career ladder

American  

[ker-eer lad-er] / kərˈɪər ˈlæd ər /

noun

career ladders plural

1. a series of jobs, roles, or positions of increasing importance or responsibility, through which one progresses or is expected to progress; corporate ladder.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• career ladders
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

career ladder

While incomes have risen for some graduates who have got jobs and stayed overseas, climbing onto the career ladder is becoming increasingly difficult for many international students.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

"I have been looking after my son for the last 15 years and it's time for me to get back on the career ladder," says the 36-year-old from Greengates.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026

The missing lower rung in today’s career ladder isn’t a problem to be solved.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025

The traditional bottom rung of the career ladder is disappearing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025

“There are a lot of rungs on the career ladder that are disappearing,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2025