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The average salary for management trainees is $48,477 annually, with variations based on factors like experience and state. Entry-level positions may start lower, around $40,000, while experienced trainees can earn over $60,000. Industries such as finance and technology often offer higher salaries.
Location significantly impacts earnings. States like California and New York typically present the highest salaries for management trainees. For example, trainees in California earn an average of $53,000, while those in Texas average $45,000.
Experience plays a crucial role in salary progression. Entry-level trainees earn around $40,000, while those with several years of experience can expect salaries closer to $55,000 or more.
Management trainee positions are widely available across numerous sectors. This role serves as an excellent entry point for those looking to advance into management positions. By understanding salary ranges and opportunities, potential candidates can make informed career decisions.
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The highest-paying states for management trainees are New Jersey, Alaska, and Washington. The lowest average management trainee salary states are Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $59,650 | $28.68 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $56,059 | $26.95 |
| 3 | Alaska | $57,830 | $27.80 |
| 4 | Delaware | $53,042 | $25.50 |
| 5 | Nevada | $56,478 | $27.15 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $56,319 | $27.08 |
| 7 | Washington | $56,683 | $27.25 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $51,736 | $24.87 |
| 9 | Colorado | $56,594 | $27.21 |
| 10 | Hawaii | $53,935 | $25.93 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $49,783 | $23.93 |
| 12 | New York | $51,891 | $24.95 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $52,231 | $25.11 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $52,017 | $25.01 |
| 15 | Kansas | $49,083 | $23.60 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $46,606 | $22.41 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $48,982 | $23.55 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $47,996 | $23.07 |
| 19 | Michigan | $46,923 | $22.56 |
| 20 | Oregon | $50,914 | $24.48 |
| 21 | California | $52,040 | $25.02 |
| 22 | Ohio | $46,590 | $22.40 |
| 23 | Mississippi | $46,208 | $22.22 |
| 24 | Texas | $47,730 | $22.95 |
| 25 | Montana | $49,801 | $23.94 |
| 26 | Virginia | $48,645 | $23.39 |
| 27 | Utah | $46,248 | $22.23 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $56,349 | $27.09 |
| 29 | Indiana | $45,958 | $22.10 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $47,495 | $22.83 |
| 31 | Illinois | $47,024 | $22.61 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $48,076 | $23.11 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $46,563 | $22.39 |
| 34 | Maryland | $49,375 | $23.74 |
| 35 | Vermont | $48,987 | $23.55 |
| 36 | Idaho | $48,212 | $23.18 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $48,195 | $23.17 |
| 38 | Missouri | $47,399 | $22.79 |
| 39 | Georgia | $47,751 | $22.96 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $46,266 | $22.24 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $44,510 | $21.40 |
| 42 | Florida | $46,422 | $22.32 |
| 43 | Maine | $46,583 | $22.40 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $44,319 | $21.31 |
| 45 | Arizona | $46,323 | $22.27 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $43,699 | $21.01 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $45,358 | $21.81 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $44,894 | $21.58 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $34,410 | $16.54 |
| 50 | Alabama | $40,354 | $19.40 |
| 51 | Iowa | $43,218 | $20.78 |
The highest-paying cities for management trainees are Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, and Las Vegas, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $57,022 | $27.41 |
| 2 | Denver, CO | $56,661 | $27.24 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $56,201 | $27.02 |
| 4 | Sacramento, CA | $53,694 | $25.81 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $52,156 | $25.07 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $51,898 | $24.95 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $51,746 | $24.88 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | $50,839 | $24.44 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $49,505 | $23.80 |
| 10 | Kansas City, KS | $49,097 | $23.60 |
| 11 | Milwaukee, WI | $49,048 | $23.58 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $48,336 | $23.24 |
| 13 | Manchester, NH | $48,209 | $23.18 |
| 14 | San Antonio, TX | $48,049 | $23.10 |
| 15 | Tulsa, OK | $48,002 | $23.08 |
| 16 | Columbus, GA | $47,884 | $23.02 |
| 17 | Kansas City, MO | $47,485 | $22.83 |
| 18 | Omaha, NE | $47,448 | $22.81 |
| 19 | Cleveland, OH | $47,374 | $22.78 |
| 20 | Chicago, IL | $47,168 | $22.68 |
Management Trainees are the most in-demand in these five cities:
A management trainee's salary ranges from $38,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $61,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| 75th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
| Average | $48,477 | $4,040 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
The highest paying types of management trainees are team leader, sales leader, and department manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floor Supervisor | $27,963 | $2,330 | $13.44 | 321,113 |
| Key Holder | $31,779 | $2,648 | $15.28 | 431,956 |
| Shift Supervisor | $34,141 | $2,845 | $16.41 | 282,079 |
| Sales Leader | $68,699 | $5,725 | $33.03 | 458,558 |
| Team Leader | $68,817 | $5,735 | $33.09 | 197,336 |
| Sales Supervisor | $40,860 | $3,405 | $19.64 | 424,088 |
Top companies hiring management trainees now:
Management trainee salaries at BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average management trainee salary at companies like IBM and Reckitt Benckiser are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BNSF Railway | $72,922 | $35.06 |
| 2 | Canadian Pacific Railway | $70,433 | $33.86 |
| 3 | IBM | $67,673 | $32.54 |
| 4 | Reckitt Benckiser | $66,775 | $32.10 |
| 5 | Seneca Foods | $66,527 | $31.98 |
| 6 | Bayer | $66,189 | $31.82 |
| 7 | Beef Products | $64,562 | $31.04 |
| 8 | Loup Logistics | $63,114 | $30.34 |
| 9 | Beacon Building Products | $63,037 | $30.31 |
| 10 | Norfolk Southern | $60,994 | $29.32 |
| 11 | Kinney Drugs | $59,995 | $28.84 |
| 12 | Capitol Broadcasting | $59,752 | $28.73 |
| 13 | Reynolds American | $59,354 | $28.54 |
| 14 | Sun Chemical | $59,029 | $28.38 |
| 15 | Forever 21 | $58,797 | $28.27 |
| 16 | Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32 | $58,792 | $28.27 |
| 17 | Foster Farms | $58,689 | $28.22 |
| 18 | Oldcastle Infrastructure | $58,637 | $28.19 |
| 19 | Uline | $57,652 | $27.72 |
| 20 | Thomson Reuters | $56,628 | $27.23 |
The average management trainee salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $53,299 | $25.62 |
| 2 | Transportation | $52,024 | $25.01 |
| 3 | Professional | $50,625 | $24.34 |
| 4 | Finance | $50,592 | $24.32 |
| 5 | Retail | $48,659 | $23.39 |
| 6 | Automotive | $47,665 | $22.92 |
| 7 | Hospitality | $45,668 | $21.96 |
The average management trainee salary has risen by $5,946 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average management trainee earned $42,531 annually, but today, they earn $48,477 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for management trainees over the last decade.
Compare management trainee salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare management trainee salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48,500 | $23.31 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $47,000 | $22.62 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $46,200 | $22.21 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $44,900 | $21.61 | -1.3% |
| 2021 | $45,500 | $21.88 | +1.9% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryder System | Operations Management Trainee | Tigard, OR | 06/30/2025 | $58,000 |
| Ryder System Inc. | Operations Management Trainee | Rochester, NY | 06/30/2025 | $45,000 |
| Ryder System Inc. | Operations Management Trainee | White River Junction, VT | 06/30/2025 | $45,000 |
| Ryder System Inc. | Operations Management Trainee | Boise, ID | 06/30/2025 | $45,000 |
| Ryder System | Rental Management Trainee | Highland Park, MI | 06/30/2025 | $50,000 |
| Ripplematch | SRS Distribution-South Management Trainee, Application VIA Ripplematch | Oklahoma City, OK | 06/29/2025 | $53,219 |
| Cintas | Management Trainee | San Diego, CA | 06/28/2025 | $69,000 |
| Ryder System Inc. | Warehouse Management Trainee | Bay City, MI | 06/28/2025 | $55,000 |
| Enterprise Rent-A-Car | Management Trainee | Asheboro, NC | 06/28/2025 | $50,025 |
| Silgan Containers Mfg Corp | Production Management Trainee | Riverside, CA | 06/28/2025 | $68,400 |
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