Best Cities for Jobs (2025)

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterJan 7, 2025

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer
Jan 7, 2025

With 2024 behind us, it’s time to think about fresh starts, whether that means small changes or a complete life overhaul. For many people, finding a new or better job will be a top resolution.

The job market remained strong in 2024, and unemployment stayed fairly low. Some employers even have experienced labor shortages, which puts people looking for jobs in a position of leverage when it comes to negotiating their compensation and benefits.

Ultimately, your luck of finding work depends largely on location. To help you with the job hunt, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 31 key indicators of job-market strength. They range from job opportunities per job seeker to employment growth to the monthly average starting salary.

“It’s important to look at more than just the number of jobs available or the unemployment rate when determining the best place to find employment. Quality matters just as much as quantity, from the average salaries and benefits to job security and overall satisfaction. There are plenty of secondary factors to take into account as well, from how easy a city makes commuting to jobs to whether it’s a good place for raising a family or engaging in recreational activities outside of work.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best Places to Find a Job

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Job Market Rank	Socio-economics Rank
1	Scottsdale, AZ	67.04	1	10
2	Pittsburgh, PA	66.48	3	2
3	Columbia, MD	66.38	2	11
4	South Burlington, VT	65.33	4	5
5	Portland, ME	64.29	5	15
6	Charleston, SC	61.72	6	40
7	Chandler, AZ	61.13	15	29
8	Washington, DC	61.07	11	36
9	Tempe, AZ	61.03	17	22
10	Orlando, FL	60.95	14	37
11	Austin, TX	60.90	18	19
12	Plano, TX	60.72	10	43
13	Cheyenne, WY	60.37	23	25
14	Casper, WY	60.28	24	23
15	Madison, WI	60.28	43	3
16	Boston, MA	59.84	16	60
17	Huntsville, AL	59.84	19	45
18	San Francisco, CA	59.83	41	7
19	Salt Lake City, UT	59.79	21	47
20	Gilbert, AZ	59.68	13	70
21	Virginia Beach, VA	59.64	20	49
22	Boise, ID	59.62	50	6
23	Atlanta, GA	59.48	37	14
24	Nashua, NH	59.33	48	8
25	Bismarck, ND	59.22	59	1
26	St. Louis, MO	59.20	12	88
27	Minneapolis, MN	59.17	57	4
28	Grand Rapids, MI	59.10	22	63
29	Overland Park, KS	58.99	39	20
30	Seattle, WA	58.83	46	18
31	Manchester, NH	58.66	25	61
32	Burlington, VT	58.55	52	24
33	Norfolk, VA	58.16	8	138
34	Irving, TX	58.14	9	124
35	Lewiston, ME	58.10	27	74
36	Wilmington, DE	57.88	28	83
37	Pearl City, HI	57.83	32	67
38	Chesapeake, VA	57.73	30	78
39	West Valley City, UT	57.51	47	53
40	Richmond, VA	57.34	35	90
41	Honolulu, HI	57.30	61	26
42	San Jose, CA	57.09	38	80
43	Charleston, WV	56.95	58	41
44	Raleigh, NC	56.95	49	68
45	Baltimore, MD	56.92	7	172
46	Fremont, CA	56.85	40	81
47	Peoria, AZ	56.70	36	102
48	Miami, FL	56.69	31	116
49	Warwick, RI	56.63	63	42
50	Amarillo, TX	56.43	42	99
51	Lincoln, NE	56.36	92	9
52	Tulsa, OK	56.26	44	94
53	Grand Prairie, TX	56.20	53	98
54	St. Paul, MN	56.15	89	12
55	Denver, CO	56.12	70	39
56	Tampa, FL	55.93	80	16
57	St. Petersburg, FL	55.91	68	52
58	Sioux Falls, SD	55.84	78	27
59	Huntington Beach, CA	55.83	74	38
60	Jersey City, NJ	55.81	93	13
61	Garland, TX	55.76	33	137
62	Pembroke Pines, FL	55.69	51	117
63	Dallas, TX	55.63	29	150
64	Fort Lauderdale, FL	55.56	55	111
65	Mesa, AZ	55.56	64	69
66	Omaha, NE	55.47	84	30
67	Arlington, TX	55.42	34	142
68	Phoenix, AZ	55.12	72	59
69	Portland, OR	55.11	97	17
70	San Diego, CA	55.05	96	21
71	Des Moines, IA	54.98	76	50
72	Newport News, VA	54.87	45	148
73	Cincinnati, OH	54.74	87	44
74	Charlotte, NC	54.71	60	106
75	Little Rock, AR	54.60	26	177
76	Fort Worth, TX	54.59	62	101
77	Glendale, AZ	54.41	66	103
78	Kansas City, MO	54.35	65	113
79	Colorado Springs, CO	54.30	75	76
80	San Antonio, TX	54.23	56	145
81	Columbia, SC	54.22	73	85
82	Sacramento, CA	54.09	94	55
83	Juneau, AK	53.96	81	71
84	Chattanooga, TN	53.93	54	162
85	Durham, NC	53.78	67	118
86	Fargo, ND	53.76	115	32
87	Columbus, OH	53.73	98	54
88	Spokane, WA	53.68	88	77
89	Rapid City, SD	53.65	114	35
90	Worcester, MA	53.47	85	86
91	Irvine, CA	53.46	121	34
92	Jacksonville, FL	53.16	69	129
93	Yonkers, NY	53.11	108	58
94	Garden Grove, CA	53.00	110	56
95	Cedar Rapids, IA	52.88	127	31
96	Nampa, ID	52.79	117	51
97	Oklahoma City, OK	52.75	100	82
98	Corpus Christi, TX	52.68	71	130
99	Milwaukee, WI	52.48	91	112
100	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	52.14	104	95
101	Glendale, CA	51.90	119	79
102	Nashville, TN	51.87	79	143
103	Providence, RI	51.72	126	62
104	Salem, OR	51.63	116	89
105	Rochester, NY	51.57	118	93
106	Fort Smith, AR	51.45	86	158
107	Albuquerque, NM	51.43	109	114
108	Santa Ana, CA	51.37	124	92
109	Houston, TX	51.37	101	126
110	Philadelphia, PA	51.28	107	122
111	Wichita, KS	51.23	99	131
112	Reno, NV	51.17	138	48
113	Aurora, IL	51.11	130	66
114	New Haven, CT	51.10	102	136
115	Aurora, CO	51.10	83	161
116	Tucson, AZ	51.09	119	104
117	Lubbock, TX	50.86	105	127
118	Knoxville, TN	50.74	112	134
119	Springfield, MO	50.71	111	139
120	Chicago, IL	50.50	160	28
121	Mobile, AL	50.48	90	168
122	Birmingham, AL	50.40	77	175
123	Oakland, CA	50.31	106	149
124	Tallahassee, FL	50.29	131	87
125	Henderson, NV	50.27	142	64
126	Santa Clarita, CA	50.24	137	73
127	Billings, MT	50.19	154	46
128	Anchorage, AK	50.10	133	91
129	Tacoma, WA	50.01	125	144
130	Dover, DE	49.85	95	166
131	Las Vegas, NV	49.84	167	33
132	Port St. Lucie, FL	49.78	132	107
133	Missoula, MT	49.57	158	57
134	Santa Rosa, CA	49.55	144	84
135	Buffalo, NY	49.55	148	75
136	New Orleans, LA	49.53	123	156
137	Lexington-Fayette, KY	49.45	155	65
138	Montgomery, AL	49.33	103	169
139	New York, NY	49.28	134	121
140	Laredo, TX	49.26	143	97
141	Cleveland, OH	49.13	122	164
142	El Paso, TX	49.13	156	72
143	Chula Vista, CA	48.98	139	115
144	Anaheim, CA	48.91	128	146
145	Hialeah, FL	48.86	82	180
146	Los Angeles, CA	48.78	150	96
147	Fontana, CA	48.77	147	100
148	Greensboro, NC	48.75	129	157
149	Oceanside, CA	48.60	136	135
150	Long Beach, CA	48.39	145	120
151	Louisville, KY	48.38	140	132
152	Toledo, OH	47.92	152	125
153	Riverside, CA	47.87	135	159
154	Cape Coral, FL	47.83	162	110
155	Akron, OH	47.76	153	128
156	Ontario, CA	47.70	141	151
157	Modesto, CA	47.26	166	119
158	Jackson, MS	47.25	113	181
159	Columbus, GA	47.12	149	155
160	Bridgeport, CT	47.07	146	160
161	Brownsville, TX	47.04	163	133
162	Vancouver, WA	46.93	159	141
163	Fayetteville, NC	46.45	161	153
164	Indianapolis, IN	46.40	151	165
165	Fresno, CA	46.06	157	163
166	Las Cruces, NM	45.88	171	108
167	Fort Wayne, IN	45.62	169	140
168	Winston-Salem, NC	45.31	165	171
169	Newark, NJ	45.13	164	170
170	Oxnard, CA	44.72	181	105
171	North Las Vegas, NV	44.44	177	123
172	Moreno Valley, CA	44.36	172	152
173	Shreveport, LA	44.36	168	176
174	Stockton, CA	44.17	173	154
175	Huntington, WV	43.76	182	109
176	Bakersfield, CA	43.51	180	147
177	Gulfport, MS	43.13	170	179
178	Baton Rouge, LA	42.71	179	167
179	Augusta, GA	42.60	178	174
180	San Bernardino, CA	42.41	175	173
181	Detroit, MI	41.44	176	178
182	Memphis, TN	40.77	174	182

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Job Opportunities

Most

Most
1. Pittsburgh, PA
2. South Burlington, VT
3. Scottsdale, AZ
4. St. Louis, MO
5. Orlando, FL

Fewest

Fewest
175. Fresno, CA
176. Stockton, CA
177. Newark, NJ
178. North Las Vegas, NV
179. Detroit, MI

Employment Growth

Highest

Highest
1. Norfolk, VA
2. Washington, DC
3. Charleston, SC
4. Detroit, MI
5. Casper, WY

Lowest

Lowest
176. Knoxville, TN
177. New Haven, CT
178. Irvine, CA
179. Cedar Rapids, IA
180. Nampa, ID

Monthly Average Starting Salary

Highest

Highest
1. San Jose, CA
T-2. San Francisco, CA
T-2. Oakland, CA
T-2. Fremont, CA
5. Washington, DC

Lowest

Lowest
178. Laredo, TX
179. Brownsville, TX
180. Jackson, MS
181. Juneau, AK
182. Gulfport, MS

Unemployment Rate

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Sioux Falls, SD
T-1. Rapid City, SD
T-1. Bismark, ND
T-1. Fargo, ND
T-1. Burlington, VT

Highest

Highest
T-176. Fresno, CA
T-176. North Las Vegas, NV
178. Stockton, CA
179. Newark, NJ
180. Detroit, MI

Median Annual Income*

Highest

Highest
T-1. Columbia, MD
T-1. Gilbert, AZ
T-1. Fremont, CA
T-1. Overland Park, KS
T-1. Scottsdale, AZ

Lowest

Lowest
178. Bridgeport, CT
179. Hialeah, FL
180. Cleveland, OH
181. Newark, NJ
182. Detroit, MI

Avg. Work & Commute Time

Shortest

Shortest
1. Burlington, VT
2. Huntington, WV
3. Tallahassee, FL
4. Missoula, MT
5. New Haven, CT

Longest

Longest
178. Dallas, TX
179. New York, NY
180. San Francisco, CA
181. Washington, DC
182. Jersey City, NJ

Affordable Housing

Most

Most
1. Cedar Rapids, IA
2. Akron, OH
3. Wichita, KS
4. Des Moines, IA
5. Bismarck, ND

Least

Least
178. Long Beach, CA
179. Miami, FL
T-180. Los Angeles, CA
T-180. Glendale, CA
182. New York, NY

*Note: Adjusted for cost of living

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In-Depth Look at the Best Cities for Jobs

Scottsdale, AZ

Scottsdale, AZ, is the best city for jobs in 2025, in large part because it boasts one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, which demonstrates that most residents have no trouble finding work. Scottsdale ranks first when it comes to the prevalence of paid internship opportunities as well, so it’s great for people looking for workforce experience during school.

Scottsdale doesn’t just deliver quantity when it comes to jobs, though – it has quality as well. This is evidenced by the fact that the city has one of the highest median household incomes in the country, at over $102,000, adjusted for the cost of living.

Finally, Scottsdale provides a good quality of life, ranking sixth among the best cities for recreation and 13th among the best cities for families. It’s also a safe place to live, with the 12th-lowest violent crime rate in the U.S.

Pittsburgh, PA

The second-best city for jobs is Pittsburgh, which stands out because of the number of available jobs and the quality of its companies. Pittsburgh has the most job opportunities per capita, along with the third-most full-time job opportunities per capita at companies rated 4.5+ stars on Glassdoor.

The high-quality nature of jobs in Pittsburgh is evident by the fact that residents have the ninth-highest level of job satisfaction in the nation. In addition, jobs in Pittsburgh give good benefits. For example, the city has the fourth-highest percentage of workers with access to an employer-based retirement plan.

If looking for love is a priority on top of finding a job, you’ll also be happy to know that Pittsburgh is the fourth-best city for singles. It’s also a convenient and wallet-friendly city to live in, with the 11th-best public transit system in the country and the 18th-lowest median house price.

Columbia, MD

Columbia, MD, is the third-best city for jobs, and one of the major contributing factors is that it has the highest median household incomes in the country, at nearly $124,000, adjusted for the cost of living. Columbia also ranks fourth when it comes to net employment outlook, which measures the quarterly percentage of employers who expect to add employees minus the percentage who expect to have fewer of them.

One big threat to job security in the future is automation and AI, and Columbia jobs are relatively safe from this. Columbia has the ninth-lowest share of jobs that are likely to be automated in the coming decades.

To top things off, Columbia offers affordable rent, which helps people’s income stretch further. The average annual fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment is only around 16% of the median household income in Columbia. That’s the sixth-lowest percentage in the country.

Ask the Experts

The job-hunting process can still be scary, especially during the stress of high inflation. To ease the burden on job seekers, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

What are your predictions for the job market in 2025?
Which fields are expected to grow the most in the coming years?
Recent evidence suggests fewer people are moving across state lines in search of work - why do you think this is, and what can be done to increase geographic mobility?
Which are the most common mistakes job seekers make when seeking employment?

Ask the Experts

Dylan Polkinghorne
Assistant Teaching Professor, Cofrin School of Business, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Read More

Yalcin Acikgoz
Ph.D. – Associate Professor - I/O Psychology, Department of Psychology – Appalachian State University
Read More

Andrew Burnstine
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, College of Business and Management – Lynn University
Read More

Sean Walker
Ph.D., MBA – Faculty Senate President (2024-2025 AY); Chair, University Faculty Council (2024-2025 AY), Professor of Behavioral Management, College of Business and Global Affairs – University of Tennessee at Martin
Read More

Jay Walker
Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Economics; Graduate Program Director, MA in Economics; Fulbright Scholar (Chile 2020), Strome College of Business – Old Dominion University
Read More

Mark Kurt
Ph.D. – Assistant Dean of Global Education, Professor of Economics – Elon University
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the best job markets in the U.S., WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across two key dimensions, “Job Market” and “Socio-economics.” We assigned a heavier weight to the former, considering the fact that factors in that category most heavily influence a job seeker’s decision in terms of relocation for employment.

We then evaluated the two dimensions using 31 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for job seekers. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at state level only.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the city proper in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.

Job Market – Total Points: 80

Job Opportunities: Double Weight (~6.53 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Number of Job Openings per Number of Population in Labor Force Minus Unemployment Rate.
Employment Growth: Double Weight (~6.53 Points)
Note: This metric measures the rate of annual job growth adjusted by the working-age population growth.
Monthly Average Starting Salary: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~6.53 Points)
Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Industry Variety: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Employment Outlook: Double Weight (~6.53 Points)
Note: This metric is based on the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
Automation Risk: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of jobs at risk for automation.
Job Security: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as follows: (Number of Employees in September 2024 – Number of Employees in September 2023) / Number of Employees in September 2023.
Job Satisfaction: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Share of Engaged Workers*: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Note: This metric is based on Gallup’s “State of the American Workplace” report. Gallup defines engaged employees as those who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace.
Retirement Access & Participation: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Note: This metric considers only employer-based retirement plans.
Access to Employee Benefits: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of employees with private health insurance.
Presence of Work-Share Programs*: Half Weight (~1.63 Points)
Note: This binary metric measures the presence or absence of state programs that allow employers to temporarily reduce work hours of employees instead of laying them off during economic downturns.
State’s Statute on Hiring Based on Salary History*: Half Weight (~1.63 Points)
Note: This metric measures the presence or absence of salary history bans in a state.
Full-Time Employment: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of part-time employees for every 100 full-time employees.
Access to Internships: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of paid internships per total civilian population aged 16 to 24 in the labor force.
4+ Star Full Time Job Opportunities per Total People in Labor Force: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of full time job opportunities at 4+ star rated companies on Glasssdoor.com per the total people in the labor force.
Apprentice-Trainee Jobs as Share of Total Jobs Posted on Glassdoor.com: Half Weight (~1.63 Points)
Note: Apprentice-trainee jobs refers to on-the-job training.
Share of Workers in Poverty: Double Weight (~6.53 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of employed residents whose incomes are below the poverty line.
Disability-Friendliness of Employers: Full Weight (~3.27 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of persons with disabilities who are employed.

Socio-economics – Total Points: 20

Median Annual Income: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.
Average Work & Commute Time: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures the average length of a workday and the average commute time.
Transit Accessibility of Workplace: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of jobs accessible by a 30-minute transit ride per total civilian workforce.
Transit Score: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: Transit Score is a patented measure of how well a location is served by public transit.
Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Housing Costs (accounts for both rental and sale prices) / Median Annual Household Income.
Annual Transportation Costs: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Safety: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures the crime rate.
Family-Friendliness: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family” ranking.
Dating-Friendliness: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Singles” ranking.
Recreation-Friendliness: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Recreation” ranking.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of October 1, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, Council for Community and Economic Research, Indeed, Center for Neighborhood Technology, The Pew Charitable Trusts, U.S. Department of Labor, Glassdoor, ManpowerGroup, Chmura Economics & Analytics, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Gallup-Sharecare, Industry Dive, Walk Score and WalletHub research.

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