career hotspot
Austin excels as one of America's top 3 cities to start a career
Austin is a city full of success stories, from small businesses to restaurants, so it should come as no surprise that the city has emerged as the third-best city for starting a career. That's according to a new study from WalletHub.
The ranking was awarded for Austin's high quality of life and its vast opportunities for new college graduates transitioning into the workforce. The study compared 182 U.S. cities based on 25 relevant metrics, like the availability of entry-level jobs, each city's annual job growth rate, workforce diversity, median annual income, housing affordability, and others.
Atlanta and Orlando were the two cities that ranked just slightly higher on the list for early career professionals. Austin claimed the top spot in Texas, and No. 3 spot nationally. Last year, Austin ranked fifth in the U.S.
Austin boasts the best quality of life out of all 182 cities in the report, and the 10th best professional opportunities. Austin also outperforms all other U.S. cities with the highest monthly average starting salaries for early career workers after being adjusted for the city's cost of living. Austin also offers the 15th highest number of entry level jobs per capita, the report said.
In a separate comparison of the cities with the largest share of residents aged 25 to 34, Austin ranked No. 5 nationally.
"In addition, Austin’s median annual household income is the 10th-highest in the nation, providing strong earning potential for those starting a career or a business," the report said. "Austin is also the sixth best city for singles, offering a vibrant social scene alongside strong career opportunities for young professionals."
Early career professionals aren't the only ones that can benefit from a move to Austin. Earlier this year, WalletHub dubbed Austin one of the 10 best U.S. cities for finding a job, citing the city's favorable socioeconomic status and ample job opportunities across all career stages.
Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas ranked as the second-best city in Texas for new grads to start a career and 12th nationally. Additional cities that made it into the top 100 best U.S. cities for early career professionals include Plano (No. 32), Irving (No. 42), Houston (No. 51), Fort Worth (No. 64), Amarillo (No. 73), and San Antonio (No. 85).
The top 10 best cities for starting a career are:
- No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
- No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
- No. 3 – Austin, Texas
- No. 4 – Tampa, Florida
- No. 5 – Miami, Florida
- No. 6 – Charleston, South Carolina
- No. 7 – Pittsburgh
- No. 8 – Knoxville, Tennessee
- No. 9 – Salt Lake City, Utah
- No. 10 – Columbia, South Carolina
