What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Fresh Graduate?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Fresh Graduate jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Teller, AK (24.5% above average), followed by Nome, AK and National, MD. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Teller, AK $50,617 $4,218 $973 $24.34 Nome, AK $50,453 $4,204 $970 $24.26 National, MD $49,839 $4,153 $958 $23.96 Berkeley, CA $49,800 $4,150 $957 $23.94 Hanalei, HI $49,183 $4,098 $945 $23.65 Sitka, AK $48,996 $4,083 $942 $23.56 San Francisco, CA $47,778 $3,981 $918 $22.97 Santa Clara, CA $47,766 $3,980 $918 $22.96 Sunnyvale, CA $47,734 $3,977 $917 $22.95 San Jose, CA $47,667 $3,972 $916 $22.92

Fresh Graduate

Fresh Graduate Salary

Q: How much does a Fresh Graduate make?

The average annual pay for a fresh graduate in the United States is $40,672 a year — that works out to approximately $19.55 an hour. The middle 80% of Fresh Graduates earn between $25,000 (10th percentile) and $54,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Fresh Graduate Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Fresh Graduate in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Sustainable Food Systems at $61,395 (151.0%) above Fresh Graduate. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Sustainable Food Systems $102,067 $8,505 $1,962 $49.07 World Food Programme $82,234 $6,852 $1,581 $39.54 Sanitation Manager $62,877 $5,239 $1,209 $30.23 Farm Operator $44,068 $3,672 $847 $21.19 Food Sanitation $35,529 $2,960 $683 $17.08

$12.5K

$38K

$69K

$40,672

/year

$19.55

/hour

Fresh Graduate Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$40,672

Columbus

Ohio

$39,285

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How much does a Fresh Graduate make?

As of Aug 2, 2026, the average annual pay for a Fresh Graduate in the United States is $40,672 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $19.55 an hour. This is the equivalent of $782/week or $3,389/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $69,000 and as low as $12,500, the majority of Fresh Graduate salaries currently range between $31,500 (25th percentile) to $44,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $54,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Fresh Graduate varies greatly (by as much as 13000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Fresh Graduate in your area makes on average $39,285 per year, or $1,387 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $40,672. Ohio ranks number 41 out of 50 states nationwide for Fresh Graduate salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Fresh Graduate jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Fresh Graduate on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Fresh Graduate Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Fresh Graduate job is above the national average. Topping the list is Teller, AK, , with Nome, AK, and National, MD, close behind in the second and third positions. National, MD, beats the national average by $9,167 (22.5%), and Teller, AK, furthers that trend with another $9,945 (24.5%) above the $40,672 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Fresh Graduate appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Teller, AK, and San Jose, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Fresh Graduate role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Teller, AK	$50,617	$4,218	$973	$24.34
Nome, AK	$50,453	$4,204	$970	$24.26
National, MD	$49,839	$4,153	$958	$23.96
Berkeley, CA	$49,800	$4,150	$957	$23.94
Hanalei, HI	$49,183	$4,098	$945	$23.65
Sitka, AK	$48,996	$4,083	$942	$23.56
San Francisco, CA	$47,778	$3,981	$918	$22.97
Santa Clara, CA	$47,766	$3,980	$918	$22.96
Sunnyvale, CA	$47,734	$3,977	$917	$22.95
San Jose, CA	$47,667	$3,972	$916	$22.92

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Fresh Graduate Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Fresh Graduate category.

For example Sustainable Food Systems jobs pay as much as $61,395 (151.0%) more than the average Fresh Graduate salary of $40,672. If you're qualified, finding work as a Sustainable Food Systems may help you make more money than that of the average Fresh Graduate position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Sustainable Food Systems	$102,067	$8,505	$1,962	$49.07
World Food Programme	$82,234	$6,852	$1,581	$39.54
Sanitation Manager	$62,877	$5,239	$1,209	$30.23
Farm Operator	$44,068	$3,672	$847	$21.19
Food Sanitation	$35,529	$2,960	$683	$17.08

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Fresh Graduate salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $40,672 per year or $19.55 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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