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

And he thinks rising up the career ladder would still leave him vulnerable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026

Her frustration is shared by many people of her age, for whom the first rung on the career ladder can seem out of reach.

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

Mellon money appears up and down the academic career ladder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

Graduates looking for jobs have been told to find local jobs first to get on the career ladder.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2025