Top 7 Cities for Financial Services Job Seekers: 2011

San Francisco is the best city to find a job in the financial industry, according to a report from Accounting Principals, an accounting and finance staffing provider. The firm used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify the top seven cities for job seekers hoping to get into the financial industry.

San Francisco’s proximity to Silicon Valley, a large community of venture capitalists and the highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the United States led Accounting Principals to rate the city as the best for financial jobs.

The firm also noted that growth in the technology industry in Northern California has allowed other sectors to grow as well, including the financial services industry.

(A separate study lists the top 10 cities in the country by their prospects for economic growth. See AdvisorOne article here.)

The second best city for the financial services industry was Denver, on account of its growing oil and gas companies, and an improving manufacturing industry. Professionals with experience in tax, cost accounting, treasury, and renewable energy finance will do well in Denver, according to the report.

Janette Marx, senior vice president of Accounting Principals, expressed optimism that increased demand for financial professionals among employers is an indication businesses are confident. “Given that finance and accounting positions are not directly revenue-generating positions like sales,” she said in a statement, “an uptick in demand for these professionals indicates that businesses are starting to grow again and they have increased confidence in the economy.”

The top seven cities in which to find a job in the financial services industry are: 7. Miami (left). Photo: AP