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The 10 best US states to find a job in 2019

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Atlanta, Georgia
Steve Kelley | Getty Images

With unemployment at just 4 percent, 2019 is shaping up to be a good year for workers. Since wages are just beginning to budge, one of the only ways for many workers to earn a raise is to get a new job — and experts say the first quarter of the year is the best time to do it.

Both Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.com and Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor tell CNBC Make It that the first quarter is the best time to look for a new job because hiring managers have new budgets to work with.

The other factor to consider is geography. Zippia surveyed thousands of workers and analyzed data from the BLS and the American Community Survey to determine which states had the optimal balance of low unemployment, low cost of living and steady wage increases.

What they found is that many states not typically known for hot labor markets can provide good opportunities for workers willing to move and grow.

Here are the 10 best states to find a job in 2019, according to Zippia:

10. Georgia

Population: ~10,201,635

Median Income: ~$52,977

Unemployment Rate: ~3 percent

9. North Carolina

Raleigh, North Carolina
Swapan Jha | Getty Images

Population: ~10,052,564

Median Income: ~$50,320

Unemployment Rate: ~3 percent

8. New Hampshire

Population: ~1,331,848

Median Income: ~$71,305

Unemployment Rate: ~2 percent

7. Missouri

Ladue is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis
Walter Bibikow | Getty Images

Population: ~6,075,300

Median Income: ~$51,542

Unemployment Rate: ~3 percent

6. South Dakota

Population: ~855,444

Median Income: ~$54,126

Unemployment Rate: ~3 percent

5. Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma
Davel5957 | Getty Images

Population: ~3,896,251

Median Income: ~$49,767

Unemployment Rate: ~3 percent

4. Nebraska

Population: ~1,893,921

Median Income: ~$56,675

Unemployment Rate: ~2 percent

3. Virginia

Photos by Coyle | Getty Images

Population: ~8,365,952

Median Income: ~$68,766

Unemployment Rate: ~2 percent

2. Minnesota

Population: ~5,490,726

Median Income: ~$65,699

Unemployment Rate: ~2 percent

1. Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa
Twenty20

Population: ~3,118,102

Median Income: ~$56,570

Unemployment Rate: ~2 percent

New York and California are notably missing from the list. Instead, Zippia's calculations found that states like Iowa and Minnesota provide the right combination of job opportunities and a low cost of living.

New Hampshire came in eighth on Zippia's list. The Granite State reported the highest median income of any on the list, roughly $71,305 a year.

"Based on surveys of our 100,000+ users, the two most important factors in finding a job are salary and location. We tried to help them answer that question by providing research on the states in America that have improving labor markets and rising salaries," Chris Kolmar, Co-Founder of Zippia, tells CNBC Make It. "The most recent data shows that states like Iowa and Minnesota have great opportunities for employment, especially relative to the lower costs of living in those areas."

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