Two-Step Into a Hot City With a Hot Career

By Jennifer Wegerer

Step one—You made the decision. You read through countless career descriptions and found your passion. With the exceptional career and technical education you have received, you are ready to make an impact in your field.

Step two—Where do you make your mark? Which city can offer you the best career opportunities and meet your personal desires—from housing prices to shopping, from restaurants to entertainment, from scenery to weekend activities?

10 Best Cities to Work and Live

Research at Forbes has uncovered the following cities as the best places to work and live. This list weighs equally job growth, career salary, income growth, unemployment rate, median household income and cost of living data.

1. Salt Lake City, UT
2. Raleigh, NC
3. Phoenix, AZ
4. Jacksonville, FL
5. Orlando, FL
6. Tulsa, OK
7. Austin, TX
8. Albuquerque, NM
9. Wichita, KS
10. Oklahoma City, OK

Top Cities with Best Career Potential

According to CNNMoney.com, these cities offer the strongest job growth and career salary potential across professions:

10 Top Cities with Strongest Job Growth

1. Surprise, AZ
2. Allen, TX
3. Avondale, AZ
4. Frisco, TX
5. Murrieta, CA
6. Temecula, CA
7. Corona, CA
8. McKinney, TX
9. Folsom, CA
10. Spring Valley, NV

10 Top Cities with Greatest Salary Potential

1. Greenwich, CT
2. Cupertino, CA
3. San Ramon, CA
4. Bethesda, MD
5. Flower Mound, TX
6. Burke, VA
7. West Bloomfield Township, MI
8. Palo Alto, CA
9. Pleasanton, CA
10. Yorba Linda, CA

If you don't see your city of choice above, consider that your profession may have its own list of top cities. Likewise, some of the hottest jobs out there offer extraordinary flexibility in terms of location.

Hot Careers in Any City

These careers are in demand almost everywhere. Depending on the lifestyle you want, you can expect to find excellent job opportunities in a variety of places.

Nursing

With an increasing number of states participating in Nurse Licensure Compact, nurses working in one state can travel and work in another without applying for a new license. Refer to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing for further details. Furthermore, the online resource NurseVillage.com finds that the top cities for nurses to live and work include Baltimore, Austin, Philadelphia, San Diego, New York and Tucson. Read more about becoming a nurse...

Accounting

A recent BusinessWeek study finds that top accounting firms and corporations across the country have been recruiting accountants in large numbers due to increasing demands on the industry, including the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and greater scrutiny of company finances. Presented with such extensive opportunities nationwide, accountants can look forward to finding their future in almost any city in the country. Read more about becoming an accountant...

Medical Billing and Coding

The career and technical education that these professionals receive qualifies them to work in hospitals and physicians' offices all over the US, where they serve as integral members of a health care team. Read more about becoming a medical biller and coder...

Paralegal

Vital to the legal functions of law firms, corporations and government agencies, paralegals remain in high demand throughout the nation, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a job growth rate of 27 percent or more through 2014. Read more about becoming a paralegal...

Hospitality and Hotel Management

Demonstrating skills that transfer across the country, hospitality and hotel managers will find that large cities, such as Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Miami, tend to offer the best career salary potential, while heavy tourist spots, including Las Vegas, Newport Beach and Orlando remain a strong second. Read more about becoming a hotel manager...

Human Resources

Trained to work in virtually all industries, human resources professionals have a special advantage in finding a home to practice their highly demanded skills. Cities offering top salaries to this group include Nashville, Chicago, Minneapolis and Miami. Read more about becoming a human resources manager...

Hot Locales for Certain Jobs

Some cities are hot spots for specific careers, and some places are simply more in need of certain professionals than others. If you've got a dream to succeed in the following careers, you're chances are higher if you're open to working where the jobs are more in demand.

Law Enforcement

Competition remains fierce for open positions in this field, particularly for jobs at state and federal agencies, which typically pay higher salaries. Carefully research your cities of choice—the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that you may find greater job opportunities in urban communities and local and special police departments; however, these employers may offer lower salaries. Read more about becoming a law enforcement officer...

Teachers

According to the US Census Bureau, public elementary and secondary teachers in California earn the highest annual average salary, with median annual earnings for teachers in Los Angeles falling in the $48,000 range. New York City, Chicago and Atlanta fall close in line with median annual earnings ranging from $42,000 to $46,000 for K-12 teachers. Read more about becoming a teacher...

High Technology

For those with career and technical education in a computer field, such as software development, networking and web or graphic design, Salt Lake City has become the latest hot spot to set up shop. Other areas that get high marks for high tech employees: Phoenix (and metro area), Northern Virginia-Washington, DC and Atlanta. Looking to settle on the West Coast? Consider San Jose, Seattle or Portland, OR—all of which earn a place among the top 60 cybercities in the US according to Site Selection Magazine. Read more about a career in technology...

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