Finding work in a new city isn’t always easy, but with the right research you can determine which cities have the best job markets and opportunities for employment. Depending on the industry in which you work, you might be able to find more favorable conditions in cities that would give you a more advantageous chance at your dream career. Using data from WalletHub, we evaluated a variety of factors to name the seven best cities to find a job. They also happen to be great places to live.
7. Chandler, Arizona
The entrepreneurial spirit of the progressive city of Chandler, Arizona, is what earned its place on our seven best cities to find a job list. Chandler is home to satellite office locations for many technology companies, including Intel. Four Fortune 500 companies are the top employers here: Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Verizon Wireless, and PayPal.
6. Rancho Cucamonga, California
Not far from Los Angeles is the suburban city of Rancho Cucamonga, located at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in San Bernardino, California. Its low unemployment rate and top annual job growth numbers indicate that more and more people are finding employment with ease here.
5. San Francisco, California
San Francisco is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of Northern California and arguably the entire West Coast. It is the headquarters of five major banking institutions and various other companies, including Levi Strauss & Co., Gap Inc., Fitbit, Dropbox, Reddit, Yelp, Pinterest, Twitter, Uber, Lyft, and Craigslist.
4. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the most populous city in the state of South Dakota, which currently boasts a population of less than 900,000 residents. Sioux Falls also has the fastest growing metro area in South Dakota, with a number of financial institutions accounting for its growth. Top employers include MetaBank, First Premier Bank, and Great Western Bank.
3. Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida, is known as “the theme park capital of the world”, but it is also a city with a lot of job opportunities due to its booming tourist industry. It is one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations, bringing in visitors from every corner of the globe. Orlando’s famous attractions include multiple theme parks at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando, plus outdoor water parks and plenty of other entertainment venues.
2. Plano, Texas
The city of Plano, Texas, is an affluent hub for many corporate headquarters, including Cinemark Theatres, Dell Services, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Frito-Lay, J.C. Penney, and Pizza Hut, and there tend to be plenty of full-time positions available on the job market. The housing market in Plano is great as well, meaning it could be an affordable place to call home.
1. Scottsdale, Arizona
Tourism is Scottsdale’s primary industry, accounting for 39% of the city’s workforce. This large hospitality market includes jobs at more than 70 resorts and hotels. Residents of Scottsdale have been known to receive great employee benefits for their work in the tourism industry, along with plenty of internship opportunities and low costs for transportation. These are just a few of the many reasons Scottsdale tops our list of the best cities to find a job.