For some job seekers, the New York metro area is the place to be.
According to recent data from jobs website CareerBuilder, companies in the New York metro area posted more than 3.5 million job listings on the career website from September 2018 to September 2019.
For its analysis, CareerBuilder identified the top metro area in each state with the highest number of job openings during that 12-month period. Some metros included surrounding suburbs, even if they cross state lines. The New York metro area, for example, included job vacancies across Newark and Jersey City (both in New Jersey).
Unfortunately for job seekers, New York City also happens to be one of the most expensive places to live in the U.S.
In the New York metro area, workers earn an average salary of $61,870 per year, according to data for May 2018 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is above the national average of $51,960, but the earning power doesn't stand up to the high cost of living in the area. For example, average monthly rent in Manhattan reached $4,190 during the first half of 2019, according to a report from Rent Cafe.
While pricey cities like New York and Los Angeles rank high on the open-jobs list, other more affordable cities like Minneapolis, Nashville and millennial-friendly Seattle have been on a hiring spree in the past year.
The metro area doing the most hiring that also offers the highest average pay is Washington, D.C., where workers earn $70,980 per year. This higher-than-average salary could be due to a large share of workers in business, finance and management jobs that pay well.
Here are the metro areas with the most number of open jobs in the past year, and what people earn there:
20. Cincinnati, Ohio
Number of job openings: 555,953
Average annual pay overall: $50,030 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Surgeons, $287,850 per year
19. Nashville, Tennessee
Number of job openings: 570,384
Average annual pay overall: $48,370 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Anesthesiologists, $262,830 per year
18. Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas
Number of job openings: 595,468
Average annual pay overall: $50,200 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Psychiatrists, $254,470 per year
17. Charlotte, North Carolina
Number of job openings: 619,840
Average annual pay overall: $51,000 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Obstetricians and gynecologists, $272,870 per year
16. Portland, Oregon
Number of job openings: 646,971
Average annual pay overall: $56,160 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Psychiatrists, $266,750 per year
15. St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois
Number of job openings: 718,659
Average annual pay overall: $50,250 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Pediatricians, $271,230 per year
14. Detroit, Michigan
Number of job openings: 890,363
Average annual pay overall: $53,690 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Surgeons, $276,600 per year
13. Phoenix, Arizona
Number of job openings: 901,487
Average annual pay overall: $50,520 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Anesthesiologists, $277,950 per year
12. Denver, Colorado
Number of job openings: 913,188
Average annual pay overall: $59,440 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Obstetricians and gynecologists, $285,290 per year
11. Miami, Florida
Number of job openings: 935,042
Average annual pay overall: $48,240 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Anesthesiologists, $272,340 per year
10. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Number of job openings: 1,147,081
Average annual pay overall: $57,420 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Psychiatrists, $268,190 per year
9. Seattle, Washington
Number of job openings: 1,191,182
Average annual pay overall: $65,400 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Psychiatrists, $285,030 per year
8. Atlanta, Georgia
Number of job openings: 1,344,257
Average annual pay overall: $52,750 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Surgeons, $263,780 per year
7. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Number of job openings: 1,422,399
Average annual pay overall: $56,170 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Anesthesiologists, $271,470 per year
6. Boston, Massachusetts
Number of job openings: 1,553,944
Average annual pay overall: $63,910 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Orthodontists, $282,740 per year
5. Dallas, Texas
Number of job openings: 1,693,296
Average annual pay overall: $52,590 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Dentists, $269,160 per year
4. Washington, D.C.
Number of job openings: 2,101,962
Average annual pay overall: $70,980 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Oral surgeons, $283,480 per year
3. Chicago, Illinois
Number of job openings: 2,180,539
Average annual pay overall: $55,670 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Oral surgeons, $273,730 per year
2. Los Angeles, California
Number of job openings: 2,301,867
Average annual pay overall: $57,890 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Anesthesiologists, $286,680 per year
1. New York City, New York
Number of job openings: 3,517,639
Average annual pay overall: $61,870 per year
Highest-paid job and average annual pay: Anesthesiologists, $255,500 per year
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