10 Entry-Level Management Jobs + How to Get One

Key takeaways

Entry-level management jobs are for professionals who have experience or training in a particular field, but who have not yet managed others.

• Manager positions, even at 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.

• Many employers require a bachelor’s degree in business or another relevant major.

Learn more about different management roles you can pursue as an entry-level candidate. Afterward, build your people management skills with the Google People Management Essentials Specialization.

10 entry-level management jobs to explore

Becoming a manager, even at the entry level, often requires a bachelor’s degree and at least a few years of relevant work experience. According to Zippia, 49 percent of managers have bachelor’s degrees [1]. In this section, explore 10 entry-level management jobs across industries with salaries above $49,500, the median annual wage for all occupations [2].

*All annual median total salary data is from Glassdoor as of April 2026. This figure includes both base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other forms of compensation.

1. Business development manager

Business development managers develop business growth strategies, follow up with leads, research target markets, collaborate with marketing and sales teams to align on strategies.

• Median US total salary: $151,000

• Qualifications needed: 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: Google Cloud, Pinterest, Stripe, LinkedIn, Twitch, Augmentum

2. Sales manager

Sales managers lead sales teams to reach targets, set quotas, implement team procedures, provide sales forecasts.

• Median US total salary: $124,000

• Qualifications needed: 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: Snowflake, Databricks, Splunk, Google Cloud, Stripe

3. Supply chain manager

Supply chain managers train members of the supply chain team, cultivate relationships with vendors, improve the supply chain system, create databases to organize inventory.

• Median US total salary: $146,000

• Qualifications needed: 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: Airbnb, X, Meta, Google, Workday, Apple

4. Safety manager

Safety managers prevent workplace accidents, implement workplace safety procedures, inspect company equipment for safety, investigate accidents and incidents.

• Median US total salary: $105,000

• Qualifications needed: Bachelor’s degree in safety management or related field, certification in risk or health and safety management, knowledge of health and safety laws, communication skills

• Top-paying companies hiring for this role: Anadarko Petroleum, Ovintiv, Hilcorp Energy, Google, LinkedIn, Equinor

5. Health care manager

Health care managers create a medical environment where patients get superior care, collaborate with health care providers, stay current with health care laws and procedures, supervise employees.

• Median US total salary: $82,000

• Qualifications needed: 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: Trident Care, HBBN GmbH, Aetna, United Health Group, Advanced Medical

6. Project manager

Project managers determine project scope and objectives, monitor project progress, develop schedule plans, provide stakeholders with project updates.

• Median US total salary: $105,000

• Qualifications needed: 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: X, Cruise, Evercore Partners, C3 AI, Stripe, Meta

7. Sports manager

Sports managers organize sports teams, schedule team practices, secure team funding and endorsements, collaborate with coaches, maintain team budget.

• Median US total salary: $92,000

• Qualifications needed: 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: Wells Fargo, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Royal Caribbean International, NBA, DoorDash

8. Account manager

Account managers 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.

• Median US total salary: $117,000

• Qualifications needed: Bachelor’s degree in business or related field; experience in customer service or onboarding; experience in sales

• Top-paying companies hiring for this role: Xilinx, Arista Networks, Splunk, Aerospike, Meta

9. Client relations manager

Client relations managers build relationships with customers, resolve customer complaints, collect client feedback, brainstorm ways to retain more customers.

• Median US total salary: $94,000

• Qualifications needed: Bachelor’s degree in business or related field, leadership and negotiation skills, consulting experience

• Top paying companies hiring for this role: Guidewire, Front Range Solutions, Yahoo, Focus On You Strategy, Norton Rose Fulbright

10. Recreation manager

Recreation managers schedule and organize activities, oversee recreational staff, keep records of all events, create and enforce safety guidelines.

• Median US total salary: $66,000

• Qualifications needed: 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: Groupe Pomona, Best Buy, Apex Park & Recreation District, Maryland Department of Health, The County of Santa Cruz

How to get an entry-level management job

Follow the steps below to begin your management career path. 

Earn a bachelor's degree.  

While a degree may not be a requirement for every entry-level management positions, 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 (51 percent) [1]. 

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. Several ways to discover jobs that align with your career goals include:

• 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 specific roles 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

How to go from entry-level to management?

To move from entry-level to management in your current role, start by:

• Inform your supervisor that you are prepared to take on more responsibility in a management position. To receive something, it helps to ask for it first.

• To expand your abilities, watch your senior supervisors to discover how to perform your duties beyond expectations. You can also look for mentorship from existing management.

• Develop your leadership skills through building methods for collaborating with your team.

• If necessary, seek additional education and training to enhance your leadership skills. For example, you could earn the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

• Building relationships within your company by networking can also assist you in acquiring a management position. 

Advance your management skills with our free resources

Explore our Career Resources if you’re considering a new career path or looking to strengthen your existing skills. Check out the following free resources to keep learning more: 

• Subscribe to Career Chat on LinkedIn: How to upskill for professional growth

• Watch on YouTube: How to Become a Project Manager: 6 Essential Steps

• Take a Career Quiz: Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz?

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