The Best First Jobs If You Want a Pay Raise Every Year
Written by
Chris Adam
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Many full-time workers enjoy earning more money through their yearly raises. Sixty-six percent of those workers received a raise in the last year, according to a survey by LendingTree.
Yearly raises can help someone grow their wealth, especially if they invest some of that money. Here’s a look at some of the best first jobs for those looking for yearly pay raises.
Psychiatric Aide
Here’s a way you may be able to enter the growing healthcare field without a college degree. As a psychiatric aide, you could help patients with mental health conditions through hands-on support.
Demand is expected to continue to grow for workers in the mental health field. That includes psychiatric aides, who had a mean annual salary in 2023 of $43,650, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Not only are yearly pay raises expected due to high demand, but someone working as a psychiatric aide can advance to higher positions within their healthcare facility.
Skincare Specialist
Along with healthcare, wellness is another field expected to see growing demand in the coming years. According to Resume Genius, a skincare specialist is among the jobs most likely to see a pay raise for 2025.
Skincare specialists are also known as estheticians and they help clients with beauty services. The higher demand and openings of new wellness and beauty locations should make this a good first job where someone could see a pay raise each year. Per BLS, skincare specialists had an average annual salary of $51,100 in 2023.
Computer Support Specialist
According to U.S. News & World Report, being a computer support specialist is among the highest-paying jobs not requiring a college degree. The mean annual wage for this position was $59,240 in 2023.
One good thing about this position is that it requires continuous learning and can lead to other advanced technology positions.
Carpenter
The construction industry can be a lucrative one. Carpenter may be a good position for someone looking for yearly raises.
The mean annual wage for carpenters in 2023 was $60,970, according to U.S. News & World Report. Carpenters can expect raises if they stay with the same company or choose to go out on their own and increase how much money they make each year.
Sales Representative
A first job in sales can lead to a lot of opportunities down the road. Someone can secure many types of sales jobs without a college degree.
It can be helpful to find a sales job in a field you find interesting. You can build a solid group of clients and continue to increase your income each year. While income for this position varies, many sales representatives earn six figures.
Editor’s note: Job incomes are accurate as of March 3, 2025.
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