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12 Jobs Over $40 an Hour You Can Start With Minimal Experience

Boost your income by trying a job that can earn you $40 with little previous work.

By Jenny Cohen

Edited by Laura Ratliff

Updated Oct. 21, 2024

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

It can be hard to find a job that pays well when you don’t have much previous experience in the field.

But there are positions where you can jump in with little previous work in the industry and still manage to get ahead financially. Some positions may need your proficiencies in specific areas or might train you on the job among your options.

Here are some jobs that pay at least $40 an hour with minimal experience, according to salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Web developer

Median hourly wage: $44.59

A web developer is responsible for designing, building, and testing websites for clients, companies, or organizations. You can work for a company or organization or be a freelance web developer who can set their own hours and work for their own clients.

You may have previous experience in website development, but web developers may or may not need a college degree to get a job building sites.

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Elevator and escalator repairer

Median hourly wage: $49.24

An elevator or escalator repairer is responsible for understanding how to repair and maintain elevators, escalators, and even moving walkways.

You usually need a high school diploma, but you can get additional on-the-job training while making more than $40 an hour in this specialized position.

Registered nurse

Median hourly wage: $41.38

A registered nurse treats patients who need a variety of care. You might be responsible for coordinating patient care with doctors or teaching the public about health conditions and issues.

A registered nurse usually needs training in a nursing program, such as a bachelor’s or associate’s degree and a license.

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Actuary

Median hourly wage: $57.69

Actuaries use data and statistics to determine the likelihood of certain events. Most actuaries work for insurance companies, setting the costs of insurance policies to cover various issues.

An actuary usually needs a bachelor’s degree with some experience in math and statistics for this position.

Information security analyst

Median hourly wage: $57.87

An information security analyst is responsible for planning and maintaining security measures for a company or organization.

An information security analyst position usually requires a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field.

Project manager

Median hourly wage: $47.39

A project manager is responsible for all aspects of a project, including the budget, schedule, staffing issues, and other aspects from its inception to completion.

You’ll usually need a bachelor’s degree in business or project management to get a job in this field.

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Electrical power-line installer

Median hourly wage: $41.07

Electrical power-line installers are responsible for installing, maintaining, and repairing power lines, cables, and wires.

You can get on-the-job training with an apprenticeship and some additional training to get a job working on power lines.

Power plant operator

Median hourly wage: $48.50

Power plant operators control and maintain the systems that generate and distribute power to homes and businesses. You can work at a plant that produces energy through different means, but working in a nuclear power plant requires a license.

Power plant operators can get on-the-job training and usually need at least a high school diploma for the position.

Data scientist

Median hourly wage: $51.93

A data scientist is responsible for using different tools and techniques to get meaningful information from data.

To become a data scientist, you usually need a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, or a related field.

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Special effects artist

Median hourly wage: $47.63

A special effects artist creates images and visual effects for various visual media such as movies, television shows, and advertisements.

You usually need a bachelor’s degree in computer graphics or art and a portfolio of your work to show potential employers.

Computer network architect

Median hourly wage: $62.42

Computer network architects design and build data communications networks and update communications systems to fit changing technology.

To become a computer network architect, you usually need a bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field.

Software quality assurance analyst

Median hourly wage: $62.58

A software quality assurance analyst tests and identifies computer program and application problems.

You usually need a bachelor’s degree in computer or information technology or a related field.

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Bottom line

There are ways to secure a position with a good hourly wage, but even if you don’t have much experience, check out some options that interest you.

If you can get a well-paying job, you'll also want to review your budget to see how you can save or spend that additional cash, such as maximizing your retirement savings, paying down debt, or opening a high-yield savings account to earn extra interest on your money.

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