With talk of a recession looming and good jobs harder to come by in select industries like technology and finance, it’s not outlandish to consider moving to a new city for better opportunities.
In addition to higher pay, job seekers are increasingly on the hunt for flexible or hybrid work options and a greater sense of work-life balance. But some people can be limited by the place they live. When local jobs are scarce, you may find yourself jumping on an opportunity that isn't a good fit, locking you into an unfulfilling or low-paying career.
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Given economic conditions, it can be hard to believe that high-paying jobs are still out there. And yet, according to a new report by background-check company Checkr, multiple locales with robust job markets across the U.S. prove otherwise.
Checkr evaluated various government datapoints related to jobs in the 100 largest U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas, including: unemployment rate, labor force growth, percentage of jobs open, 10-year income growth, and percentage of households earning more than $200,000.
It then tabulated the results and calculated an overall score for each metro. Places with the strongest employment opportunities and the highest-earning workers fared the best.
Here's more about the top 10:
1. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN. This metro area earns a top total grade of 86.7 out of 100. The region has a low rate of unemployment at 3.5%—the same as the national rate.
2. Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX. Austin has a long tradition of robust business conditions and high job satisfaction. Wages are also up in 2023, with the average salary up 7% over the past year.
3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA. Technology-friendly San Jose offers some of the best income opportunities in the U.S., with an average salary of $127,500 in 2023.
4. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO. Denver has had an unemployment rate below 3.0% for nine consecutive months, boasting a 2.8% unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2023.
5. Raleigh-Cary, NC. Raleigh is ranked as the fifth-highest U.S. jobs market and is set to see billions of dollars of investment flow into the city.
6. Salt Lake City, UT. Salt Lake City ranks favorably on the nationwide unemployment front with a current 2.1% jobless rate. With corporate brands like 3M and Microsoft moving into the area, the region is often regarded as one of the best places to live.
7. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. Seattle is not only home to Microsoft, it’s home to Amazon, Nordstrom, and Boeing. With average annual pay of about $80,000, the region also has developed a reputation as a high-paying area, especially for tech professionals.
8. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA. San Francisco shares the Silicon Valley brand with San Jose. With both Stanford and the University of California nearby, the talent pipeline is consistently flowing for the numerous tech startups and stalwarts in the region.
9. Madison, WI. Home to the University of Wisconsin, Madison also offers companies a steady flow of talented workers, but transplants will find plenty of opportunities as well. Maybe that’s why the region’s unemployment rate is the lowest in the U.S. as of April 2023.
10. Provo-Orem, UT. Provo is another bright light for job seekers in Utah. Last year The Wall Street Journal ranked the region the second-hottest small-city job market in the U.S.
