Minimum wage refers to the lowest legal hourly rate that workers are allowed to be paid. The Department of Labor hasn’t revised the minimum wage laws since 2009, which still holds the federal minimum wage at $7.25 an hour for both part-time and full-time workers.
As this amount is not a livable wage, many workers look for better-paying opportunities. Thankfully, there are many companies and states that offer jobs that pay more than the federal minimum wage. California has one of the highest state minimum wages at $14 per hour.
Additionally, many companies have revised their remuneration policies to include a minimum hourly rate of $15 an hour for all their employees. Despite the low federal minimum wage, there are still higher-paying jobs for hourly employees. Keep reading to learn more about jobs that pay above the federal minimum wage.
What Is a Good Hourly Wage?
A good hourly wage should meet your daily needs while keeping you motivated to continue working. This amount takes into consideration the value of the service being offered and the skills required to accomplish such tasks.
In addition, a good hourly rate should cover your living expenses and provide you with the ability to save some money. However, because the cost of living differs greatly across the United States, a good hourly wage in one state might not be good enough in another state.
Why Earning More Than Minimum Wage Is Important
Earning more than minimum wage is important because it allows you to keep up with the ever-growing needs of a fast-paced economy. The minimum wage hasn’t been revised in a very long time, meaning it doesn’t take into account the cost of inflation and other economic factors.
Earning more than the minimum wage will increase your purchasing power and allow you to better afford basic necessities like food, childcare, housing, and healthcare. It also means that you can save more and use that money to invest in your future. All in all, earning more than the minimum wage will raise your standards of living.
What Types of Jobs Pay More Than the Minimum Hourly Wage?
Many jobs pay more than the federal minimum hourly wage. However, higher hourly earnings usually mean the job requirements are more technical. Nonetheless, there are a lot of jobs that pay significantly more than the required federal amount and have little in the way of job requirements. These jobs are available for full and part-time workers and include the following.
- Warehouse jobs
- Administrative jobs
- Customer service representative jobs
- Caregiving and childcare jobs
- Food service jobs
What Do You Need to Land a Job That Pays More Than Minimum Wage?
Without a doubt, jobs that pay minimum wages make it difficult to make ends meet. However, there are low barriers to entry for many of these jobs, making it easy for a job seeker with no experience or technical skills to find work. If you want a job that pays more than the minimum wage, you will have to add more skills to your repertoire and ensure you are compensated appropriately for your labor.
Although different jobs have different entry requirements, you are better off adding diverse skills to your resume to improve your marketability. For instance, most positions require job seekers to have soft skills such as communication, flexibility, time management, and interpersonal skills.
Jobs that pay up to six figures tend to have advanced education requirements. For this reason, you may want to consider going a step further to add computer skills, data entry skills, or bookkeeping skills to your resume, as most jobs that pay more than minimum wage require employees to work with computers.
What Companies Pay More Than Minimum Wage?
Since many companies realize that minimum wage workers are not able to meet their basic needs, they have implemented wage increases for even entry-level employees. IKEA, Amazon, Starbucks, and Target all offer jobs starting at $15 an hour. Here is a list of companies that pay more than the hourly wage rate.
- Aetna: Aetna is a popular health insurance company that raised its minimum wage for all employees to $16 an hour back in 2015.
- Amazon: Amazon recently made financial news when it announced that it was going to raise its minimum hourly wage for over 125,000 of its employees in the transport and fulfillment departments to at least $18 an hour.
- Bank of America: The Bank of America is one of the few firms in the world that has constantly been implementing minimum wage increases. The banking service provider raised its minimum wage to $15 in 2017, then $17 in 2019, and $20 in 2020.
- Ben & Jerry’s: This is one of the few companies that revisits its minimum wage every year. As of 2020, the minimum wage for all of its employees was $18.13.
- Best Buy: In 2020, Best Buy raised the minimum wage to $15 for all of its domestic employees.
- Costco: All employees of Costco are entitled to a minimum wage of $17 an hour, whether you work as a stocker, cashier, delivery driver, warehouse associate, or other entry-level positions.
- CVS Health: While CVS Health currently has a minimum wage of $13 an hour, it has pledged to implement wage increases to a $15 hourly rate for all employees by 2022.
- Home Depot: The average hourly rate for employees of Home Depot is about $13.37, which is almost double the federal minimum wage.
- Target: Target raised its minimum hourly rate to $15 in 2021. Additionally, the company offers great holiday pay for employees.
- Walmart: Walmart announced in September that it would increase the minimum wage for its workers to $12 an hour. Although this isn’t as high as some companies it is still significantly higher than the federal minimum wage.
Jobs That Pay More Than Minimum Wage with No Experience
Customer Service Representative
- Average hourly wage: $17.23
- Average yearly salary: $35,830
- Job growth: -1%
Customer service representatives work with customers to address any issues or concerns they might have regarding a product or service. The duties of a customer service representative are specific to the job. Some might work for major telecommunication firms as call center support staff while others might work as bank tellers.
Regardless, these jobs pay more than minimum wage and have few barriers to entry. However, you’ll need excellent customer service skills to excel in this role.
Stocker
Stockers load and organize products on retail shelves and stands. They ensure customers have easy access to the merchandise they are looking for. They also check products for damage, past expiry dates, and other defects. You don’t need previous experience to work in this role, but it would help to have excellent organization and communication skills.
Warehouse Associate
- Average hourly wage: $14.43
- Average yearly salary: $30,010
- Job growth: 7%
Warehouse associates perform a wide variety of jobs in a warehouse including processing, preparing and packing orders, managing inventory, and evaluating products for damage. This position has relatively low entry requirements as all you need is to be in good physical shape and have excellent communication skills.
Cashier
- Average hourly wage: $12.03
- Average yearly salary: $25,020
- Job growth: -10%
Cashiers work in business establishments selling products or services. These hourly workers welcome customers and process their orders by accepting payment. They also help customers with questions regarding the purchase of specific products. You’ll need excellent communication skills for this job. Computer proficiency is also an important skill to have as a cashier.
Bartender
- Average hourly wage: $12
- Average yearly salary: $24,960
- Job growth: 32%
The job market for bartenders is growing quickly. Bartenders work in a wide variety of establishments in the catering and hospitality industries. They use their knowledge to prepare and serve beverages to customers.
Most bartending positions don’t require prior experience, making them ideal for inexperienced workers. However, you still need to be able to work long shifts while offering excellent services in a fast-paced environment.
Jobs That Pay More Than Minimum Wage Online
Copywriter
Copywriters work on a wide variety of content including ads, marketing articles, and promotional materials for for-profit and non-profit organizations. There are plenty of platforms online that bring copywriters and organizations together.
As a copywriter, you’ll need exceptional research, writing, and communication skills to help you produce accurate and engaging content. You’ll also need a computer and a solid internet connection.
Financial Clerk
- Average hourly salary: $19.96
- Average yearly salary: $41,520
- Job growth: -2%
Financial clerks’ duties vary within each organization, however, they always perform financial transactions. Other duties of financial clerks include updating financial records, processing bills and charges, offering customer service, and performing administrative functions. Billing clerks, brokerage clerks, credit authorization clerks, and payroll clerks are all types of financial clerks.
Virtual Tutor
Virtual tutors have similar duties and responsibilities to in-person tutors. However, they specialize in virtual classrooms and online classes as they prepare academic plans and deliver them online. They also help online learners with academic projects and assignments.
You should consider this job if you are a teacher or have expert knowledge in a given field. Different states impose different entry requirements for tutors, teachers, and instructors. However, there are plenty of online websites that provide the platform for you to meet and tutor students.
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants specialize in online and remote support services for individuals and organizations. Despite the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ job outlook for assistants overall, the demand for virtual assistants specifically has skyrocketed since COVID-19.
Most virtual assistants work as independent contractors who are found on freelancer platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork. However, such professionals typically have some amount of experience as administrative assistants.
Transcriptionist
Transcriptionists convert spoken conversations or audio files into text. Most of these professionals work independently but some are hired by organizations. Being a transcriptionist is challenging work as you need to have excellent listening and writing skills. You also need to be proficient in transcribing software and have a high proficiency in typing.
"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"
Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot
Jobs That Pay More Than Minimum Wage Part-Time
Photographer
- Average hourly salary: $19.85
- Average yearly salary: $41,280
- Job growth: 17%
Photographers are often self-employed workers who are sought after by individuals and organizations looking for photography services. To be a freelance photographer you should learn skills in photo editing and be able to capture the desired images for clients. There are a ton of platforms that connect photography freelancers to clients looking for such services.
Personal Assistant
- Average hourly salary: $15.43
- Average yearly salary: $42,500
- Job growth: -7%
Personal assistants offer a wide range of services to other professionals and business owners. These roles require little formal education as applicants often only need a high school diploma. Important skills to have as a personal assistant include computer literacy, verbal and writing skills, organizational skills, and time management skills.
Forklift Operator
Forklift operators often work in shipping docks and warehouses. They perform many tasks using forklifts including organizing shipments and products. You need to have a state driving license before you can operate a forklift, but for the most part, forklift operator jobs have few educational requirements.
Security Guard
- Average hourly salary: $14.94
- Average yearly salary: $31,080
- Job growth: 15%
Security guards may be hired as part-time workers by a variety of establishments. From bars to retail stores, there are many businesses that require the services of security guards. In addition, this field has a faster job growth outlook than average. To become a security guard, you need to have the skills necessary to deal with conflict swiftly and appropriately.
Housekeeper
Housekeepers maintain the cleanliness and sanitary amenities for houses and other establishments. Some of their job duties include cleaning floors, dusting surfaces, making beds, and doing laundry. Organization, time management, and communication skills are essential to the position.
Where to Find a Job That Pays More Than Minimum Wage
There are plenty of ways to find jobs that pay more than minimum wage. Online job boards are by far the most common and convenient way of searching for employment opportunities. You can also find these jobs through company career portals, online forums, social media platforms, and recruitment company channels. Below are some of the places you can look for jobs with above-average employee compensation.
LinkedIn is a social platform designed to connect professionals and organizations. This website also features a job board section that allows employers to post vacant positions and their respective job requirements. On LinkedIn, there are over 50,000 jobs that pay more than $15 an hour.
Company Websites
You can also scroll through open positions directly on company websites. You can search through positions in your area of residence to find your next employment opportunity. A great place to start would be retail companies as most of these establishments offer jobs that pay above the minimum wage and don’t have a lot of entry requirements.
Indeed
Indeed specializes in connecting employers to job seekers. The website serves as a massive online job board that features tons of jobs including those that pay minimum wage rates that reflect the current cost of living. At the time of writing, there were over 460,000 open jobs that pay more than $17 an hour in the United States alone.
Is It Easy to Find a Job That Pays More Than Minimum Wage?
Yes, it’s easy to find jobs that pay a living wage. More and more companies are revising their policies to reflect the current level of economic growth in the US. As companies continue to increase their minimum hourly rates to offer a living wage, there are ample opportunities for even entry-level employees to find high-paying jobs.
Nonetheless, as a job seeker, you still have to find and apply for these jobs, most of which will have some competition. Highlighting your abilities, skills, and competencies on your resume is a great way to stand out from other job applicants. Additionally, picking up in-demand skills such as computer skills will increase your chances of finding better-paying opportunities.
Jobs That Pay More Than Minimum Wage FAQ
It depends on the kind of job you are applying for. Many jobs that pay more than minimum wage require some form of post-secondary training. Others might require candidates to have completed job training programs. Either way, you should first consult with your potential employer to find out more about the entry requirements.
Many retail stores have increased the earnings of workers to ensure their employees are fairly compensated with a livable wage. Companies like IKEA, Starbucks, Target, and Costco offer minimum wages that are significantly higher than the federal minimum wage. You could get a job at Amazon and make at least $15 an hour.
Earning more than the minimum wage means that you can more comfortably afford necessities such as food, clothing, access to health services, and rent. It also means that people can raise their standard of living, as opposed to when they were low-wage workers. If you make more than the minimum wage, you may also be able to put more of your income into retirement or savings.
Many cities in the United States have set minimum wage levels that are higher than both the state and federal governments’. The highest minimum wage in the United States is $17.13 an hour in Emeryville, California. A close second is the city of Seattle, Washington, where the minimum wage laws dictate an hourly rate of $16.69.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
