Emerging adulthood is a time of both expected and unexpected life changes (e.g., Arnett, 2000). One anticipated transition that early adults face is entering the formal workforce for the first time, which may present unexpected challenges as they put into practice knowledge and skills regarding pay, benefits, and negotiation they may have observed or learned about at home or at school. The development of these skills emphasizes independence, autonomy, and financial freedom in ways that have not been previously explored (Harris, 2004; Raby et al., 2018) While these experiences allow emerging adults to develop independence, both socially and financially (Raby et al., 2018), many adolescents and early adults are not equipped with the proper financial literacy they need to succeed in the workforce (BMO Wealth Management, 2017). Adult literature indicates that negotiating for pay results in increased work benefits, one of which is higher overall salary (e.g., Kugler et al., 2018). Documented gender differences exist between males and females in terms of preparedness for the workforce both in financial knowledge (e.g., Danes & Haberman, 2007; Saari et al., 2017), and the ways in which they negotiate (or fail to negotiate) for higher pay (e.g., Babcock et al., 2006; Kugler et al. 2018). This study extended current literature by investigating preparedness for the workforce among emerging adults. Knowledge about wages, experiences in both paid formal and casual jobs, and experience with negotiating in the workplace were assessed and examined as a function of gender. In total, 251 participants (131 females) aged 18-19 years (M= 18.44) completed a survey to assess knowledge about wage, workforce readiness, and experiences with negotiation. Key findings were, (a) adolescents indicated that they had learned more about finances and career preparation through their family compared to through formal financial education in school, (b) only 20 participants indicated that they have negotiated for a higher wage in the past, and this finding did not differ as a function of gender, (c) females indicated that they were paid significantly less money per hour for casual jobs compared to males, however, males and females were paid relatively equivalent wages per hour for formal work, and (d) awareness of current minimum wage standards were present in only half the participants, with an even smaller portion correctly identifying the current rate of student wage. The results indicate that overall, emerging adults could benefit from further education and experience in preparing for transitioning into the workforce. Although gender differences did not completely replicate those found in adult populations, some similar patterns emerged and are discussed with respect to future gender disparity in knowledge and work preparation. Overall, discussion centres on current trends among emerging adults with respect to future directions needed to maximize successful transition to the formal work environment.