Right now is a great time to be looking for your next job.
Unemployment is at 4.1 percent and industries like tech and healthcare are seeing tremendous growth. While wages have not increased significantly over the past few years, changing jobs can be a great way to advance your career and increase your earnings. As with most good things, there are a few caveats — some states have incredible job markets, while others are falling behind.
Job site Indeed analyzed data from 50 major metro areas and ranked them on job market favorability, salaries, work-life balance, potential for advancement and job security. They found that these 10 cities were the best places for job seekers in 2018:
10. Washington, D.C.
Job market favorability ranking: 20
Salary ranking: 49
Work-life balance ranking: 6
Job security and advancement ranking: 4
Overall score: 42.8
9. Seattle, Washington
Job market favorability ranking: 6
Salary ranking: 18
Work-life balance ranking: 32
Job security and advancement ranking: 34
Overall score: 43.5
8. Miami, Florida
Job market favorability ranking: 45
Salary ranking: 48
Work-life balance ranking: 2
Job security and advancement ranking: 1
Overall score: 46.5
7. Sacramento, California
Job market favorability ranking: 23
Salary ranking: 11
Work-life balance ranking: 11
Job security and advancement ranking: 18
Overall score: 50.6
6. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Job market favorability ranking: 3
Salary ranking: 17
Work-life balance ranking: 21
Job security and advancement ranking: 26
Overall score: 55.4
5. Los Angeles, California
Job market favorability ranking: 26
Salary ranking: 47
Work-life balance ranking: 1
Job security and advancement ranking: 3
Overall score: 57.7
4. San Diego, California
Job market favorability ranking: 18
Salary ranking: 46
Work-life balance ranking: 4
Job security and advancement ranking: 2
Overall score: 59.1
3. Boston, Massachusetts
Job market favorability ranking: 13
Salary ranking: 16
Work-life balance ranking: 10
Job security and advancement ranking: 13
Overall score: 65.4
2. San Francisco, California
Job market favorability ranking: 2
Salary ranking: 34
Work-life balance ranking: 5
Job security and advancement ranking: 6
Overall score: 83.3
1. San Jose, California
Job market favorability ranking: 1
Salary ranking: 35
Work-life balance ranking: 3
Job security and advancement ranking: 5
Overall score: 100.0
San Jose, California — otherwise known as Silicon Valley — topped Indeed's list as the number one city for job seekers in 2018, thanks to a strong job market driven by the tech industry. Major employers in San Jose include Adobe, Cisco and Lockheed Martin. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual wage for a worker in the San Jose area is $77,180, far above the national average.
Overall, cities in California dominated the list, with strong job markets in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Sacramento. Just four cities on the east coast cracked the top 10.
Minneapolis, Minnesota was the only city in the Midwest to earn a spot in the top 10. Indeed found that Minneapolis had the third best job market favorability in the country, thanks to hiring from employers like 3M, Target and Allina Health Systems.
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