Entry level computer science jobs offer high salaries and high demand. Even amidst tech layoffs of economic turmoil, companies are actively seeking computer science grads. But computer science is a huge field with a massive variety of roles. Which entry level computer science job is right for you? And as a new computer science grad or career changer entering a competitive job market, how do you land a job without experience?
What Type of Entry Level Computer Science Jobs Should You Apply For?
While in demand and among the highest paying college majors, a computer science degree is generalized. Computer science majors work in an extremely wide range of fields including software engineering, data science, web development, IT, and much more. Salary and required skills vary by role. So which role should you apply to?
Generally, you should apply for entry level computer science jobs that are seeking your skills. Are you an expert at Python and machine learning? Then data might be a good fit. Do you excel at web development and design? Then a web developer job might be a better fit.
However, entry level computer science jobs often don’t require any specific set of skills outside of your CS degree. While having the necessary skills to thrive in entry level computer science jobs matters, your long-term career goals matter more. Pick a computer science field that interests you and that you can do well. If you want to pursue a career as a FAANG software engineer, taking an entry level software job will be much more helpful for your career goals than taking an entry level IT job.
Top 8 In-demand Entry Level Computer Science Jobs
1. Software Engineers and Software Developers
- Entry level salary: $85k – $128k+ base pay
- Median salary: $132,270 in May 2023
- Education: Bachelor’s degree (or bootcamp)
- Projected growth in the next 10 years: 25% (Much faster than average)
2. Data scientist
- Entry level salary: $60k – $109k+ base pay
- Median salary: $108,020 per year
- Education: Bachelor’s degree (or bootcamp)
- Projected growth in the next 10 years: 35% (Much faster than average)
3. UX designer
- Entry level salary: $51k – $79k+ base pay
- Median salary: $98,540 per year
- Education: Bachelor’s degree (or bootcamp)
- Projected growth in the next 10 years: 16% (Much faster than average)
4. Web Developer
- Entry level salary: $51k – $91k+ base pay
- Median salary: $84,960 per year
- Education: Bachelor’s degree (or bootcamp)
- Projected growth in the next 10 years: 16% (Much faster than average)
5. Information Security Analyst
- Entry level salary: $84k+ – $100k+ base pay
- Median salary: $120,360 per year
- Education: Bachelor’s degree (or bootcamp)
- Projected growth in the next 10 years: 32% (Much faster than average)
6. QA analyst
- Entry level salary: $54k – $83k+ base pay
- Median salary: $101,800 per year
- Education: Bachelor’s degree (or bootcamp)
- Projected growth in the next 10 years: 25% (Much faster than average)
7. Database Administrator
- Entry level salary: $77k – $115k+ base pay
- Median salary: $101,510 per year
- Education: Bachelor’s degree (or bootcamp)
- Projected growth in the next 10 years: 8% (Faster than average)
8. Database architect
- Entry level salary: $94k – $130k+ base pay
- Median salary: $134,700 per year
- Education: Bachelor’s degree
- Projected growth in the next 10 years: 8% (Faster than average)
All the above salaries and projected growth come from the US bureau of labor statistics and Glassdoor, based on national median across all seniority levels.
Salary for entry level computer science jobs varies widely by company. An entry level engineer at Apple may earn twice the salary of a senior engineer at a startup. Salaries for these entry level computer science jobs may also depend on experience. Internships and past projects can help new grads earn more.
Highest Earning Entry Level Computer Science Jobs
Software engineers generally have the highest salary of any entry level computer science jobs. At top companies like Google, new grad entry level software engineers can earn about $159,000 per year, plus an annual bonus of about $29,000. Data scientists are also extremely well paid for entry level computer science jobs at Adobe and Microsoft. An entry level data scientist at a company like Google can expect to earn $135,000 in base compensation, plus about $7,000 in bonuses. Cloud engineers can also earn high entry level salaries of over $130,000.
How to get entry level computer science jobs
Make a GitHub Portfolio
When applying to entry level computer science jobs, you’re not expected to have years of job experience. But you are expected to have worked on projects in the past, or at least be able to demonstrate your coding skills. A strong GitHub portfolio shows off your skills and provides context for the projects that you’ve completed.
Portfolio projects could come from college assignments, side projects, or coding practice. You don’t even have to upload all original projects—Contributing to existing repositories and projects can also be effective. Check out our guide to making a strong GitHub portfolio for specific steps. But in short, we recommend candidates spend time on side projects to add to their portfolios. Projects that clearly prove your coding skills can put you ahead of other applicants for entry level computer science jobs.
Make your LinkedIn Headline and Title the Job You Want
Before applying to entry level computer science jobs, we recommend you take at least a few days to optimize your LinkedIn profile and revise your Resume with impact statements. To further raise your LinkedIn profile, share and engage with posts relevant to your industry and profession.
Recruiters search for entry level computer science talent based on their current headline and title. If your title and headline match jobs you want, your profile will appear in the recruiter’s search for candidates. That’s why we recommend making your LinkedIn title and headline your desired job title. If you’re targeting roles as a junior software engineer, make your title “junior software engineer”. With your free time, you can also try to write a LinkedIn post that gets you a job. Posting can help make up for a lack of experience and establish your credibility.
Apply to 20-30 Entry Level Computer Science Jobs Per Week
The most important factor to getting entry level computer science jobs is applying to enough jobs. We recommend you apply to at least 20-30+ weekly. Most job seekers send less than a third of that amount.
The average corporate job opening gets 250 resumes — 4 to 6 candidates get an interview. Then most interviewers will be rejected. Only about 2% of applicants actually get an offer. Entry level computer science jobs are especially competitive. Entry level jobs FAANG can get hundreds of resumes within the first hour they’re posted!
Personalize Every Resume to Bypass Recruiter AI
When reviewing resumes for entry level computer science jobs, recruiters are often seeking highly specific keywords (usually from the job description). Most employers also use Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software to sort candidates based on keywords. Resumes that match the qualifications for entry level computer science jobs get passed on to a recruiter for a manual review. You can’t get the job or even an interview if ATS software puts your resume at the bottom of the pile.
We recommend making your resume match 45% to 65% of the job description — high enough to meet the threshold for potential employers without requiring you to spend too much time customizing your resume for every job application. You can also use our app to detect keywords in the job listing. This can reduce the amount of time you spend personalizing your resume for each job application. Before applying, you should also optimize your resume format for entry level computer science jobs and avoid these 10 resume mistakes.
Reach Out to Recruiters with Every Application
We’ve found that sending a personalized message to a recruiter with your application triples your odds of getting an interview, on average. An effective personalized cold email can help you present your skills and make up for any lack of experience. Since you’re only applying to only a few jobs daily, you’ll have time to craft a personal email to recruiters with every job application.
You should try to focus on recruiters who have a connection to you, like a shared hometown or university. Mentioning the connection early in the email (even as the subject line) will help you stand out. If you want to apply to a specific company or industry, check out our full guide on contacting recruiters at top companies. Recruiters at different companies may be seeking specific qualities or have an unusual recruiting process for entry level computer science jobs.
You can use AI to find a recruiter’s email and generate the perfect networking message. Our chrome extension like Pathrise Career Connect. Our extension doubles interview rates by automating the outreach process. The extension finds the email of hiring managers then generates a highly personalized networking message based on your resume and the job description. Every sentence of the AI email is optimized to get you an entry level computer science job. But you can also use our cold email job application template if you’d like to write the email yourself.
Prepare Examples For Behavioral Interview
Companies often put extra emphasis on culture fit and behavior for entry level computer science jobs. New grads and career changers may not be expected to have the extremely advanced skills of a senior team member, but they’re expected to contribute to the company culture, grow, and make an impact.
The most effective way to ace behavioral interview questions is to use the STAR interview technique (situation, task, action, result). That means sharing past experiences to answer questions like “tell me about a time you failed”, then explaining the impact of the experience. The key to acing interviews with the STAR technique is to prepare situations beforehand to share during the interview. Having examples ready will allow you to answer confidently and focus on the question instead of fumbling for relevant experience you can barely remember. Don’t just think of situations and answers—actually write them down and deliver them in front of a mirror to practice. While you don’t have to memorize interview responses word-for-word, you should have a “tell me about yourself” pitch prepared along with the most common interview question responses and example experiences. Generally, the same questions will come up in all interviews. The examples and answers you prepare now will be usable in almost all entry level computer science job interviews.
One of the most common interview questions you’re almost guaranteed to be asked is “Why our company?” The recruiter is looking for alignment with their company’s culture. That’s why you should review the company’s culture, values, mission, history, and products beforehand. While you don’t have to memorize every detail, you should be able to repeat at least some of their values and share some key facts about the company. If possible, incorporate the company’s values into your elevator pitch and behavioral interview responses to show that you fit with their culture. To see real interview questions asked by top tech companies like Apple, you can check out our company guides.
Practice Leetcode Challenges Used by Real Companies
Interviews at many top companies like Amazon and Netflix, as well as nearly all startups, are team-specific. That means team members choose specific interview questions themselves. However, team members are extremely busy. They’ll generally ask questions straight from Leetcode or HackerRank. For entry level computer science jobs, these Leetcode questions will be easy to medium difficulty.
To help you prepare for these questions, we have compiled a list of the best resources to practice software engineering questions and a list of 88 software engineering interviews asked by real companies. Remember that almost all of your questions will require understanding of one of the following:
For technical interview questions asked at specific companies like Meta, check out our company guides.
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