10 Best Cities to Start a Career

Atlanta comes in No. 1 in ranking geared toward new grads
Posted May 12, 2025 6:13 PM CDT
10 Best Cities to Start a Career
The Atlanta skyline from a distance.   (Getty / Kruck20)

New graduates looking for the best metro areas to launch their career might take a look at Atlanta. The city comes in at No. 1 in a new WalletHub assessment, thanks in part to its median household income of $85,400 and its high growth rate of that income of 8% annually. Orlando, Florida, meanwhile, is No. 2 largely because of its low unemployment. Both cities also have lots of job openings, relatively speaking. Other factors in the ranking include the availability of entry-level jobs, average starting salary, and housing affordability. The top and bottom 10 in the ranking of more than 180 cities:

  1. Atlanta, Georgia, 69.33 overall score
  2. Orlando, Florida, 68.50
  3. Tampa, Florida, 65.26
  4. Austin, Texas, 63.38
  5. Miami, Florida, 61.69
  6. Charleston, South Carolina, 60.82
  7. Richmond, Virginia, 59.96
  8. Salt Lake City, Utah, 58.90
  9. Columbia, South Carolina, 58.72
  10. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 58.71

And the bottom 10:

  1. Moreno Valley, California, 36.71
  2. Toledo, Ohio, 36.66
  3. Newark, New Jersey, 36.23
  4. Santa Clarita, California, 36.18
  5. Shreveport, Louisiana, 35.94
  6. Detroit, Michigan, 35.62
  7. New York City, 34.13
  8. Oxnard, California, 34.05
  9. Bridgeport, Connecticut, 33.49
  10. Pearl City, Hawaii, 33.23
See the full rankings. (Or check out other lists.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X