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National Study Shows Which Occupations Offer the Highest Entry Salaries in 2024, Highlighting Engineering, Strategic Services, and High-Complexity Technical Areas. The Data Was Gathered by Firjan Based on the New Caged.
A survey by Firjan on entry salaries in the formal market in 2024 indicates that some careers already offer initial compensation in the five-digit range. Engineering accounts for seven of the top ten positions.
At the top are computer engineers, with an average starting salary of R$ 13,794, followed by mining engineers, with R$ 13,055.
In third place are stage directors and similar roles, with R$ 11,716. The study considers the real entry salary, meaning the amount paid in the month of hiring already adjusted for inflation measured by the INPC.
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The base used is the New Caged, a government system that tracks hiring and dismissals in formal employment.
With this methodology, the research compares occupations and sectors homogeneously and focuses on the entry point of each career.
Among the occupations with the highest starting salaries, engineering maintains a strong presence.
After computing and mining, chemical engineers report R$ 11,181. Just behind them, mechanical engineers start, on average, with R$ 10,838.
Professionals in geosciences — such as geologists, oceanographers, and geophysicists — have an average entry salary of R$ 10,642.
The list also includes clinical doctors with R$ 10,071, production, quality, and safety engineers with R$ 9,960, engineering and technology researchers with R$ 9,708, and electrical and electronic engineers with R$ 9,489.
Engineering Dominates Entry with High Salaries
The predominant presence of engineering at the top indicates that areas with a strong technical foundation and high demand for qualifications remain valued at the time of hiring.
Computing leads the pack, reflecting the demand for specialists in software, data, and embedded systems.
Mining follows closely, associated with large-scale projects and the need for specific skills for operation and safety.
Meanwhile, chemical engineering maintains a high level, in line with complex industrial processes and integration into chains such as pharmaceutical and oil and gas.
In the case of mechanical engineering, the entry value aligns with the sector’s reach, present in manufacturing, automotive, and capital goods.
Geoscience professionals, in turn, are in demand in natural resource exploration and environmental studies, which helps explain the initial salary above R$ 10,000.
Still within the technical block, production, quality, and safety engineers combine management and operational efficiency skills, a mix that supports entry-level salaries close to R$ 10,000.
Engineering and technology researchers complete the group due to their work in product development, innovation, and knowledge transfer to industry.
In electrical and electronic engineering, the initial salary reflects the importance of energy systems, automation, and telecommunications.
Industry Sectors with the Best Entry Salaries
In the Industry, the study highlights oil and natural gas extraction as the activity with the highest average entry salary, at R$ 9,104.
Additionally, support activities for mineral extraction report R$ 4,908.
The manufacturing of pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical products shows an average of R$ 4,186, while electricity, gas, and other utilities stand at R$ 4,009.
At a similar level, metallic mineral extraction begins hiring with R$ 4,007.
These values, calculated in real terms, indicate that capital and technology-intensive sectors tend to offer higher entry salaries, especially when involving critical operations, safety requirements, and specialized technical knowledge.
In parallel, regulated chains, such as the pharmaceutical and energy sectors, maintain entry salary levels above the industrial average.
Services with the Highest Entry Salaries
In the Services sector, the research highlights gambling and betting exploration activities with an average initial salary of R$ 9,301.
Next are international organizations and other extraterritorial institutions, with R$ 6,801.
Financial services start hiring with R$ 5,179, while information technology activities have an average of R$ 4,927.
Scientific research and development completes the block, with R$ 4,861. On the other hand, even within Services, there is significant dispersion among fields.
Globalized or regulated areas tend to pay better at entry, just as segments in technological expansion do.
IT and R&D benefit from the demand for innovation and digitalization, which sustains competitive starting salaries for skilled professionals.
Agriculture and Commerce: Entry Salaries
In Agriculture, the highest average entry salary is found in fishing and aquaculture, at R$ 2,113.
Furthermore, in Commerce, the best performance is in wholesale trade, except for motor vehicles and motorcycles, with R$ 2,267 at entry.
Although the averages are lower than those observed in Industry and high-tech Services, these values reflect the dynamics of sectors with a strong regional presence and distinct cost structures and productivity.
Nonetheless, they indicate the most competitive branches within each broad economic group when it comes to entry remuneration.
What Entry Salary Means
The metric used by Firjan — real entry salary — captures what actually appears on the paycheck at the start of employment, already discounted for inflation based on the INPC.
The choice of the New Caged base limits the scope to the formal market, excluding workers without signed contracts and regimes not captured by the system.
Finally, as this refers to averages, individual remuneration may vary by region, company size, and job profile.
Moreover, the snapshot considers 2024 and serves as a reference for comparing entrances across different careers, not trajectories over time.
Factors such as experience, certifications, and internal progression tend to alter salary levels as the employment relationship matures, but are not part of the analyzed segment.
Why Engineering Leads Entry Salaries
The concentration of engineering at the top of the ranking relates to the combination of scarcity of specialized labor, technical complexity, and direct impact on critical operations.
Computing and electronics benefit from the digital transformation of processes. Chemical and mechanical engineering, from the demand for efficiency and compliance. Mining and geosciences, from projects that require expertise and high safety standards.
In all, the educational entry barrier and the need for constant updating contribute to higher starting salaries.
For those aiming for one of these areas, the numbers help to set expectations at the beginning of their careers. However, the professional decision should consider aptitude, education, and sector expectations.
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