Job site reveals role with the best prospects in 2016

British graduate looking for employment — The position of business development manager came out top for career progression, according to research by Glassdoor. Photograph: UK Stock Images/Alamy

Young people – abandon dreams of becoming an astronaut or a rock star. Your best job prospects in the UK lie in the role of business development manager, at a starting salary of £40,000 a year. Or if you can’t scale those heights, aim to be a finance manager instead.

Recruitment website Glassdoor looked at the number of job openings, earnings and career advancement in roles advertised on its site, and found that the role of business development manager was the best option for career success.

Other plum jobs for today’s graduates are solutions architect – you can expect to earn £63,000 a year – and personal assistant, paying a more lowly £28,000 a year.

Lawyers, engineers and medics failed to make it into the top 25 jobs, which were dominated by business and finance positions. A job title that entered the top 25 for the first time and might have excited some interest – talent acquisition specialist – turned out to be the new name for a recruitment consultant.

“Most of these jobs are roles that people can perform in multiple industry sectors, therefore the barriers to entry are low, the career prospects are good and the money is decent too,” said Diarmuid Russell of Glassdoor.

Glassdoor said salaries for business development managers were always above average and typically included the incentive of favourable bonus structures. The role could also offer variety and flexibility, it claimed, as it could be relevant in almost any industry sector, from financial services and consumer goods, to motor and technology.

Finance managers earn good money (at £55,000, it has the highest starting salary of the top three) and there is a healthy level of job openings, the report said.