Online employment emporium CareerCast.com has 10 suggestions for job-seekers looking to relocate to cities to get the most bang for their salary buck. "Whether you're a recent college grad or someone looking for high-paying careers in metropolitan areas with a low cost of living, CareerCast's Best Places to Live and Work report is a guide to some of the best places to consider," according to the site.

CareerCast.com staff cross-referenced the salaries of the 200 careers tracked by the site's Jobs Rated report, "broken down by metropolitan area via the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics," site editors said. "We then measured average cost of living in cities that paid comparatively well in a broad range of sectors, using Payscale.com's Cost of Living Calculator, with data via the Council for Community and Economic Research."

CNBC.com shares CareerCast.com's picks of the best U.S. cities for return on salary.

Source: Careercast.com
Posted 21 December 2016

"Median household income: $63,603

Average cost of living (per national average): –6 percent

Unemployment rate: 2.9 percent

The Texas capital and home to the University of Texas-at-Austin is a buzzing hot spot for tourism. Austin has one of the best music scenes in America, spotlighted each March with the South-By-Southwest Festival.

For residents, Austin is an inexpensive place to live, with burgeoning career opportunities. The city has a growing tech sector, and it's one of the highest-paying cities in America for petroleum engineers and logisticians."

Source: Careercast.com

"Median household income: $56,371

Average cost of living (per national average): –10 percent

Unemployment rate: 3.8 percent

Ohio's capital city is one of the best-paying areas in America for a diverse range of jobs, [such as] economists and fashion designers. With an average cost of living 10 percent below the national average, Columbus is also one of the most affordable major cities in the United States."

Source: Careercast.com

"Median household income: $51,988

Average cost of living (per national average): –8 percent

Unemployment rate: 4.2 percent

Part of North Carolina's ballyhooed Research Triangle, Durham is a growing professional hub of the United States.

Among the high-paying careers in which Durham ranks as a top-paying city are public relations executive and corporate executive."

Source: Careercast.com

"Median household income: $52,430

Average cost of living (per national average): 0 percent

Unemployment rate: 3.5 percent

The 'Metroplex,' which also includes Dallas, is booming. The area built its economy and reputation on the oil industry, which remains an important part of its job-market identity.

However, Fort Worth–Arlington ranks as one of the highest-paying cities in America for a range of different fields, [such as] actuary, veterinarian and psychiatrist."

Source: Careercast.com

"Median household income: $60,072

Average cost of living (per national average): –1 percent

Unemployment rate: 4.8 percent

Houston is an economic gem in that it pays comparably to places [such as] New York and San Francisco, and has a similarly diverse job-market landscape, yet cost of living is more in line with the rest of the Texas.

No matter your sector, chances are Houston offers well-paid opportunities, at a cost of living below the national average."

Source: Careercast.com

"Median household income: $52,046

Average cost of living (per national average) : –10 percent

Unemployment rate: 2.5 percent

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the agricultural industry power Lincoln, a low-cost small metropolitan area. Lincoln's also seeing residual impact from its close proximity to Omaha, a burgeoning epicenter of the financial industry."

Source: Careercast.com

"Median household income: $77,574

Average cost of living (per national average): –3 percent

Unemployment rate: 4.3 percent

Located south of Lubbock and east of Odessa, Midland is an integral city in the U.S. energy industry, reflective in the attractive salary averages for petroleum engineers and geologists in this West Texas city.

Midland's job growth of nearly 8 percent in recent years has help push the unemployment rate below the national average."

Source: Careercast.com

"Median household income: $52,293

Average cost of living (per national average): –4 percent

Unemployment rate: 5.7 percent

Of the major cities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, Pittsburgh ranks as one of the most affordable by a considerable margin. Its average cost of living is below the national average, a rarity when compared to nearby Allentown (+6 percent), Philadelphia (+20 percent), Baltimore (+9 percent) and Bethesda (+26 percent).

Like other cities in our Top 10, Pittsburgh has a thriving university landscape. It's also an important hub in the insurance industry."

Source: Careercast.com

"Median household income: $45,856

Average cost of living (per national average): –2 percent

Unemployment rate: 5.0 percent

With the University of Arizona as its nucleus, Tucson is a fast-growing city with a diverse job market. It ranks as one of the highest-paying cities for health-care fields, including psychiatrist and surgeon. The massive University of Arizona Medical Center plays a role in the Old Pueblo's growing health-care sector."

Source: Careercast.com

"Median household income: $53,300

Average cost of living (per national average): –9 percent

Unemployment rate: 3.4 percent

Surgeons and dentists in Wausau are among the nation's highest-paid. The city's overall median household income ($53,300) is right in line with the national average, per the U.S. Census, while also maintaining an average cost of living well below the national average."

Source: Careercast.com