The United States of America is one of the economic leaders worldwide, and this security rests on the five major industries driving the US economy: healthcare, technology, construction, retail, and manufacturing. Of course, plenty of other job opportunities are available in this vast and diverse country — but which ones? And where? This is what we decided to analyze using internal SignalHire data.
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SignalHire is a database recruiters all over the world use to find candidates for their job openings. We have access to all search history made over our platform, which gives us direct insight into most in-demand positions in every corner of the world. To create this article, we have focused on the most common job openings in the US — which positions recruiters were trying to fill? And where exactly these job opportunities were available?
Below is our top ten compilation of the best places to get a job in the USA, along with the five most in-demand professions in each city. And the best part is — all info is based on the factual analysis of recruiters’ searches made in late 2023, so the trend is still hot!
1. New York
Job Growth: 1.2%
Average Annual Salary: $89,000
Top 5 In-Demand Jobs in the City: Estimator, Healthcare Banking Director, Sharepoint Developer, Software Developer, Ultrasound Technician
New York is not only one of the best cities for jobs in the USA but also a buzzing cultural and entertainment hub. It is also the major center for finance, healthcare, trade, and technology, which perfectly explains why estimators, developers, and healthcare specialists are in such demand in this vibrant city. New York is not for everyone, of course. As the saying goes, you either love it or hate it — there is no middle ground. And yet, 8+ million people living in the megapolis seem in no rush to leave it. Besides excellent career opportunities, the city has a truly unique vibe that leaves no one indifferent.
2. Los Angeles
Job Growth: 1.7%
Average Annual Salary: $86,000
Top 5 In-Demand Jobs in the City: Operations Manager, Director, CFO, Relationship Manager Corporate Banking, Sales Consultant
Another iconic city in the US, Los Angeles, is driven by the entertainment industry, international trade, and finance — which is why finance professionals always do well in this city. Salespeople with the right skillsets will also strive in the City of Angels because a motivated sales expert can find a spot in any of LA’s flourishing industries — after all, they all depend on sales to one degree or another. Los Angeles is one of the best places to find a job in the US for creative professionals and aspiring artists; besides, the LA aerospace sector is on the rise as of late.
3. Seattle
Job Growth: 0.5%
Average Annual Salary: $90,000
Top 5 In-Demand Jobs in the City: Landscape Architect, Product Manager, Data Engineer, IOS Software Engineer, Architectural Designer
Seattle is driven by a mix of traditional and high-tech economy, with the IT sector on the rise as more and more tech startups register in this city. That might explain such a high demand for landscape architects — the formerly industrial city will need new ‘chill’ areas. But jokes aside, three of the most in-demand jobs in Seattle are directly related to programming. Currently, Seattle IT startups are on the hunt for creative product managers with an understanding of price formation and product usability. So far, it looks like Seattle is one of the best cities to work in the US IT industry.
4. Chicago
Job Growth: 1.4%
Average Annual Salary: $79,000
Top 5 In-Demand Jobs in the City: Accounting Manager, Ultrasound Technician, Optician, Manager, Audit Assurance Manager
Chicago is one of the most populous US cities and one of the best places to get a job in the finance and healthcare industry. Some of the top US and international finance enterprises, including JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, and Bank of America, have offices here. The medical industry is represented by AbbVie, Baxter, Pfizer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and many other prominent names in the biotechnology sector. However, the Chicago metropolitan area has plenty of other companies as well, so qualified managers will find a lot of employment opportunities here.
5. Houston
Job Growth: 2.3%
Average Annual Salary: $79,000
Top 5 In-Demand Jobs in the City: Senior Director Business Development, Estimator, Director, CEO, Construction Manager
Houston is most famous for its aeronautics, but this buzzing southern city also has a well-established energy industry — particularly oil and gas. Like most other energy giants worldwide, Houston officials are actively exploring renewable energy sources, which calls for estimators, CEOs, and business developers to see the companies through this necessary change. Besides the energy sector, Houston has multiple job opportunities in IT, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and construction. Houston is one of the most diverse cities for jobs in the USA, so qualified experts and C-level execs can explore career opportunities in different industries.
6. Boston
Job Growth: 2.9%
Average Annual Salary: $87,000
Top 5 In-Demand Jobs in the City: CEO & Co-Founder, Electrical Engineer, Security Engineer, Manager, Talent Acquisition
Boston is one of the oldest American cities with the most robust economy. It is a global manufacturing hub and one of the best places to find a job in the US world-famous corporations, like General Electric, Liberty Mutual, and State Tower. The healthcare industry is also well-represented — the city’s major employers are Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Boston healthcare, manufacturing, and other facilities are always on the lookout for people to lead, manage, and hire new staff, which explains the most in-demand jobs in this great city.
7. Atlanta
Job Growth: 2.1%
Average Annual Salary: $77,000
Top 5 In-Demand Jobs in the City: Director of Engineering, Executive Chef, Physical Therapist, Manager, Oracle DBA
Trade and transportation are the dominant industries in Atlanta, but the city also has plenty of employment opportunities in manufacturing, finance, tech, and IT. Some of the top IT industry employers in this city include AptAmigo, Urjanet, Mailchimp, and Secureworks. So, software engineers, executives, and development experts will find Atlanta one of the best US cities for life and work. And, of course, managers with IT experience will not stay unemployed either. Besides, in fall 2023, Atlanta venues were actively looking for chefs — a good sign of a striving economy or increasing incomes — while healthcare was on the lookout for physical therapists.
8. Dallas
Job Growth: 3.3%
Average Annual Salary: $78,000
Top 5 In-Demand Jobs in the City: Field Inspector, Tax Analyst, Sourcing Manager, Ultrasound Technician, Construction Manager
Dallas is one of the best cities to work in the US finance, IT, and healthcare industry — the top sectors this city is famous for. But Dallas is also a major construction center in Texas. Some of its largest and most reputable companies are Balfour Beatty Construction, Brasfield and Gorrie, and Beck Group. Dallas’s construction industry experienced a rise in mid-2023, which is why this city now offers many career opportunities for construction experts — especially for management and supervision professionals. With construction on the rise, finance experts will have some paperwork to manage, too.
9. Minneapolis
Job Growth: 0.2%
Average Annual Salary: $79,000
Top 5 In-Demand Jobs in the City: Civil Engineer, Staff Engineer, Office Engineer, Dental Hygienist, Director of Real Estate
In the past few decades, Minneapolis has been a major hub in trade, transportation, professional services, and healthcare. Until recently, fewer people were employed in the construction sector. Now, as the economy is reviving from the Covid-19 pandemic, Minneapolis is going through a real construction boom, which explains such high demand for civil and staff engineers, along with real estate specialists. But professional services and healthcare are still important for Minneapolis’s economy, so these areas have a high demand for skilled experts.
10. San Francisco
Job Growth: 0.7%
Average Annual Salary: $112,000
Top 5 In-Demand Jobs in the City: Healthcare Banking Director, Cost Estimator, Business Development Manager, Architectural Designer, Account Executive
San Francisco is one of the most iconic US cities and one of the best places to get a job practically in any industry. Its diversified economy welcomes professionals from finance, healthcare, high-tech, and many other fields. The city has a well-defined development strategy that implies modernizing downtown, investing in science research, and actively supporting business development. That is why motivated professionals from bio-research, finance, and management have so many employment opportunities in this great city that wraps up our list of top US places for work.
Methodology
SignalHire is an international recruiting database used by thousands of professionals who want to hire the best human talent. Our service supports both individual and bulk searches based on many customizable parameters, including job location, company size, job title, necessary skills, years of experience, and much more. This gives us a very good insight into the recruiters’ factual demands.
We based this analysis on the searches made in fall 2023. First, we pulled up all search queries made via SignalHire from September to November 2023 (inclusive). Then, we filtered in to see which searches covered the USA area alone.
From the USA-exclusive search list, we picked cities with the highest number of total searches. After, we looked into each city’s search history separately to determine which jobs were in the highest demand. Finally, we have ranked the cities from highest to lowest, judging by the number of total searches in each location.
Statistics about annual job growth were taken from official US labor and government sources. When no direct information on annual job growth in the area was available, we checked statistics on unemployment rates in 2022 and 2023 and calculated the difference.
Information about average earnings was primarily taken from PayScale — a platform that anonymously collects and analyzes submissions about compensation ranges in different companies. The numbers we presented include only base salaries, without bonuses and compensation packages. Insights about job markets in each city were taken from US news publications and other reputable online resources.
Conclusion
Our analysis shows that the industries driving the US economy for decades are still striving — and the US labor market along with them. Any of these cities could be a great start for aspiring professionals willing to relocate. But perhaps you want to be sure and pick only the best US cities with the most job openings every year? Then, check out our US analysis from 2022 to see which places appear on both lists (spoiler alert: six of them do).
