These cities have the highest entry-level wage growth
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Provo, Utah, is home to the country's fastest-growing entry-level wages, per new Glassdoor data.
Why it matters: While places like San Francisco, Seattle and New York have some of the highest early-career salaries overall, zooming in on areas of rapid growth can reveal hot spots for those just getting their foot in the corporate door.
Driving the news: Early-career wages in Provo rose 7% annually on average between 2020 and October 2025, according to Glassdoor's report.
- Following Provo are Boise, Idaho (+5.5%); Orlando, Florida (+5.4%) and Charleston, South Carolina (+5.3%).
The other side: Tulsa, Oklahoma (+3.2%); Des Moines, Iowa (+3.4%) and Birmingham, Alabama (+3.4%) had the smallest gains in the period among the included metros.
How it works: That's based on more than 5 million salary datapoints from Glassdoor users "with 0-4 years of relevant experience in their current job from January 2020 through October 31, 2025," and among metro areas with at least 1,000 salary datapoints per year.
The big picture: "It's difficult to start your career during a soft labor market, but there is a silver lining: earnings growth is on the rise for workers with 0-4 years of experience, and 2026 will be the first year that these workers' purchasing power exceeds 2020 levels," per Glassdoor's report.
- "For early career workers considering where to pursue their next career step, these rising cities represent good opportunities to grow your earnings even though they may not offer the highest salaries."
