Looking for work in the U.S. without any experience here yet? You are not alone, and it is less of an obstacle than it looks. Entire industries hire without asking for previous experience, train you on site, and pay from your first week.
Here are 7 of them, with what each one pays according to the U.S. Department of Labor and how fast you can actually start. If you would rather find something you can do without leaving the house, see work-from-home jobs.
1. Food service
What do you do?
You work in a restaurant, a kitchen, or a fast-food location: server, kitchen helper, dishwasher, or cashier. It is one of the industries that hires the most people with no experience anywhere in the country.
What do you need to start?
Little more than willingness. They train you on site, and the English you need at first is basic, especially in the kitchen. In many cities the kitchen runs in Spanish.
How fast can you start?
This is the fastest option on the list. Many restaurants take applications in person and interview the same day. Applying on a Tuesday and starting on Thursday is not unusual.
What does it pay?
The median wage is $14.92 an hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor using 2024 data. In tipped roles what you take home is usually higher, and it varies a lot by location and shift.
2. Construction
What do you do?
You work on site as a general helper: carrying material, preparing the site, demolition, supporting the skilled trades. Over time you can specialize in plumbing, electrical, or finishing work, which pay considerably more.
What do you need to start?
Physical fitness and a willingness to work outdoors. No experience is required to start as a helper. An OSHA 10 safety certification takes 1 day, costs little, and opens up more sites.
How fast can you start?
Fast, especially through direct contact. Many crews hire on a recommendation from someone already working there, so tell the people you know before you start looking at listings.
What does it pay?
The median wage for construction laborers and helpers is $46,050 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor using 2024 data. It is the best-paid job on this list, and it rises sharply once you specialize in a trade.
3. Warehouses and distribution centers
What do you do?
You pick and pack orders, load and unload, move material, and organize inventory. Large logistics companies hire year round and scale up heavily in peak season.
What do you need to start?
The ability to stand for hours and lift weight. Experience and advanced English are rarely required, because the work is learned in a few days.
How fast can you start?
Very fast. Large warehouses hire online in batches and sometimes give you a start date in under a week.
What does it pay?
The median wage is $37,680 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor using 2024 data. Night and weekend shifts usually pay more per hour.
4. Cleaning and maintenance
What do you do?
You clean offices, buildings, hotels, or homes. That can be for a cleaning company or on your own with your own clients.
What do you need to start?
Nothing beyond a willingness to work. No experience or English is required, and it is one of the jobs that most often hires people who are just getting started in the country.
How fast can you start?
Fast with a company, and almost immediately on your own. Start with people you know and ask for referrals, because in cleaning nearly all the work arrives that way.
What does it pay?
The median wage is $17.27 an hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor using 2024 data. On your own you set your rates and usually earn more, though you cover supplies and transport.
5. Delivery
What do you do?
You deliver food or packages. That can be through an app like DoorDash or Uber Eats, where you choose your hours, or with a delivery company, where you have a fixed shift and steady pay.
What do you need to start?
A reliable vehicle, a valid driver's license, insurance, and a background check. Apps also require a phone with data.
How fast can you start?
With an app, as soon as your background check clears, which usually takes a few days. With a company the process is longer but the income is steadier.
What does it pay?
The median wage for driver/sales workers is $37,130 a year, and light truck drivers earn a median of $44,140, according to the U.S. Department of Labor using 2024 data. If you use your own car, subtract gas and maintenance before comparing.
6. Retail and cashier work
What do you do?
You work the floor in a store: taking payment, stocking merchandise, helping customers find what they need. Supermarkets and clothing stores hire constantly.
What do you need to start?
A friendly manner and some English, because you will be talking to customers all day. No experience is required and training is short.
How fast can you start?
Fast, and faster if you apply in person. Many stores post a hiring sign on the door and interview on the spot.
What does it pay?
The median wage for retail sales workers is $34,730 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor using 2024 data. It is a good entry point while your English is still growing, because you practice it every day.
7. Home care aide
What do you do?
You support older adults or people with a disability in their own homes: preparing meals, helping them move around, keeping track of medication, running errands.
What do you need to start?
Patience and a caring manner. Many states require a short certification course, which the agency often pays for. There is also a background check.
How fast can you start?
It depends on your state's certification, so allow 1 to 3 weeks. Slower than the others, but it is one of the fastest-growing jobs on this list.
What does it pay?
The median wage is $34,900 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor using 2024 data. Demand grows every year as the older population keeps increasing.
How to get hired faster
Apply in person. For restaurants, stores, and cleaning this still works better than any website. Go mid-morning or mid-afternoon when it is quiet, and ask for the manager.
Use a temp agency. This is the fastest route and the one fewest people use. Agencies place people in warehouses, factories, and cleaning within days, and many temporary placements turn permanent.
Tell the people who already know you. In construction and cleaning most positions are filled by referral before they are ever posted.
Try peak season. Between October and January, stores, warehouses, and delivery companies hire far more people and ask for less.
How to get paid for what you earn
Nearly all of these jobs pay by direct deposit, so you will need a U.S. account before your first paycheck.
1. Open your account. With MAJORITY you can open one using your passport, your driver's license, or an ID from your home country, with no Social Security number. See how the MAJORITY account works.
2. Set up direct deposit. With your routing and account number you can receive your pay up to 2 days early, depending on when whoever pays you sends it. If you work with delivery apps, here are the steps for getting paid sooner as a gig worker.
3. Send home what you can. From the same app you can send money to your family.
And if you want the full process, from work authorization through the interview, it is in the ultimate guide to getting a job in the U.S. as a migrant.
Frequently asked questions
What jobs in the U.S. hire without experience?
Food service, cleaning, warehouse work, retail, and construction hire the most people with no previous experience. All of them train you on site, and hiring usually takes days rather than weeks.
Which of these jobs pays the most?
Construction, with a median of $46,050 a year. Light truck delivery follows at $44,140 and warehouse work at $37,680. All 3 pay more because they are physically demanding.
Can I work in the U.S. if I do not speak English?
In kitchens, cleaning, warehouses, and construction people work every day with very basic English, and many crews run in Spanish. Retail and home care do require you to talk with customers, so English matters more there.
Which job can I start the fastest?
Food service and cleaning. In both you can apply in person and start within days. A temp agency is the other fast route, especially for warehouse work.
Do I need papers to work in the U.S.?
Working legally requires employment authorization, and every immigration situation is different, so check yours with an immigration attorney or a legal aid organization. What you can do without a Social Security number is open an account to get paid, using your passport or an ID from your home country.
Disclosures
The MAJORITY app facilitates banking services through Axiom Bank, N.A. (“Axiom”), Member FDIC. The funds deposited in the account held at Axiom, Member FDIC, are FDIC-insured on a pass-through basis up to $250,000 per depositor in the event Axiom fails and subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. The MAJORITY Visa® debit card is also issued by Axiom pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Non-deposit products and services such as money transfers and telecom services are not FDIC-insured.