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 30 |
140 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 30 |
141 | 🇦🇸 American Samoa | 30 |
142 | 🇮🇳 India | 30 |
143 | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 30 |
144 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 30 |
145 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 29 |
146 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 29 |
147 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 29 |
148 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 29 |
149 | 🇨🇻 Cabo Verde | 29 |
150 | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 28 |
151 | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 28 |
152 | 🇫🇲 Micronesia, Federated States of | 28 |
153 | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 28 |
154 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 28 |
155 | 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | 28 |
156 | 🇳🇷 Nauru | 28 |
157 | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 28 |
158 | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 27 |
159 | 🇴🇲 Oman | 27 |
160 | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 27 |
161 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 27 |
162 | 🇧🇿 Belize | 27 |
163 | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 27 |
164 | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 26 |
165 | 🇱🇾 Libya | 26 |
166 | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 26 |
167 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 26 |
168 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 26 |
169 | 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 26 |
170 | 🇱🇦 Laos | 25 |
171 | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 25 |
172 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 25 |
173 | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 25 |
174 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 25 |
175 | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 25 |
176 | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 25 |
177 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 24 |
178 | 🇸🇾 Syria | 24 |
179 | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 24 |
180 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 23 |
181 | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 23 |
182 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 23 |
183 | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 23 |
184 | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 22 |
185 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 22 |
186 | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 22 |
187 | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 22 |
188 | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 22 |
189 | 🇵🇸 West Bank | 22 |
190 | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 22 |
191 | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 21 |
192 | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 21 |
193 | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 21 |
194 | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 21 |
195 | 🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire | 21 |
196 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 21 |
197 | 🇸🇹 Sao Tome & Principe | 21 |
198 | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 21 |
199 | 🇹🇬 Togo | 21 |
200 | 🇨🇬 Congo | 21 |
201 | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 21 |
202 | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 20 |
203 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 20 |
204 | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 20 |
205 | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 20 |
206 | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 20 |
207 | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 20 |
208 | 🇵🇸 Gaza | 20 |
209 | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 19 |
210 | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 19 |
211 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 19 |
212 | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 19 |
213 | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 19 |
214 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 19 |
215 | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 19 |
216 | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 19 |
217 | 🇸🇸 South Sudan | 19 |
218 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 19 |
219 | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 18 |
220 | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 18 |
221 | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 18 |
222 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 17 |
223 | 🇧🇯 Benin | 17 |
224 | 🇨🇩 DRC | 17 |
225 | 🇹🇩 Chad | 17 |
226 | 🇲🇱 Mali | 16 |
227 | 🇦🇴 Angola | 16 |
228 | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 16 |
229 | 🇳🇪 Niger | 15 |
Note: Figures rounded.
Meanwhile, the presence of six European nations on the oldest countries list is a quick insight into the continent’s changing demographic. The UN estimates that one in four Europeans are currently aged 60 and over.
Conversely, many countries in Africa have low life expectancies and high birth rates. This results in the opposite phenomenon: lower median ages.
A low median age also has its own concerns. A higher proportion of children and adolescents can strain the education infrastructure. Without enough job growth, underemployment and unemployment can rise.
However, if managed well, low median ages can lead to a demographic dividend, where the workforce temporarily grows faster than the dependent population, increasing per capita income.
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