No experience? No problem!

Tech jobs are some of the most desired right now. In the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, they report that tech jobs are projected to grow much faster than the average of all occupations, and because of the demand, the jobs are well-paid. In 2022, the median annual salary for tech jobs ($100,530) was more than twice that of the median annual wage for all occupations ($46.310). So if you’re making a career change, looking for an entry level position in tech makes a lot of sense!

However, as you search for a job, you might notice a trend — companies keep asking for years of experience. If you’re new to the industry or a fresh graduate from our Break Into Tech course, you might have none, which is perfectly normal. But now, what you’re left with are doubts and questions:

• What is the easiest job in tech to get?
• How do I get experience if I can’t get a tech job?
• How do I start a tech job with no experience?

There is a way — a secret formula if you will. Knowing which jobs don’t require experience plus building your technical and non-technical skills plus using hiring techniques equals increasing your likelihood of getting an entry-level tech job even if you have no prior experience in that exact role.

And why wouldn’t you want to double your salary and shoot for the jobs with the highest pay? The median salary for entry-level jobs in the US is only $42,725, while some entry-level tech jobs have median salaries that are twice as much!

So, let’s turn your doubts into confidence and give you the tools to get hired. Keep reading to uncover 15 of the highest-paying entry-level tech jobs, the skills you need to get them, and tips on getting hired with no experience and no bachelor’s degree.

And make sure you stick around for my #1 pick. Its median salary is over $85K!

 

Short on time? Find out the TOP 5 entry level tech jobs!👇

15 High-Paying Entry-Level Tech Jobs To Consider If You Have No Experience

For someone fresh out of college, 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. 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 — in computer science, information technology (IT), marketing, and research — that allow you to get started in tech before you’ve even learned to code or design.

So if you want to know the easiest and highest-paying tech job to get with no experience, you’re in the right place. Using salary data sourced from Glassdoor and annual job projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, here are 15 of our favorites in increasing order.

Job Title	Median Salary	Salary Range	Job Openings
Brand Designer	$64,481	$50K – $74K	22,800
Digital Strategist	$66,252	$50K – $76K	34,000
Motion Designer	$67,037	$48K – $85K	22,800
Web Developer	$67,416	$50K – $81K	19,000
Data Analyst	$67,815	$52K – $78K	17,700
Visual Designer	$68,636	$52K – $81K	22,800
Digital Marketing Manager	$70,082	$51K – $84K	34,000
Design Researcher	$70,670	$54K – $82K	34,000
UX Writer	$70,675	$45K – $80K	21,800
Digital Project Manager	$71,228	$55K – $82K	68,100
UX Designer	$71,784	$53K – $87K	19,000
UI Designer	$73,533	$52K – $74K	19,000
Content Marketing Manager	$73,860	$57K – $84K	34,000
Quality Assurance Engineer	$81,148	$60K – $89K	153,900
Software Developer	$85,079	$62K – $104K	153,900

 

15. Brand Designer

Median Salary: $64,481

Pay Range: $50K – $74K

Annual projection for job openings: 22,800

A brand designer works with companies and organizations to develop their brand identity through imagery, language, and color. In this entry-level tech job, you’d be responsible for communicating a client’s values, products, and messages while arousing certain feelings in the customer — hunger, confidence, happiness, and peace. Take a look at Nike and their branding. Everyone knows their iconic swoosh checkmark and slogan “Just Do It.” Considering that Nike is an activewear brand, their brand identity can easily motivate customers to “just do it,” whether that’s staying active or adding another sneaker or workout set to their collection.

Required skills:

• Graphic design software: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) and InDesign
• Prototyping and animation tools: Adobe XD, Figma, InVision Studio
• Branding
• Market research

Who you’ll work for:

• Advertising agencies
• Branding consultancies
• Large corporations

 

14. Digital Strategist

Median Salary: $66,252

Pay Range: $50K – $76K

Annual projection for job openings: 34,000 (estimate for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers)

A digital strategist works at the intersection of digital content and digital marketing. As the name would suggest, their job involves developing, evaluating, and improving a company’s digital strategy. This helps companies grow their business and improve customer experience. To do this, they’ll need to work closely with clients and sales or marketing teams, research the latest trends, and analyze user experience. Ideally, the perfect fit for a digital strategist role is creative, digital savvy, and overflowing with interpersonal skills like communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Required Skills:

• Advertising
• Analytics tools and programs: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics
• Marketing: Email and social media
• Search engine optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
  
  

Who you’ll work for:

• Advertising agencies
• Retail companies
• Tech companies

 

13. Motion Designer

Median Salary: $67,037

Pay Range: $48K – $85K

Annual projection for job openings: 22,800

A motion designer uses audio and visual elements to create animations and digital effects for websites, apps, and videos. They work in collaboration with creative teams and with software programs to design graphics that incorporate elements like typography, movement, color, and texture. Ultimately, a motion designer takes a fixed idea or design and brings it to life.

Required Skills:

• Understanding of design principles: Color theory, proportion, contrast, etc.
• Graphic design software: Adobe Creative Cloud, After Effects, Cinema 4D, InDesign
• Prototyping tools: Principle, Framer X
• 3D animation

Who you’ll work for:

• Film and animation studios
• Advertising agencies
• Digital marketing agencies

 

12. Web Developer

Median Salary: $67,416

Pay Range: $50K – $81K

Annual projection for job openings: 19,000 (estimate for web developers and digital designers)

A web developer uses coding languages to build websites and web applications. When we think about the tech industry, this is usually the first job that comes to mind. Web developers fall into one of three categories: front-end developers, back-end developers, or full-stack developers — who do both front-end and back-end development.

Using languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, these programmers create websites that focus on user experience. And if you like working with others, web development is a high-paying entry-level tech job worth looking into. It’s a large collaborative effort that calls for working with designers and communicating with clients to optimize elements like web design, interactive media, and cybersecurity.

Required skills:

• Programming languages: HTML, JavaScript, CSS (SASS), Python, SQL
• Application frameworks: Flask, Django, Ruby on Rails, Laravel, Angula, Vue
• Responsive design
• Software testing and debugging

Who you’ll work for:

• Tech companies
• E-commerce companies
• Design agencies

 

11. Data Analyst

Median Salary: $67,815

Pay Range: $52K – $78K

Annual projection for job openings: 17,700

A data analyst uses data and information to draw conclusions about — well, to be blunt — anything. They start by collecting data through surveys, tracking, observation, and other data collection tools. Once they have the data they need, data analysts are tasked with cleaning the raw data to remove any errors or duplicates, analyzing the data, interpreting the data to find patterns or trends, and sharing their findings using different visualization methods, like reports, tables, or graphs.

Required skills:

• Database tools: Microsoft Excel, SQL, NoSQL
• Programming languages: Python, R
• Data visualization tools: Tableau, Google Charts, Microsoft Power BI
• Critical and analytical thinking

Who you’ll work for:

• Financial institutions
• Healthcare companies
• Media companies

 

10. Visual Designer

Median Salary: $68,636

Pay Range: $52K – $81K

Annual projection for job openings: 22,800

A visual designer works on the aesthetics of websites, apps, and other digital platforms. While one of their biggest responsibilities is to make web-based and digital products look nice, that’s not all. Nailing the right “vibe” also includes how the design feels. Similar to motion designers, visual designers need to understand design principles — patterns, rhythm, emphasis, and more — and how they can help them create the right aesthetic.

Required skills:

• Graphic design software: Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop) and InDesign
• Understanding of design principles: Color theory, contrast, typography, etc.
• User interface (UI) design
• Branding

Who you’ll work for:

• Tech companies
• Digital agencies
• Media companies

 

9. Digital Marketing Manager

Median Salary: $70,082

Pay Range: $51K – $84K

Annual projection for job openings: 34,000 (estimate for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers)

A digital marketing manager focuses on advertising and marketing. They create strategies to share a company and its products through customer-facing digital content. These communications should help brands connect with potential customers and drive sales. Whether you’re scrolling on social media or receiving a text about a sale, the job of a digital marketing manager is to find you — a potential customer — wherever you are. And to do that, they should be well-versed in the many strategies of digital promotion.

This is one of those entry-level tech jobs that doesn’t require in-depth knowledge of web development and coding. Instead, digital marketing managers need to know the ins and outs of email, social media, and web-based marketing as well as text and multimedia messaging.

Required skills:

• Web analytics tools: Google Analytics, Google Adwords
• Content management systems (CMS)
• Marketing: Social media marketing (campaigns, trends, audience research), email marketing (AB testing, email marketing tools (MailChimp, HubSpot, Omnisend)), and search engine optimization (SEO)
• Measuring and reporting key performance indicators (KPIs)

Who you’ll work for:

• Digital marketing agencies
• Retail/E-commerce companies
• Large corporations

 

8. Design Researcher

Median Salary: $70,670

Pay Range: $54K – $82K

Annual projection for job openings: 34,000 (estimate for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers)

A design researcher uses data and information to uncover insights — about a product and its users — to guide design processes and solutions. Also called a user experience (UX) researcher, their work is people-heavy. Not only do they work closely with product teams to come up with research objectives, but their goal is user-focused. Using research plans and data collection methods (surveys, interviews, etc.), they interpret user behavior into actionable product suggestions that they bring back to the product team.

Required skills:

• Data analysis and synthesis
• Research techniques: Usability testing, user personas, eye movement tracking, etc.
• User empathy
• Communication and collaboration

Who you’ll work for:

• Product-based companies
• Universities and research institutions
• Design consultancies

7. UX Writer

Median Salary: $70,675

Pay Range: $45K – $80K

Annual projection for job openings: 21,800

A UX writer creates clear and concise copy to support user experience and help users navigate websites, apps, and other digital products. Their creations are called “microcopy” — small pieces of information in the user interface that helps us figure out what to do. Think error messages, call-to-actions (CTAs), and loading messages. And you might be wondering if employers really hire people to write these small bits of copy. Yes, they do!

The work of UX writers takes the friction out of using a website or app so the user experience is smooth — and the user always comes first. So the next time you try to visit a webpage that doesn’t exist and land on one of those 404 pages, the copy is likely the work of a UX writer.

Required skills:

• Copywriting
• User empathy
• User interface (UI) design
• UX design principles: Accessibility, visual hierarchy, consistency

Who you’ll work for:

• Tech companies
• E-commerce companies
• Digital agencies

 

6. Digital Project Manager

Median Salary: $71,228

Pay Range: $55K – $82K

Annual projection for job openings: 68,100

A digital project manager provides end-to-end management for web development and tech-based teams. To get a project from the idea phase to completion, they’re responsible for creating project timelines, setting and assigning tasks, monitoring progress and providing updates, and writing reports. Because their day-to-day responsibilities can include tasks like coordinating with web designers and developers, writing emails, and running meetings, digital project managers should have excellent communication skills for straddling the line between tech-based and people-based work.

Required skills:

• Project management software: Slack, Monday, Asana, Basecamp
• Content management systems (CMS)
• HTML and CSS
• Team management

Who you’ll work for:

• Large corporations
• Tech/Software companies
• Advertising agencies

 

5. UX Designer

Median Salary: $71,784

Pay Range: $53K – $87K

Annual projection for job openings: 19,000 (estimate for web developers and digital designers)

A user experience (UX) designer ensures a positive customer journey by optimizing user interactions with a product. This also includes what happens before and after using it. UX designers are jack-of-all-trades who use a combination of research, psychology, technology, and design. They need to understand and anticipate users’ needs and build this into how they interact with a product’s designs and features. To do this, they’ll conduct user research, build customer personas, create prototypes, and develop designs.

Required skills:

• User research and usability testing
• Wireframing
• Prototyping tools: Figma, InVision Studio, Adobe XD
• User empathy

Who you’ll work for:

• Tech companies
• E-commerce companies
• Product-based companies

 

 

4. UI Designer

Median Salary: $73,533

Pay Range: $52K – $74K

Annual projection for job openings: 19,000 (estimate for web developers and digital designers)

A user interface (UI) designer focuses on a user’s visual experience by planning, designing, and creating digital elements to enhance user experience. User interface is the point where users interact with a product, like a computer, website, or app — like how you scroll on a computer or what happens when you click on a menu. To optimize our experience, UI designers test new designs on desktop and mobile devices, develop style guides for design consistency, visualize interactive elements, and create interface designs, mockups, and prototypes. Similar to a visual designer, UI designers control how a website, app, or product looks and feels to the user.

Required skills:

• Understanding of design principles: Typography, color theory, spacing
• User interface design
• Prototyping tools: Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch
• HTML and CSS

Who you’ll work for:

• Tech/software companies
• Web development agencies
• Mobile app development companies

3. Content Marketing Manager

Median Salary: $73,860

Pay Range: $57K – $84K

Annual projection for job openings: 34,000 (estimate for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers)

A content marketing manager handles the content marketing strategies of a company and uses content to drive sales and build brand awareness. While traditional advertising is direct, content marketing is indirect. Instead of pushing customers towards a product or service, content marketing managers are “courters” who entice potential customers. They used materials like blog posts, newsletters, and whitepapers to bring value to the customer while guiding them closer to a company’s products or services.

Required skills:

• Marketing
• Content management systems (CMS)
• SEO and web analytics
• Project management

Who you’ll work for:

• Digital marketing agencies
• Retail/E-commerce companies
• Large corporations

 

2. Quality Assurance Engineer

Median Salary: $81,148

Pay Range: $60K – $89K

Annual projection for job openings: 153,900 (combined with software developers)

A quality assurance (QA) engineer is a developer who tests software to find and fix bugs and maintain quality standards. While some of their work is done alone, quality assurance is highly collaborative. The engineers communicate with company stakeholders to gain insight into software requirements, set the standards and procedures for developers, and work closely with product development and testing teams. They code automated tests and execute manual tests to make sure the final product is user-friendly, high-quality, and up-to-date.

Required skills:

• Programming languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Graphic and responsive design
• Version control systems: Git
• User testing

Who you’ll work for:

• Tech/software companies
• E-commerce companies
• Game development companies

 

1. Software Developer

Median Salary: $85,079

Pay Range: $62K – $104K

Annual projection for job openings: 153,900 (combined with software developers)

A software developer builds, tests, and iterates versions of software products across platforms — web, desktop, mobile, etc. They keep apps up and running by maintaining, troubleshooting, and updating codes. And because the digital age lets us ping pong between devices, software developers use their talents to create products for different computer systems. So if you’re able to access the same app on your Android and Apple devices, send a silent “thank you” to the software developer.

Required skills:

• Unix/Linux environments
• Programming languages: C, C++, Java, Python, HTML, CSS, SQL, Ruby
• Operating systems: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, LINUX
• Version control

Who you’ll work for:

• Software startups
• Tech companies
• Financial institutions

 

Tips for Getting an Entry-Level Tech Job with No Experience

Learn three easy tricks for how to land a job in tech, even if you don’t have the required experience.

When you’re ready to apply for jobs, it can be very frustrating. Regardless of what your education process looks like — whether your knowledge comes from a 2- or 4-year degree, certifications, or online programs — countless “entry-level” jobs out there are looking for experience. And sometimes, you just want to scream how can I get experience if no one wants to hire anyone without experience?! As you map out your career path, use these tips to land that entry-level tech job with no experience.

• Know where to look. Knowing how to find an entry-level job in tech is half the battle. Using online job boards and recruiters could point you in the right direction.
• Customize your resume. Your resume isn’t a one-and-done deal. It should be tailored to every job you apply for. Use job listings to decide which skills to highlight.

• Highlight your transferable skills. Transferable skills are skills you carry from one job to another. Employers value technical skills, but they also want employees to be critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and detail-oriented — to name a few.

• Learn more technical skills. To get hired for an entry-level role with no experience, you need to lean — heavily — on your skills. Some employers may be willing to pass over an employee with experience for one who brings more skills to the table. It’s your job to make sure that the table is full.

• Create a portfolio. Listing a skill on your resume isn’t always enough. By creating a portfolio, you’re showing potential clients proof of your skill and your growth potential. And if you’ve never worked on a project, feel free to use your creativity and create a mockup for an existing company or product.

• Get a certification. Certifications increase your knowledge and earning potential, but that’s not all. They show employers that you’re a dedicated learner who’s willing to do more to increase your performance in a job.
• Network. Having a network of peers and mentors can help you finesse your way into an entry-level tech job with no experience. Networking offers access to career opportunities, professional and personal development, and confidence building.

• Consider volunteering or internships. Our first instinct is to jump into full-time, paid jobs. To get the job of your dreams, you might consider volunteering or internships. What they lack in financial compensation, they make up for with experience and networking opportunities.

• Get experience. You can get experience in tech without taking on non-paying clients. Consider freelancing or building your own website. Even coursework and final projects can be repurposed as experience and demonstrated in a portfolio.

What’s Next?

Use the tips in this article and decide where your career journey could use some work. When was the last time you worked on your resume? Do you have a portfolio that highlights your talent? If you want to land an entry-level tech job with no experience, focus on the skills you have and work on learning the skills your dream job requires.

Whether you need to start with the basics — like HTML and CSS — or want to learn more advanced concepts like creating data visualizations in Python, look into the Skillcrush Break Into Tech course. Not only will you come out of it with some of the most desired tech skills, but it’ll give you guidance, support, and know-how to land your dream job as soon as possible.

 

 

(back to top)