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What Are the Best Cities for Entry-Level Jobs?

Like many recent graduates, you’re probably wondering where you should be headed in order to snag those coveted entry-level jobs. But ponder no longer, because we’ve put together a list of the best places, both to live and to work, in the United States. Check out our list to see the cities’ top industries for entry-level jobs and click on the map to view the cost of living, monthly rent, and average entry-level job starting salaries for each town.

Things we noticed…
Texas continues its job growth trend. Austin tops our list as the best place to move for entry-level jobs, where Pearson Education, Electronic Arts, and Yahoo! have promising career starts. Not surprisingly, Silicon Valley outside of San Jose on the West Coast is the place to be for the ever-growing tech industry, housing such powerhouses as Google and Apple, with Facebook and Salesforce.com not a stone’s throw away. Rounding out our top three cities is the nation’s capital where—surprise, surprise—government and tourism rule the city’s industries.

  1. Austin, TX
    Healthcare, Business and Professional Services, and Manufacturing
  2. San Jose, CA
    Technology and Education
  3. Washington, D.C.
    Government and Tourism
  4. Boston, MA
    Education, Biotechnology, Tourism, and Financial Services
  5. Houston, TX
    Aerospace and defense, Energy, and Bioscience
  6. Oklahoma City, OK
    Technology and energy
  7. Denver, CO
    Aerospace, Telecommunications, and Technology
  8. Raleigh, NC
    Technology, Healthcare, and Education
  9. Madison, WI
    Agribusiness, Insurance, Healthcare, and Education
  10. San Francisco, CA
    Tourism, Technology, and Financial Services
  11. New York, NY
    Financial Services, Media Communications, and Technology
  12. Seattle, WA
    Clean energy and Aerospace and Defense
  13. Dallas, TX
    Technology, Financial Services, and Defense
  14. Salt Lake City, UT
    Tourism, Healthcare, and Transportation
  15. Charlotte, NC
    Financial Services, Motorsports, and Energy
**Combination of rankings by Forbes’ “The Best Cities for Finding Employment Right Now” and Business Journals’ “Best Places for Young Adults”**
Liz LeCrone

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Liz LeCrone

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