10 High-Paying Entry-Level Management Jobs + How to Get One

Entry-level management jobs: What to know in 2024

An entry-level management job is a leadership position for someone who has work experience in a particular field or industry, but has not yet worked as a manager. If you’re looking for your first management role, there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind during your job search: 

• Manager positions, even at the entry level, are available across industries, including technology, career services, real estate, construction, retail, health care, government, military, and higher education. 

• Some general duties and responsibilities of managers include training direct reports or other members of a team, enforcing an organization's policies, and motivating a team to achieve goals. 

• Becoming a manager, even at the entry level, may require a bachelor’s degree and/or several years of relevant work experience. According to Zippia, 49 percent of managers have bachelor’s degrees, while 18 percent have an associate degree, 17 percent have a high school diploma, and 7 percent have a master’s degree [1].  

In addition, pursuing management positions can offer you a number of career benefits, including earning higher pay, having more influence on how an organization operates, being able to mentor others and contribute to their professional growth, and developing leadership skills. 

Did you know?

Managers at every level of seniority earn an average salary of $137,750 in the US [2]. 

10 entry-level management jobs

In this section, you’ll explore 10 entry-level management jobs across industries with salaries above $65,470, the national average for all occupations. To anticipate what to expect in your job search, we’ve included the following information: 

• Average salary (base pay + additional pay such as cash bonuses, commission, tips, and profit sharing) for each of the 10 roles with less than 1 year of experience

• Typical duties and qualifications 

• Top-paying companies hiring for these roles 

*Details for each job title come from Glassdoor, Zippia, and Indeed. Jobs are listed in descending order in terms of salary. 

1. Business development manager

• What they make: $98,749

• What they do: develop business growth strategies, follow up with leads, research target markets, collaborate with marketing and sales teams to align on strategies 

• Qualifications they need: bachelor’s degree in business or related field, critical thinking and negotiation skills, business acumen, prior consulting experience 

• Top-paying companies hiring for this role: Meta, NetApp, NVIDIA, AWS, VMware

2. Sales manager

• What they make: $100,329

• What they do: lead sales teams to reach targets, set quotas, implement team procedures, provide sales forecasts 

• Qualifications they need: bachelor’s degree in business or related field, experience using CRM systems, prior experience in sales, communication skills

• Top-paying companies hiring for this role: NVIDIA, Meta, Cloudflare, Google, Adobe 

3. Supply chain manager

• What they make: $123,878

• What they do: train members of the supply chain team, cultivate relationships with vendors, improve supply chain system, create databases to organize inventory

• Qualifications they need: supply chain experience, understanding of supply chain processes, negotiating skills, experience using databases to manage supply chain information 

• Top-paying companies hiring for this role: Meta, Google, Apple, Cisco, Microsoft 

4. Safety manager

• What they make: $91,340

• What they do: prevent workplace accidents, implement workplace safety procedures, inspect company equipment for safety, investigate accidents and incidents 

• Qualifications they need: bachelor’s degree in safety management or related field, certification in risk or health/safety management, knowledge of health and safety laws, communication skills 

• Top-paying companies hiring for this role: Meta, Republic Services, Amec Foster Wheeler, Amazon, FieldCore 

5. Health-care manager

• What they make: $61,031

• What they do: create a medical environment where patients get superior care, collaborate with health-care providers, stay current with health-care laws and procedures, supervise employees 

• Qualifications they need: bachelor’s degree in health services, business, nursing, or related field; understanding of business and health care, administrative and communication skills 

• Top-paying companies hiring for this role: Huron Consulting Group, DaVita, WellMed Medical Management, US Air Force, US Navy

6. Project manager

• What they make: $99,451

• What they do: determine project scope and objectives, monitor project progress, develop schedule plans, provide stakeholders with project updates 

• Qualifications they need: bachelor’s degree in business or related field, project management certification, experience bringing projects to completion within budget and on time 

• Top-paying companies hiring for this role: Meta, Brocade, Tencent, Google, Wish 

7. Sports manager

• What they make: $80,560

• What they do: organize sports teams, schedule team practices and schedule, secure team funding and endorsements, collaborate with coaches, maintain team budget

• Qualifications they need: bachelor’s degree in sports management or related field; experience working with sports teams; knowledge of accounting; communication skills; marketing skills 

• Top-paying companies hiring for this role: Nike, Equinox, FOX Sports, Los Angeles Galaxy, The World Games

8. Account manager

• What they make: $73,413

• What they do: serve as a liaison between customers and a company, negotiate terms of a purchase agreement; monitor competitors and industry trends; assume responsibility for clients after the sales team closes a deal

• Qualifications they need: bachelor’s degree in business or related field; experience in customer service or onboarding; experience in sales 

• Top-paying companies hiring for this role: Brocade, NVIDIA, NetApp, VMware, Sun Microsystems 

9. Client relations manager

• What they make: $97,931

• What they do: build relationships with customers, resolve customer complaints, collect client feedback, brainstorm ways to retain more customers, 

• Qualifications they need: bachelor’s degree in business or related field, leadership and negotiation skills, consulting experience 

• Top paying companies hiring for this role: Logicsoft, Paycom, HIREtech, Revolution Prep, Berkadia

10. Recreation manager

• What they make: $57,633

• What they do: schedule and organize activities, oversee recreational staff, keep records of all events, create and enforce safety guidelines

• Qualifications they need: bachelor’s degree in business, recreation management, or related field; event planning experience; CPR certification; knowledge of safety procedures 

• Top-paying companies hiring for this role: RPG; Comcast; City of Casper, WY; City of Henderson, NV; City of Chesapeake 

How to get an entry-level management job

Follow the steps below to begin your management career path. 

Get a management education. 

While a degree may not be a requirement for every entry-level management position, it may offer you an advantage when applying for jobs. According to Zippia, the most common college majors for managers include business (31 percent), accounting (7 percent), psychology (6 percent), and criminal justice (5 percent), with the rest holding degrees in other disciplines [1]. 

Read more: What Is a Business Management Degree and What Can You Do With One?

Build management skills.

As you work toward a degree, you might consider taking courses and certifications to build additional skills in management and in your area of interest. It’s a good idea to review job descriptions for positions you’d like to fill to find out what entry-level management skills employers desire. That way, you can prioritize which skills you’ll need to build first.  

Gain relevant experience.  

Along with building skills, seek opportunities to gain relevant experience for your first management position. These can include: 

• Serving as a leader, even in a non-managerial role, by delivering presentations, teaching skills, or heading up projects

• Taking on freelance projects for which you design the process and determine the outcomes

• Filling an entry-level position in the industry or discipline in which you want to become a manager

Build job search materials. 

When you’re ready to apply for entry-level management jobs, take some time to build and refine your job search materials. These might include enhancing your resume and adding management skills to it, as well as updating your LinkedIn profile.  

Apply for entry-level management jobs. 

Once you have your job search materials ready, begin applying for jobs. There are several ways to discover jobs that may be aligned with your career goals: 

• Searching the internet for industry-specific jobs using keywords like: entry-level project manager jobs, entry-level health-care management jobs, entry-level product manager jobs, entry-level sports management jobs, or supply chain management entry-level jobs 

• Searching general job sites for roles you are interested in, such as “account manager” or “recreation manager”

• Searching job sites in your field or industry, such as the Project Management Institute’s job board or Supply Chain Careers 

Read more: 11 Interviewing Skills to Benefit Your Career

Start advancing your management skills today

Your path to an entry-level management job starts with basic management skills. Explore courses like Strategic Leadership and Management from the University of Illinois and Managing the Company of the Future from the University of London. You'll gain comprehensive skills that you'll apply in your dream career.