Want to Start a Career? Consider Moving to One of These Cities!

It’s a tough job market out there. Trying to start your career can be a difficult proposition these days.

However, there are some places where it’s a little easier than others to start a career.

If you are struggling in your current job market, it might be time to move to a different job market.

Top 10 Cities for Starting a Career

A recent report from Wallet Hub offers a look at where you might be able to find better job opportunities. Here are the top 10 cities for starting a career:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Denver, CO
3. Irving, TX
4. Seattle, WA
5. Minneapolis, MN
6. San Francisco, CA
7. Austin, TX
8. Dallas, TX
9. Charlotte, NC
10. Houston, TX

It’s not surprising to me to see so many Texas cities on the list, mainly because Texas has long been seen as an up-and-coming state for professionals. And, indeed, the Wallet Hub list combines professional opportunities with quality of life to put together a picture of where it might make sense to start a career. Washington, D.C. is at the top, with a quality of life rank of 3 and a professional opportunities rank of 3.

I also think it’s worth noting that Salt Lake City, UT, which is near where I live, did make it in the top 20, with a rank of 13 (15 for quality of life and 45 for professional opportunities). The number one city for quality of life is Atlanta, GA, but it is only ranked at 16 overall because it is at number 106 for professional opportunities. The number one city for professional opportunities is Aurora, CO, but its rank of 106 for quality of life puts it at number 17 overall.

Should You Move to Look for Work?

One of the questions you have to ask yourself before you move, though, is whether or not it would be worth it to move to look for a new job. Sure, Washington, D.C. tops out WalletHub’s list of best cities to start a career. However, it’s an expensive place to live – especially if you want to live in a nice area. Will your new job be able to support your lifestyle? The same question has to be asked of a city like San Francisco. It might rank high on the list, but the cost of living is also very high.

When deciding where to go to look for work, you should consider how far your money will go in a new area. A city like Denver might be a good choice since it has high rankings and is high on the list. Plus, the cost of living isn’t as high as a coast city.

You should also think about the things that are important to you as a person and a family. Cities tend to have an attitude and a style. You want to be somewhere that fits your values and ideas. Otherwise, you will feel out of place, and you might not be able to cope as well with the situation.

There are a number of reasonably priced cities on the list, between an overall ranking of 10 and 35. These can be reasonable places to look for work – although you might want to hold off moving until you actually land a job.

Which city have you been thinking of moving to? How quickly do you think you’ll find a job? Leave a comment!

Miranda writes about personal finance almost every day. An experienced freelance writer, she's covered your money online and in print from every angle and is always looking for new ones.

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