15 Best US Cities to Find a Job: 2018

Twenty-nine percent of U.S. job applications in metropolitan areas would likely require people to move, and American workers are showing their willingness to do so for the right opportunity, the job and recruiting site Glassdoor reported last week.

“In today’s labor market, highly skilled job seekers are in an incredible position to find top jobs no matter where they live,” Glassdoor economic research analyst Amanda Stansell said in a statement. At the same time, Stansell said, the popularity of many major metropolitan hubs may be overshadowing the potential benefits of several midsize cities.

Glassdoor’s job report identified the 25 best cities for jobs in 2018; we’ve picked out the top 15. The company compiled the list by ranking U.S. metro areas with its highest city score, determined by weighing three factors equally:

How easy it is to get a job there: the ratio of active job openings (on Glassdoor as of Aug. 31) to population
How affordable it is to live there: the ratio of median annual base salary to median metro home value
How satisfied employees are working there: based on at least 1,500 company reviews shared by local employees on Glassdoor in the year to Aug. 15

As part of the report, Glassdoor included each metro area’s median pay for employees, median home value (as of July, according to Zillow Research), job satisfaction rating, number of current job openings and a selection of local in-demand jobs.

Midsize Cities Often Trump Popular Tech and Finance Hubs

Ohio had the most cities represented among the 2018 top 25, while Missouri, Pennsylvania and North Carolina were each represented with two cities.

However, several of the country’s hot technology and finance hubs — including New York City, Los Angeles and San Jose, California — did not make it onto the top 25 list, primarily because of their high cost of living.

“While several of the cities highlighted in this report might fly under the radar, many are experiencing booming local economies, complete with a healthy dose of new job prospects and strong home affordability,” Stansell said.

“Plus, employees working in these cities often find themselves quite satisfied in their jobs. In turn, this can benefit local employers as studies show a correlation between high employee satisfaction and better business performance.”

Check out the gallery for the 15 best cities to find a job this year.

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