**Meta**, the $1.8 trillion tech giant, is actively hiring for **entry-level software engineer roles** that offer salaries reaching up to **$290,000 per year**. These positions require only a **bachelor's degree** and minimal prior work experience, making them accessible to recent graduates and those new to the industry.

This hiring initiative comes at a time when many other tech companies are scaling back on entry-level positions, particularly for **Gen Z job seekers**. Meta's approach stands out by welcoming candidates with little background, focusing on potential and foundational education.

If you're looking to break into the tech sector, this could be your chance to join a leading company with competitive compensation and growth opportunities.

The $1.8 trillion tech giant is looking for software engineers, only requiring a bachelor’s degree and minimal working experience. They’re welcome job postings as many tech companies cut back on hiring entry level Gen Z staffers.

Unlock Your Dream Tech Career: Meta's Entry-Level Roles Pay Up to $290K with Minimal Experience!

For generations, Americans have viewed a four-year college degree as the guaranteed ticket to a high-paying job. However, you can still secure a job without a bachelor's degree and earn good money.

There is still hope in this market to land a job that will help you **move beyond living paycheck to paycheck** without falling into college debt. The following are 13 career paths you can pursue and still earn a decent salary, whether you just graduated from high school or are considering a career change later on.

**Editor's note:** All salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

## 1. Commercial Pilot

**Median annual salary: $198,100**

Not to be confused with airline pilots who fly passengers and need a bachelor's degree, commercial pilots usually fly cargo. However, both must complete flight training requirements from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The salary of a commercial pilot is still enough to help you **get ahead financially**.

## 2. Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager

**Median annual salary: $102,010**

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers oversee the logistical operations of transporting, storing, and distributing goods. These managers ensure companies' compliance with government regulations, coordinate among internal departments, and keep operations running smoothly.

A degree is helpful for this career, but a few years of industry experience can sometimes substitute for education.

## 3. Elevator or Escalator Installer and Repairer

**Median annual salary: $106,580**

Elevator and escalator installers/repairers need to be comfortable working in tight spaces, such as elevator shafts. So, this job isn't for the claustrophobic. But it does pay well.

It only requires a high school diploma and an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are typically paid, and they last about four years. In most states, an installer and repairer must be licensed.

## 4. Postmaster or Mail Superintendent

**Median annual salary: $88,670**

Postmasters and mail superintendents supervise postal workers and ensure that all the mail that comes through the post office gets delivered promptly.

They handle administrative tasks and oversee the basic functions of the post office, including coordinating delivery services.

## 5. Transportation Inspector

**Median annual salary: $87,290**

Transportation inspectors check vehicles for problems, safety violations, and emissions issues, ensuring they are prepared and safe to transport cargo. They might also inspect goods.

Inspectors use visual checks and diagnostic equipment to detect mechanical and other problems. Much of the training occurs on the job, and you may be required to become certified.

## 6. Lighting Technician

**Median annual salary: $62,240**

Many shows or performances you see on a stage have a lighting technician behind them. These professionals design, set up, adjust, and take down all the lighting equipment for shows, lectures, church performances, and more.

Lighting technicians don't need a four-year degree, but they do receive some training.

## 7. Subway and Streetcar Operator

**Median annual salary: $84,270**

Subway and streetcar operators safely operate trains or streetcars, greet passengers, and sometimes take fares. To become a subway or streetcar operator, you typically need a high school diploma or GED.

## 8. Line Installer and Repairer

**Median annual salary: $92,560**

Line installers and repairers work on fiber optic cables for telecommunications systems or work with electrical power systems. Apprenticeships are a common way to enter this field.

Although many workers in this field deal with high-voltage power lines, heavy equipment, and working from great heights, the pay is good.

## 9. Power Plant Operator, Distributor, or Dispatcher

**Median annual salary: $103,360**

Power plant operators control the equipment responsible for generating electricity. They monitor various indicators to make sure the plant is operating safely and that electricity is flowing efficiently to homes and other buildings.

While this profession doesn't require a degree, years of on-the-job training are necessary before you're ready to run a power plant.

## 10. Petroleum Pump System Operator

**Median annual salary: $94,580**

Petroleum pump system operators monitor and control the manifold and pumping systems. They may also test oil.

## 11. Gambling Manager

**Median annual salary: $82,380**

Gambling managers work at casinos or on cruise ships, ensuring that operations in their establishments run smoothly.

While a degree in business or hospitality is helpful for a career as a gambling manager, it is not always required.

## 12. Construction/Building Inspector

**Median annual salary: $72,120**

Construction and building inspectors verify that building projects or repairs comply with city codes. The goal is to keep people safe.

While licensure requirements vary by state and city, some building inspectors need continuing education to maintain relevant knowledge in their field.

## 13. Commercial Diver

**Median annual salary: $61,300**

Commercial divers help with underwater maintenance of equipment or structures. This might include installing, removing, or simply inspecting things.

Divers also conduct underwater experiments, photograph marine life, inspect structures such as bridges, or even rig submarine explosives. Scuba diving is a fun hobby for some, but those who do it for a career are handsomely compensated.

Many high-paying jobs require a college degree, but that's not true for all lucrative career paths. With the rising cost of university tuition, it's worth looking into some of these careers that offer plenty of earnings.

Choosing one of these career paths can **boost your bank account** by allowing you to skip expensive college courses. You will also get a head start on working while others are still racking up tuition costs for several years.

If college doesn't seem right for you, you can still land a high-paying job without a degree. Here are 13 lucrative careers that value skills and experience.

13 High-Paying Careers That Don't Require a College Degree

**Article courtesy of Dr. John Sullivan**

With record applications (**up 45%**), mostly from AI agents, **20% of employers are considering pay to apply**. "Pay to apply" is a process for discouraging the shotgunning of applications by charging a small application fee to candidates. And incidentally, the "AI agents" driving this massive increase in resumes aren't people. But instead, they are AI-driven software tools.

For about **$13 per week, an automated robot will send out 50 resumes for a candidate each and every day**. Because of their increasing popularity, during the next year, I predict that these agents will double the number of spam resumes that companies receive. And the current number of spam resumes is already creating a crisis in recruiting.

It's important to note that this article argues against the currently common but ineffective practice of trying to spot and then sort out spammed resumes after they are received. Instead, I suggest **discouraging spam submissions so they can't burden your recruiters and ATS system**.

If you're curious, **the five most effective ways for discouraging applications are**: pay to apply, limiting the number of applications per month, emphasizing employee referrals, bypassing the "quick apply" feature on major job boards, and adding an "I am not a robot" verification process.

## Do You Know The Tremendous Costs Of Spammed Applications Will Get Everyone's Attention?

If you're not familiar with the term, a **spammed resume is a candidate's generic resume sent out by an AI agent to dozens or even hundreds of companies**. Based on what the algorithm of the AI agent determines (often inaccurately) to be a rough fit.

Unfortunately, the decision on where to send the resumes often shows little regard for three critical hiring factors. 1) Whether the applicant is fully qualified, 2) whether they are a good fit, and 3) whether the candidate is interested in the company.

Because these resumes will seldom fit these three important criteria, few of the candidates who have used AI agents to submit their resumes will actually have any real chance of being interviewed. So these "little chance" resumes will clog your ATS and candidate assessment process. Unfortunately, they will generate the following costly consequences:

- **Your candidate rankings will no longer be reliable** – the record volume will cause your internal candidate ranking mistakes to skyrocket.
- **Your best candidates will feel ignored** – in the deluge of applications, most top candidates will receive few communications. And some will even feel like they have been ghosted.
- **Hiring will become painfully slow** – the extra volume of resumes to sort will extend your time to fill. So it will become common to lose top candidates to faster offers.
- **Recruiter error rates will skyrocket** – your recruiters will become overworked and stressed. And that will increase their error rates when making important decisions.
- **Sorting out spammed resumes will be difficult** – The process of trying to identify the spammed resumes that you have received will be incredibly difficult, time-consuming, and inaccurate.
- **You will now be open to more lawsuits** – because every extra application you receive will open up your company to another potential discrimination lawsuit. And a flood of resumes to put you in legal jeopardy.
- **Hiring managers will become frustrated and may stop hiring** – the volume will stress and frustrate many individual hiring managers to the point where some will be reluctant to hire again.
- **Your employer brand will be damaged** – if the candidate's frustration spreads on social media. It will hurt your employer brand image in the short term. And your future hiring in the long term.
- **You may need a new ATS** – this record volume may overwhelm your current ATS.
- **Your TA budget may suffer** – when recruiting is stuck in this quagmire, that will damage its image among your executives. And TAs' flailing may even lead to budget cuts.

**Of course, the overall costs will be tremendous** – soon, the accumulation of all these problems will hurt the quality of the candidates you hire. **62% of companies have already had to fire new-hires after discovering their skills didn't match their AI-inflated resumes**. So if you don't act quickly, your new hires will be much less capable, and their average performance will drop significantly (quality of hire).

## The Five Most Effective Approaches For Preventing Spammed Applications

The remainder of this article highlights the 5 most effective solutions for limiting the volume of spam applications/resumes sent to your company.

### **Reducing applications solution #1 – The "pay to apply" approach**

If you're not familiar with the "pay-to-apply" model. When companies charge a small fee (often called a processing fee) of between $10 and $25 for each application, an individual candidate submits to your company. In some cases, the fee is returned if the candidate actually receives an interview.

For those who are shocked or taken aback by the introduction of money into the hiring process. You should realize that injecting money into the hiring process is not new; for example, during the 1990s, the pay-to-apply model was used by several US airlines (including Northwest) to reduce their flood of applications and to generate revenue. And this practice is still used today by many police and fire departments. They use it to help defray the cost of candidate assessment.

Although many question whether the pay-to-apply model is ethical. It is legal in most jurisdictions (with the exception of California). Also, remember that early in this century, it was not unusual for tech companies to pay interviewed candidates for their time away from work. During the last decade, huge amounts have been spent on employee referral bonuses and sign-on bonuses for new hires.

And outside of recruiting, large hospital chains like Kaiser have found that introducing a small $10 fee was enough to measurably reduce the use of voluntary healthcare services. Unfortunately, today, the pay-to-apply approach has gotten a bad name because it has been one of the elements of most job search scams.

### The goals of a "pay-to-apply" process

The foundation goal is to improve the performance and the capabilities of your company's workforce through better hiring. And that goal can be accomplished by minimizing the inaccurate and time-consuming task of sorting through spammed resumes after they are received. A third goal is to minimize the number of nonserious candidates that submit resumes "just to test the waters." A fourth goal of the fee is to cause each candidate to narrow down their interest and job search to one specific job that is the best fit for them. The final goal is to provide your company with a competitive advantage. This process would reduce the volume of your applications to a manageable level. At the same time, your talent competitors would still be flooded with spammed applications.

> *The pay-to-apply approach makes potential candidates take your job more seriously. Because after paying money, they now have "skin in the game."*

### The pay-to-play model works because...

It turns out that even a small amount of money is enough to discourage AI agents from sending even one resume to a company that requires payment first, because most AI agents don't have the capability to make payments. However, if they could. And the agent was to send multiple resumes to a company for several different jobs. The payment amount would quickly rise to a prohibitive amount of over $50, which most wouldn't be willing to pay. At the same time, a $10 fee wouldn't likely have much of a negative impact on average job seekers or diverse candidates who are committed to working at your company. Most would only be sending out one or two resumes for a specific job to your company.

Finally, the money received will be a welcome supplement to your recruiting budget. The payment process administration could be relatively easy to manage if your process allows payments to be made electronically on popular credit cards or money transfer sites like PayPal or Venmo.

## The remaining 2 – 5 reducing application solutions include:

### **Reducing applications solution #2 – Limit the number of applications that can be submitted each month**

You don't have to be a recruiter to realize that when a company places a fixed limit on the number of applications (i.e., 2) that it can receive from a candidate during a one-month period. This restriction would take away much of the value offered by spamming AI agents. But to be effective, this restriction on applications would have to be reinforced by a penalty. Like one that would automatically eliminate all submitted resumes from a candidate who violated your restriction on too many or AI-generated resumes.

### **Reducing applications solution #3 – Reduce your spam application volume by emphasizing employee referrals**

Research has revealed that referred candidates **have the highest probability of getting an interview and being hired of all sourcing channels**. And that means that employee referral applicants are measurably superior candidates to those sent out by AI agents. That is why many companies assign a priority to assessing employee referrals. Employee referrals are also superior candidates because they have already been prescreened by one of your employees. And their application is likely to be targeted specifically to your company. Fortunately, there is almost no chance an employee referral would be a spammed application.

### **Reducing applications solution #4 – Limit postings on job boards that offer "easy apply" features**

Today, several large job boards (LinkedIn's Easy Apply and Indeed's Quick Apply come to mind) offer applicants an in-house AI agent that, with one click, can send out multiple job applications to the jobs on that job board. As a result, some argue that a company can reduce the number of its spammed job applications that it receives. They can do this by not posting their open jobs on a job board with these embedded AI agent features. Or by proactively not making your open jobs eligible for this one-click, easy-to-apply feature.

### **Reducing applications solution #5 – Require applicants to complete the "I am not a robot" feature**

Long ago, even non-recruiting websites realized they needed a "sign-up feature" prohibiting robotic web crawlers from completing an application process. So by adding one of these "I'm not a robot" checkbox features (Google has a dominant one, reCAPTCHA), the software program judges the visitor's actions before and after checking the checkbox to determine if the visitor is a person or a robot. And of course, we've all experienced the related multiframe "crosswalks" picture model that requires the visitor to pick out each of the frames containing certain images (i.e., a bus).

![reCAPTCHA example](https://drjohnsullivan.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png)

**Note**: You can learn more about the related topics. How to handle AI-generated and perfect resumes is covered in my companion article [here](https://drjohnsullivan.com/articles/how-ai-is-making-todays-recruiting-impossible-how-to-handle-ai-generated-resumes-applicant-volume-and-perfect-resumes/).

Only in the last six months has this extremely high volume (up 45%) of spam applications become a dominant recruiting problem. But even today, **78% of companies already check for AI use**.

And unfortunately, most of the corporate solutions that are currently being used have revolved around spotting AI-generated or submitted resumes by searching each received resume for a lack of personalization, the overuse of buzzwords, and overly formal language. In my experience, this "spot the AI feature" approach does not work and is extremely time-consuming.

So instead, in this article, I've highlighted five more effective ways to prevent most of these spam resumes from even reaching your applicant tracking system. Because a large volume of received spam and "perfect resumes" are both recruiting function killers!

— *This is the latest article from Dr. Sullivan, who was called "the Michael Jordan of Hiring" by Fast Company. You can subscribe to Dr. Sullivan's weekly Talent Management articles [here](https://drjohnsullivan.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=901ceac999ccf5077c0559e1f&id=25487689ca) or by following him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-john-sullivan).*

Article courtesy of Dr. John Sullivan With record applications (up 45%), mostly from AI agents, 20% of employers are considering pay to apply. “Pay to apply” is a process for discouraging the shotgunning of applications by charging a small application fee to candidates. And incidentally, the “AI agents” driving this massive increase in resumes aren’t people. But […]


AI Agents Are Flooding Recruiters With Spam Resumes - Here's How to Fight Back

## The Entry-Level Job Market Crisis

New graduates are entering a **tough labor market** where entry-level roles are disappearing, managers are hesitant to hire Gen Z candidates, and **AI continues to automate more jobs**. However, Meta is actively seeking fresh talent and offering **lucrative salaries** for bright young minds.

## Meta's Entry-Level Opportunities

The **$1.8 trillion technology giant** has several entry-level positions available, including:

- **Full-stack software engineer**
- Multiple **product software engineer** roles

These roles require only a **bachelor's degree** in relevant fields like computer science, computer engineering, or applied sciences. For the full-stack and some software engineer positions, candidates should have completed university-level courses, internships, or 12 months of experience in areas like:

- **PHP and Hack**
- **C++**
- **Python**
- **React framework**
- **Large scale storage infrastructure**

The iOS software engineer role requires one year of experience in:

- **Object-oriented software development**
- **Multithreading programming**
- **Linux or Unix**

## Compensation and Work Arrangements

These Meta positions offer **impressive compensation packages** ranging from **$176,000 to $290,000 annually**, plus bonuses, equity, and benefits. However, these are **in-person roles** at Meta's Washington or California offices, not remote positions.

## Mark Zuckerberg's Hiring Philosophy

Meta CEO **Mark Zuckerberg** emphasizes that **skills outweigh flashy degrees** in his hiring approach. He looks for candidates who have:

- **Mastered specific skills**
- Ability to **apply skills across business areas**
- Demonstrated capacity for **learning and innovation**

"If people have shown that they can go deep and do one thing really well, then they've probably gained experience in the art of learning something and taking it to an excellent level, which is generally pretty applicable to other things," Zuckerberg explained.

## The Broader Tech Job Market Context

Meta's high-paying entry-level roles arrive during a challenging period for Gen Z job seekers. Recent data shows:

- **Computer-programmer employment** has dropped to its lowest level since the 1980s
- **Gen Z representation** in tech companies has been cut in half since 2023
- The percentage of 21-25 year olds at large public tech firms dropped from 15% to 6.8%

## The AI Impact on Early Career Opportunities

**AI automation** has significantly impacted entry-level positions, with companies:

- **Automating simpler tasks** that traditionally went to junior employees
- **Reducing training programs** for new graduates
- Focusing on **experienced hires** for complex roles

Despite this trend, Meta maintains its reputation for pursuing **up-and-coming talent** through university recruiting and new graduate programs.

"Most public companies have fleshed out training programs that are squarely centered around new grad programs and university recruiting," explains Matt Schulman, CEO of Pave. "A company like Meta, their whole talent thesis was to go after universities, get the smart 21-year-olds, and then train them up."

Meta's $290K Entry-Level Jobs: How Gen Z Can Land High-Paying Tech Roles With Minimal Experience

## Industry News and Information

![David Hanley Inside Job Boards ep117](https://www.collegerecruiter.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fe0b9685dc8.nxcli.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F09%2FDavid-Hanley-Inside-Job-Boards-ep117.png&w=1920&q=75)

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[David Hanley](https://linkedin.com/in/davidhanley) of **Hyperleap** is an industry veteran who has started and continues to run a number of job boards that, among other things, sell traffic as publishers to other job boards.

Our cohosts, [Steven Rothberg](https://linkedin.com/in/stevenrothberg) of **College Recruiter** job search site and [Peter M. Zollman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pzollman) of **AIM Group** talk with David about the **future of the job board industry** as more and more technology enters our space, including **AI matching** but also **agentic AI**. If the vast majority of candidates are using AI to find and apply to jobs, and many of those so-called candidates are AI agents a/k/a robots, will there be a need for job boards?

David presents the **pessimistic side**, while Peter and Steven remain more **positive**. Yes, technology is advancing rapidly and making yesterday’s and today’s business models more and more problematic, but job boards have always evolved to incorporate the best, relevant technology into how they operate, so why should it be different tomorrow?

<iframe loading="lazy" title="If robots take all the jobs, what happens to job boards? | ep117" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/58YjhFMUrQA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

David Hanley of Hyperleap is an industry veteran who has started and continues to run a number of job boards that, among other things, sell traffic as publishers to other job boards. Our cohosts, Steven Rothberg of College Recruiter job search site and Peter M. Zollman of AIM Group talk with David about the future of the job board industry […]


Unlock Your Dream Tech Career: Meta's Entry-Level Roles Pay Up to $290K with Minimal Experience!

Summary:

Meta is hiring entry-level software engineers with salaries up to $290,000 per year.

Positions require only a bachelor's degree and minimal work experience.

Hiring surge contrasts with cutbacks at other tech companies, especially for Gen Z candidates.

Opportunities are ideal for recent graduates seeking high-paying roles in tech.

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