2023's Best Cities for Jobs

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterJan 4, 2023

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer
Jan 4, 2023

With 2022 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 jobs market made quite a bit of recovery in 2022 after it took a major hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the most recent jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate is 3.7%, back to pre-pandemic levels. Many companies are now actually facing a labor shortage, which puts people looking for jobs in a position of leverage when it comes to negotiating their compensation and benefits.

College graduates from the Class of 2023 should expect to see a big boost in hiring compared to the previous class, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Employers plan to hire 15% more new graduates from the Class of 2023 than they did from the class of 2022.

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 32 key indicators of job-market strength. They range from job opportunities to employment growth to monthly average starting salary.

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best Places to Find a Job

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Job Market	Socio-economics
1	San Francisco, CA	65.40	3	4
2	Columbia, MD	65.24	6	1
3	Orlando, FL	64.15	1	36
4	San Jose, CA	63.63	5	11
5	Pittsburgh, PA	62.74	9	10
6	Fremont, CA	62.69	8	16
7	Salt Lake City, UT	62.69	4	41
8	South Burlington, VT	62.39	10	5
9	Plano, TX	61.78	7	44
10	Portland, ME	60.93	19	7
11	Seattle, WA	60.72	14	9
12	Irving, TX	60.66	2	125
13	Irvine, CA	60.02	16	19
14	Scottsdale, AZ	59.81	15	25
15	Nashua, NH	59.68	17	26
16	Tampa, FL	59.34	13	40
17	Warwick, RI	59.34	20	27
18	Minneapolis, MN	59.14	42	6
19	Pearl City, HI	59.10	24	23
20	Austin, TX	58.98	29	17
21	West Valley City, UT	58.71	22	37
22	Burlington, VT	58.54	56	3
23	Denver, CO	58.41	31	20
24	Atlanta, GA	58.02	21	64
25	Grand Prairie, TX	57.78	11	112
26	Grand Rapids, MI	57.74	26	67
27	Huntington Beach, CA	57.73	38	34
28	Chandler, AZ	57.72	41	29
29	Overland Park, KS	57.67	55	8
30	San Diego, CA	57.60	51	12
31	Charleston, SC	57.57	28	61
32	Boston, MA	57.54	30	48
33	Wilmington, DE	57.42	23	82
34	Fort Lauderdale, FL	57.42	18	100
35	Boise, ID	57.33	54	13
36	Raleigh, NC	57.22	46	33
37	St. Louis, MO	57.17	12	118
38	St. Petersburg, FL	57.03	32	62
39	Des Moines, IA	56.97	36	60
40	Virginia Beach, VA	56.56	43	56
41	Garden Grove, CA	56.53	59	28
42	Tempe, AZ	56.51	50	42
43	Jersey City, NJ	56.47	71	14
44	Cedar Rapids, IA	56.32	66	22
45	Manchester, NH	56.10	44	69
46	Sacramento, CA	55.97	48	63
47	Washington, DC	55.89	73	24
48	Jacksonville, FL	55.76	25	133
49	Pembroke Pines, FL	55.67	40	95
50	Honolulu, HI	55.65	78	15
51	Charlotte, NC	55.62	37	101
52	Santa Rosa, CA	55.44	47	83
53	Gilbert, AZ	55.43	61	54
54	Oakland, CA	55.32	35	114
55	Portland, OR	55.28	85	18
56	Reno, NV	55.25	63	55
57	St. Paul, MN	54.95	82	32
58	Dallas, TX	54.80	27	151
59	Miami, FL	54.76	58	86
60	Aurora, CO	54.47	39	131
61	New Orleans, LA	54.40	34	142
62	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	54.37	69	78
63	Durham, NC	54.30	53	97
64	Fontana, CA	54.28	70	77
65	Yonkers, NY	54.00	96	30
66	Chesapeake, VA	53.92	57	113
67	New Haven, CT	53.90	75	81
68	Juneau, AK	53.86	95	35
69	Ontario, CA	53.74	62	116
70	Billings, MT	53.72	67	107
71	Madison, WI	53.57	134	2
72	Garland, TX	53.53	45	144
73	Riverside, CA	53.33	60	128
74	Norfolk, VA	53.28	64	120
75	Providence, RI	53.26	91	68
76	Baltimore, MD	53.23	33	168
77	Glendale, AZ	53.14	74	110
78	Santa Ana, CA	53.05	83	88
79	Spokane, WA	52.98	81	93
80	Huntsville, AL	52.93	65	127
81	Colorado Springs, CO	52.91	90	74
82	Columbia, SC	52.86	68	134
83	Sioux Falls, SD	52.84	108	38
84	Las Vegas, NV	52.81	101	50
85	Rochester, NY	52.77	92	76
86	Arlington, TX	52.71	49	157
87	Omaha, NE	52.70	103	49
88	Anaheim, CA	52.55	86	99
89	Lewiston, ME	52.52	98	70
90	Bismarck, ND	52.49	104	51
91	Richmond, VA	52.37	76	140
92	Newport News, VA	52.29	52	167
93	Lincoln, NE	52.15	129	21
94	Fort Worth, TX	52.15	77	124
95	Peoria, AZ	52.10	89	109
96	Fargo, ND	52.07	124	31
97	Knoxville, TN	52.02	84	122
98	Louisville, KY	52.02	80	126
99	Oceanside, CA	51.83	97	92
100	San Antonio, TX	51.70	94	104
101	Glendale, CA	51.51	115	71
102	Kansas City, MO	51.43	87	130
103	Henderson, NV	51.34	117	72
104	Phoenix, AZ	51.24	112	87
105	Tacoma, WA	51.22	114	84
106	Chula Vista, CA	51.21	110	90
107	Tulsa, OK	51.09	88	137
108	Vancouver, WA	51.04	99	119
109	Bridgeport, CT	50.88	106	108
110	Cheyenne, WY	50.87	132	45
111	Mesa, AZ	50.81	111	103
112	Tallahassee, FL	50.80	109	102
113	Buffalo, NY	50.75	115	94
114	Nashville, TN	50.65	93	139
115	Santa Clarita, CA	50.64	133	47
116	Aurora, IL	50.61	128	66
117	Little Rock, AR	50.59	79	166
118	Cincinnati, OH	50.34	140	52
119	Philadelphia, PA	50.25	119	106
120	Nampa, ID	50.05	113	132
121	Moreno Valley, CA	49.88	100	150
122	Worcester, MA	49.81	136	73
123	Port St. Lucie, FL	49.79	118	123
124	Fresno, CA	49.76	102	143
125	Rapid City, SD	49.68	148	58
126	Columbus, OH	49.59	149	57
127	Albuquerque, NM	49.55	141	80
128	Cape Coral, FL	49.48	125	115
129	Charleston, WV	49.39	121	121
130	Birmingham, AL	49.37	72	180
131	Houston, TX	49.25	120	138
132	Los Angeles, CA	48.99	146	85
133	Anchorage, AK	48.64	144	105
134	Wichita, KS	48.58	105	165
135	Greensboro, NC	48.40	122	147
136	Lexington-Fayette, KY	48.39	162	65
137	Chicago, IL	48.26	166	59
138	Casper, WY	48.25	131	135
139	Amarillo, TX	48.19	126	145
140	Newark, NJ	48.08	137	129
141	Chattanooga, TN	47.99	107	173
142	Long Beach, CA	47.83	154	111
143	Tucson, AZ	47.82	163	75
144	Oxnard, CA	47.70	164	79
145	Modesto, CA	47.70	134	141
146	Salem, OR	47.59	158	91
147	New York, NY	47.54	161	89
148	Bakersfield, CA	47.35	147	136
149	Oklahoma City, OK	47.30	160	96
150	San Bernardino, CA	47.05	130	164
151	Laredo, TX	47.04	174	39
152	Montgomery, AL	46.74	123	170
153	Missoula, MT	46.73	171	53
154	Fort Smith, AR	46.69	127	171
155	Milwaukee, WI	46.59	165	117
156	North Las Vegas, NV	46.59	150	149
157	Dover, DE	46.50	143	162
158	Indianapolis, IN	46.49	138	169
159	Hialeah, FL	46.32	145	161
160	Fort Wayne, IN	46.08	152	152
161	Corpus Christi, TX	46.07	151	156
162	Toledo, OH	46.04	155	155
163	Lubbock, TX	46.04	153	153
164	Winston-Salem, NC	45.96	157	154
165	Mobile, AL	45.83	139	174
166	Springfield, MO	45.72	142	177
167	Cleveland, OH	45.38	156	163
168	El Paso, TX	45.33	179	43
169	Stockton, CA	45.09	159	159
170	Akron, OH	44.59	169	148
171	Fayetteville, NC	44.21	168	158
172	Baton Rouge, LA	43.14	173	160
173	Las Cruces, NM	42.98	181	46
174	Detroit, MI	42.04	167	181
175	Jackson, MS	41.96	172	175
176	Shreveport, LA	41.60	170	179
177	Huntington, WV	41.44	180	146
178	Columbus, GA	41.43	175	176
179	Gulfport, MS	41.37	177	172
180	Brownsville, TX	41.15	182	98
181	Augusta, GA	40.59	178	178
182	Memphis, TN	40.34	176	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. St. Louis, MO
2. Columbia, SC
3. Atlanta, GA
4. Orlando, FL
5. Wilmington, DE

Fewest

Fewest
175. Stockton, CA
176. Santa Clarita, CA
177. New York, NY
178. Brownsville, TX
179. North Las Vegas, NV

Employment Growth

Highest

Highest
1. New Orleans, LA
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Pembroke Pines, FL
4. Riverside, CA
5. Fontana, CA

Lowest

Lowest
176. Salem, OR
177. Cheyenne, WY
178. Cincinnati, OH
179. Chattanooga, TN
180. Madison, WI

Monthly Average Starting Salary

Highest

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

Lowest

Lowest
178. Little Rock, AR
179. Jackson, MS
180. Juneau, AK
181. Gulfport, MS
182. Fort Smith, AR

Unemployment Rate

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Fargo, ND
T-1. Bismarck, ND
T-1. Springfield, MO
T-1. Sioux Falls, SD
T-1. South Burlington, VT

Highest

Highest
T-176. Cleveland, OH
T-176. Brownsville, TX
T-178. North Las Vegas, NV
T-178. Dover, DE
180. Detroit, MI

Median Annual Income*

Highest

Highest
T-1. Columbia, MD
T-1. Gilbert, AZ
T-1. Overland Park, KS
T-1. Scottsdale, AZ
T-1. Plano, TX

Lowest

Lowest
178. New York, NY
179. Cleveland, OH
180. Hialeah, FL
181. Detroit, MI
182. Newark, NJ

Avg. Work & Commute Time

Shortest

Shortest
1. Burlington, VT
2. Tallahassee, FL
3. Missoula, MT
4. Huntington, WV
5. Las Cruces, NM

Longest

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

Affordable Housing

Most

Most
1. Cedar Rapids, IA
2. Overland Park, KS
3. Columbia, MD
4. Des Moines, IA
5. Fort Wayne, IN

Least

Least
178. Boston, MA
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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Ask the Experts

The job-hunting process can still be scary, especially during the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. To ease the burden on job seekers, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

What is your prediction for the job market in 2023?
Which fields are expected to grow the most in the coming years?
Recent evidence suggests fewer people are moving across state lines in search for 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

Anthony R. Wheeler
Ph.D. – Dean, School of Business Administration – Widener University
Read More

Brad Shuck
Professor, Human Resources and Organizational Development, College of Education and Human Development – University of Louisville
Read More

Joel Suarez
Assistant Professor, Department of Labor Studies – City University of New York School of Labor & Urban Studies
Read More

Bahaudin G. Mujtaba
MBA, DBA, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP – Professor of Human Resources / International Management, Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship – Nova Southeastern University
Read More

Steven Glazer
Professor of Economics, Department Chair of Social/Behavioral Science – Norwalk Community College
Read More

Michael D. Noel
Professor, Department of Economics – Texas Tech University
Read More

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 32 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 2022 – Number of Employees in September 2021) / Number of Employees in September 2021.
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 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 (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living.
Average Work & Commute Time: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric measures the average length of a workday and the average commute time.
Transit Accessibility of Workplace: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of jobs accessible by a 30-minute transit ride per total civilian workforce.
Transit Score: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: Transit Score is a patented measure of how well a location is served by public transit.
Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~1.67 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 (~1.67 Points)
Percentage of Residents Who Are Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19: Double Weight (~3.33 Points)
Safety: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric measures the crime rate.
Family-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family” ranking.
Dating-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Singles” ranking.
Recreation-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Recreation” ranking.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected 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, National Conference of State Legislatures, Chegg Internships, Glassdoor, ManpowerGroup, Chmura Economics & Analytics, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Gallup-Sharecare, Industry Dive, Walk Score, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and WalletHub research.

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