Employee bemoans 'entry level' job that requires 3+ years of experience: 'Companies just want senior-level output for garbage pay'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Feb 20, 2026 10:00 PM EST

What job really constitutes entry-level?

Entry-level might mean something different to all of us, but we should work on that. We should have agreed-upon ways for people to enter the job market. It doesn't have to be as spooky and untransparent as it currently is. Companies rely a lot on a lack of information to keep their hiring processes vague and keep prospective employees in the dark. If we practiced honesty all the time, then things might look a little bit different. Companies could be honest about who they wanted to hire, and employees could be honest about why they wanted the job. But the way things are now, we have to do a lot of reading between the lines to figure out how to proceed. And one of these bits of weirdness is around the term "entry level." What exactly should that mean?

When you're young and first starting out, there is probably a lot that you don't know about finding a job. You're probably applying to everything in sight, just hoping that somebody will get back to you. And you hear a lot of radio silence. You wonder what you might be doing wrong, or if there are simply too many applicants out there, and the likelihood that yours even gets read by a human is slim. But then there is the question of entry level. You might assume that this means you don't need much experience in order to be qualified, but is that the actual truth? 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • A stressed young woman holds her head in her hands at her desk
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • It's hard enough for applicants with little experience. What they don't need are misleading job postings that claim to be looking for one thing but are actually looking for another. And the pay never seems to match the level of experience needed or the amount of responsibility expected. Since it's such a tough job market out there, they can rely on the fact that employees need jobs and ignore some of their bigger needs. It's a vicious cycle, and one that's incredibly tough to get out of. But that can seem like the state of job searching these days. Read on for the full thread and see what you think.

  • "Entry level" requiring 3+ years of experience is a scam.

    I'm so sick of seeing job postings labeled as "Entry Level" that require a Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of specialized experience. That is NOT entry level. That is a mid-level role with an entry-level salary. Companies just want senior-level output for garbage pay. We are literally being gaslit by HR departments while trying to start our lives.
    via u/Pixel_CZ
  • How are we even supposed to get a foot in the door in 2026? It's broken
    via u/Pixel_CZ

  • Other workers aired their frustrations with the same system.

    skywarka 1d ago You're missing the true purpose of these requirements - so that their applicants can be lowballed even further than any listed or estimated salary for "not meeting requirements". The new employee ideally starts out feeling like an
    via u/skywarka
  • inadequate imposter who just barely scraped their way into the role, so that they hopefully work extra hard and extra hours for free to "earn" their place and prove that they were a good choice. This trick doesn't work forever, but it tends to
    via u/skywarka
  • work long enough to get way more productivity than you're paying the newbies for, and they get the "benefit" of now being able to list several years of terrible, awful experiences.
    via u/skywarka
  • Silver_Middle_7240 • 1d ago I a big fan of having tge minimum wage modified for the number of years experience required. 3% increase for each year
    via u/Silver_Middle_7240
  • A hand tears off a paper tab from a job flyer
    via Unsplash+ (Pablo Merchán Montes)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • tessduoy • 1d ago Yeah "entry level" feels like it just means "cheap" now. Half the time they list a fantasy candidate and still expect someone desperate enough to apply anyway. I stopped taking the titles seriously and just skim the actual responsibilities.
    via u/tessduoy
  • someoneswife1994 • 1d ago This has been one of my biggest pet peeves with job searching. And yet the narrative corporate americal and these a hle billionaires like to give is "no one wants to work anymore!"
    via u/someoneswife1994
  • GreyerGrey • 1d ago Entry level is <3 years. I hate that so many people are against training. All that tells me is that your company's turnover is so high it isn't worth investing in training your staff.
    via u/GreyerGrey
  • Glum_Possibility_... . 1d ago Here's the thing. Many companies (including some I have worked for) take it upon themselves to define "entry level" for their company. They as a rule do not hire people with no experience ("let someone else train them") so they
    via u/Glum_Possibility_367
  • define "entry level" as entry level into THEIR company. For that definition, "entry level" means the lowest paying jobs they have, and those still require experience.
    via u/Glum_Possibility_367
  • 99Prettyboy99 · 1d ago . Its wild. I have a few years of experience under my belt with an associates and bachelors and still get "we're not continuing with your application". Even on jobs where I nearly perfectly fit the job description.
    via u/99Prettyboy99
  • Granted I probably don't interview the best, but how am I supposed to move up if my current job doesn't have growth opportunities and other places don't seem to want to fill roles? At this point I feel like I would've been happier pursuing a "useless" but fun degree vs having believed a "useful" degree would mean decent pay.
    via u/99Prettyboy99
  • mzx380 • 1d ago Unfortunately this has been the case for decades. When our overlords have the high ground they take advantage of it and us
    via u/mzx380
  • grimfusion 22h ago This right here is why I don't pay any attention to employers complaining about job applicants tossing their CV at every possible job opportunity around them, regardless of experience. In 2026, playing the job market like a lottery seems the only sensible option.
    via u/grimfusion
  • • jesusonoro 1d ago entry level just means entry level pay. the requirements tell you what they actually need, the title tells you what theyll pay you for it. two completely separate conversations happening in the same job post
    via u/jesusonoro
  • Redkinn2 19h ago "Entry level job, with 12 years experience using the software that has been on the market <2"
    via u/Redkinn2
  • Useful_Calendar_... • 1d ago before you have a stroke, consider I am a communist and ultimately on your side. What is happening is that the value of most white collar work except like tech and finance, and it will come for those too, is going to zero thanks to Al. In 5 years it will absolutely have the raw intelligence and data to replace any Big 4 consultant even at the strategist level
    via u/Useful_Calendar_6274
  • geekg Also what if someone doesn't even have a bachelor's degree? If they can prove they have the knowledge to do the job, shouldn't that be enough?
    via u/geekg
  • Crocosnek If you mean like "Entry level clerical worker" requiring 3 years experience, then yeah f that company. However...doesn't entry level just mean "minimal experience?" Depending on context, sometimes that minimal experience still requires a few years of
    via u/Crocosnek
  • experience, right? I've seen semiconductor engineering jobs which are "entry level" relative to the company but still required a higher degree or some years of experience (one or other, not both). I don't think its reasonable to expect high school drop outs in such a role, and it's even less reasonable to be mad about that?
    via u/Crocosnek
  • Sqweed69 Im my country there's a lot of political discussion about a supposed "skills shortage". Meanwhile people who studied for years and got a good degree can't find a job because bosses are trying their hardest to replace everyone with Al and because the requirements for hire are absurd.
    via u/Sqweed69
  • Pythonixx This has been one of the most frustrating things. about job searching for me. I have a Bachelor's degree and no experience in the field. If I'm looking at entry- level or graduate jobs, the years of experience required should be ZERO.
    via u/Pythonixx
  • Consistent_Fudge... Companies definitely blur the line between junior and mid to widen the applicant pool.
    via u/Consistent_Fudge7786
  • EconomistFar666 Companies often write 3 years to filter out completely random applicants but managers will still interview someone with internships, projects or adjacent experience if they can actually do the work. The label is less about seniority and more about reducing volume.
    via u/EconomistFar666

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Scroll Down For The Next Article