Best and Worst Places to Start a Career

Deciding where to lay the foundation for a long and prosperous career can be a tall order, especially for recent graduates entering the job market for the first time. After all, there are many factors — job-market saturation, housing affordability and commuter-friendliness, for instance — to consider about each prospective area. 

Fortunately, new graduates are entering the market at a good time, as there is currently an employment shortage and many places are eager to hire. In fact, employers plan to hire 7.3% more graduates from the Class of 2025 than they did from the Class of 2024. 

In order to help new graduates start their search for a career, WalletHub compared the relative market strength and overall livability of more than 180 U.S. cities to help recent college graduates find the best cradles for their budding careers. We examined each city based on 25 key metrics that range from the availability of entry-level jobs to the average monthly starting salary to housing affordability. 

“Transitioning out of school and into the workforce can be a difficult and stressful process, but certain cities make things a lot easier than others. The best cities for starting a career not only have a lot of job opportunities but also provide substantial income growth potential and satisfying work conditions. It’s also important to consider factors such as how fun a city is to live in or how good of a place it is for raising a family, to ensure life satisfaction outside of your career.”

• Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

In-Depth Look at the Best Places to Start a Career

Atlanta, GA

Atlanta is the best place to start a career, boasting one of the highest growth rates in the median household income, at around 8.2% annually. The median annual household income in Atlanta is already pretty high as well, at nearly $85,400. 

In addition, Atlanta has a lot of job opportunities at companies that are rated at least 4 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, along with plentiful entry-level jobs, and people have a high rate of satisfaction with their jobs.

For people who want to not only start a career but also start their own business, Atlanta ranks as the eighth-best large city. It also ranks fourth among the most fun cities and it’s the best city for singles, allowing people who move for their career to also find happiness outside of work. 

Orlando, FL

Orlando, FL, is the second-best city for starting a career, boasting one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. In addition, it has the second-highest number of entry-level job openings per capita, along with lots of openings at companies rated 4 or 5 stars. 

People who get a job in Orlando have the potential to experience a lot of income growth, too, as the median household income grows by around 7.6% annually – 19th highest rate in the country. In addition, people in Orlando have higher job satisfaction than people in most other cities.

To top things off, Orlando ranks second among the most fun cities in America, so there’s plenty to do when off the clock. 

Tampa, FL

Tampa is the third-best city to start a career, with a large number of job opportunities per capita at companies rated at least 4 stars on Glassdoor. It also has the highest number of entry-level jobs per capita.

In addition, Tampa ranks as the second best large city to start a business, making it an excellent place to launch both a company and a successful career. Tampa is also the fifth best city for singles, offering a vibrant social scene alongside strong career opportunities for young professionals.