In spite of rising college costs and student debt, college remains the default for many students. Yet a new report from American Student Assistance® (ASA) and the Burning Glass Institute, Launchpad Jobs: Achieving Career and Economic Success Without a Degree, shows that earning a four-year degree isn’t the only path to economic mobility and career success. In fact, almost one in five workers without degrees out-earn the median college graduate annual wage of $70,000, and some two million people without degrees earn more than $100,000 per year.

But not all entry-level, nondegree jobs are created equal and the impact of these early choices can be dramatic. This research identifies those occupations, or “launchpad” jobs, that consistently set workers on the path to competitive earning, good benefits, job security, and the likelihood of not being replaced by AI. In short: the right entry level jobs for students just out of high school can deliver long-term career success.

Launchpad jobs include roles in healthcare, like paramedics and surgical technologists, and positions in architecture, engineering, sales, finance, and human resources. Those students who choose one of these launchpad jobs out of high school are four times more likely to reach the highest earning bracket by age 40 than those who begin in others.

There are 1.9 million of these launchpad openings each year, yet of the nearly 40% of high school graduates who did not enroll in college immediately after graduation in 2023, only about 10% chose a launchpad job. This was largely because they didn’t have enough information to evaluate their choices, other than looking at starting salary and benefits. For example, for a new high school graduate, a payroll clerk position might seem identical to a general office clerk role—yet the former can launch a career while the latter typically levels out. Bank tellers illustrate this hidden potential: though they earn just $29,000 initially, they earn upwards of $54,000, on average, within a decade.

Here are four strategies to help students make informed, confident decisions about the most promising entry level jobs – while they’re still in high school:

1. Guide guidance counselors. Let’s make sure that all guidance counselors understand nondegree options as thoroughly as college options. While all states track and publicly report College and Career Readiness metrics, according to research conducted by Education Strategy Group and commissioned by ASA, they focus their efforts more on college than career. With the right tools and training, school counselors can help fill the gap, specifically educating students and parents about the importance of the first job choice and which have the greatest long-term potential.

2. Give teens a hand – with hands-on learning. Significantly increase the number of hands-on high school work-based learning opportunities, such as internships, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship education, to expose students to different pathways while they’re in high school. These invaluable experiences let students explore, test, and try careers before graduation while building valuable skills. Employers benefit too: 86% say these programs strengthen their talent pipeline, especially for diversity, according to a recent employer survey by ASA.

3. Lean into career and technical education (CTE) jobs. This is an extremely productive area for launchpad jobs that will carry students through rewarding, long-term careers. We can do this by creating and providing partnerships that give young people hands-on experience and access to industry mentors who can guide and help them to identify opportunities with launchpad potential.

4. Meet them where they are: online. Free, quality, digital self-service resources let students explore and experiment with diverse pathways, including nondegree options, and build durable and technical skills on their own schedules. This is also an ideal place to educate them about launchpad jobs while they are still in high school.

Imagine if we could educate students, and all the adults who counsel them, about how to evaluate an entry level job right out of high school. The fact is, there is an abundance of launchpad jobs that can help young people step into rewarding, enriching careers that can last a lifetime. But students need information, experiences and resources to evaluate and differentiate among various “first” jobs and it’s our goal to help them navigate their path to success.