TL;DR
- The best entry-level jobs need no resume and no experience, and hire in days. Warehouse, package handling, and big-box retail are the fastest, most accessible ways into paid work.
- The pay is better than the stereotype. The best of these start from about $15 an hour up to $21 at unionized UPS, above the roughly $19-an-hour national median for warehouse work.
- A few pay clearly more. UPS ($21 to start) and Costco ($20) lead, and both climb from there.
- They are forgiving of gaps and records. Most large hourly employers do not screen hard on work history, so these are strong first jobs for people reentering the workforce or with a record.
- Treat the first job as a launchpad. Several of these employers pay for college or promote heavily from within, which is where the real value is.
If you are looking for your first job, a job with no experience required, or a fast way back into work, the honest news is that some of the most accessible jobs in the country also pay real money and open real doors. The trick is knowing which ones hire fast, what they actually pay (sourced, not guessed), and how to get hired when your resume is thin or empty. Here is the roundup.
What makes a job genuinely entry-level
A truly no-experience job has a few things in common: no degree requirement, little or no prior work history needed, training provided on the job, and a hiring process that is quick and forgiving. Most of the jobs below need no formal resume and no traditional interview. What they do still ask for is reliability, the ability to pass a background check (and sometimes a drug test), and, for physical roles, the ability to stand a full shift and lift.
The best entry-level jobs with no experience
Here are the most accessible categories, with real pay. Every figure varies by employer, role, and local market.
| Entry-level job | Typical starting pay | Why it is accessible |
|---|---|---|
| Package handler (UPS, FedEx) | $21/hr at UPS; about $17 to $23 at FedEx (reported) | No resume, fast hire, union floor at UPS |
| Warehouse or fulfillment associate | About $18 to $19/hr and up | Often no interview, hires in days |
| Membership warehouse or big-box retail | $20/hr at Costco; $15 to $24 at Target | Trains on the job, hires seasonally in volume |
| Retail sales or cashier | $15.81 to $17.03/hr (national medians) | The most widely available first job |
| Delivery or light-truck driver | About $44,860/yr median | No degree, strong demand, good for a clean license |
Source: UPS from the Teamsters 2023 contract; Costco and Target from company figures; FedEx figures are reported ranges from wage aggregators; retail and delivery medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Pay varies by employer, role, and local market.
The single highest entry-level wage of the big employers belongs to a job that needs no experience at all.
A few notes on the standouts:
- Package handling pays the most to start. Working at UPS means a Teamsters wage floor of $21 an hour with no experience, plus a path toward driving. FedEx is the non-union alternative, with reported starting pay a few dollars lower.
- Warehouse and fulfillment hire the fastest. Working for Amazon is the classic example: often no resume, no interview, and a start date within days.
- Membership warehouse and big-box retail pay above the retail norm. Working at Costco starts at $20 an hour, and working at Target runs $15 to $24 with a debt-free college benefit from day one.
- General retail is the most available. Cashier and sales roles hire everywhere; the national medians are $15.81 and $17.03 an hour, and they are the easiest door to walk through.
For the full pay comparison across all of these employers, see our guide to the highest paying warehouse jobs.
Jobs that hire even with gaps or a record
The best thing about these jobs is not just the pay, it is that they are forgiving. Large hourly employers largely do not screen on work history, which makes them the strongest option for two groups who get turned away elsewhere:
- If you have a gap or no work history, these jobs judge you on showing up and doing the work, not on a resume. Our guide to reentering the workforce walks through how to frame a gap and get moving again.
- If you have a criminal record, many warehouse, retail, and trade employers are explicitly fair-chance hirers. Our guide to getting a job with a criminal record covers which employers and which strategies actually work.
How to get hired with no experience
Because these jobs hire on availability more than credentials, the winning moves are simple:
- Apply just before peak. Warehouse and retail hiring spikes ahead of the winter holidays (and spring for home improvement), when the most shifts and the fastest starts are open.
- Say yes to the shift nobody wants. Overnight and weekend shifts hire fastest and often pay a differential.
- Lead with reliability. For a no-experience role, “I can start immediately and I show up” beats a thin resume every time.
- Pick an employer that pays you back. Several of these fund college (Amazon, Walmart, Target) or promote heavily from within (Home Depot, UPS), so the first job becomes a step up rather than a dead end.
FAQ
What are the best entry-level jobs with no experience?
The most accessible are package handling (UPS, FedEx), warehouse and fulfillment work (Amazon), membership warehouse and big-box retail (Costco, Target, Walmart, Home Depot), general retail (cashier, sales associate), and delivery driving. They need no degree and usually no prior experience, and most hire within days.
Which entry-level jobs pay the most?
Among no-experience jobs at large employers, a UPS package handler starts highest at $21 an hour under the Teamsters contract, followed by Costco at $20. Delivery and light-truck driving has a higher median (about $44,860 a year) if you have a clean license. Most other entry retail and warehouse roles start in the mid-teens to around $19 an hour and rise with the market.
What jobs can I get with no experience or degree?
Warehouse associate, package handler, stocker, cashier, sales associate, fulfillment or order picker, and delivery driver are all open with no degree and little or no experience. Employers train you on the job. The main requirements are reliability, valid ID, and the ability to pass a background check.
Can I get an entry-level job with a gap or no work history?
Yes. Large hourly employers largely do not screen on work history, which makes warehouse and retail jobs strong options after time away. Focus on availability and reliability rather than a resume. Our guide to reentering the workforce covers how to frame a gap.
Can I get an entry-level job with a criminal record?
Often, yes. Many warehouse, retail, and trade employers are fair-chance hirers, and “ban the box” laws in many states delay the background question until later in the process. Our guide to getting a job with a criminal record explains which employers and strategies work.
How do I get hired with no experience?
Apply just before a hiring peak, be open to overnight and weekend shifts, and lead with reliability and immediate availability rather than a resume. For no-experience roles, showing that you will show up and do the work is what gets the offer.
The bottom line
You do not need experience, a degree, or a polished resume to start earning real money. The best entry-level jobs, package handling, warehouse and fulfillment, and big-box retail, hire fast, pay from about $15 up to $21 an hour to start, and are forgiving of gaps and records. Pick one that pays you back through college funding or promotion, and a no-experience first job becomes the first step of a real career.
When you are ready to move up from that first job, our team will review your resume for free and tell you honestly where it stands.
A note on the numbers. Empire Resume is an independent editorial team, not affiliated with or endorsed by any employer named here. Pay figures come from company statements, the Teamsters 2023 UPS contract, reported wage-aggregator ranges where companies do not publish pay, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, May 2025), all as of September 2026. Every figure varies by employer, role, and local market, and wages change over time, so treat this as general guidance, not a quote for a specific job. Confirm current pay on each employer’s careers page and the actual posting before you count on it. This is general information to help you find work, not career or legal advice.