Top Ten Cities for New Grads

By Kara Croteau, Campus Representative, University of South Carolina

It’s every graduate’s first big decision to make, where to live. Many narrow down their options based on the number of entry level positions available to recent graduates. As stated by CollegeGrad.com, the top 10 cities for entry level positions are:

1. New York, NY

2. Los Angeles, CA

3. Washington, DC

4. Chicago, IL

5. San Francisco, CA

6. Dallas, TX

7. Philadelphia, PA

8. Miami, FL

9. Houston, TX

10. Phoenix, AZ

After quickly reviewing the list, it is obvious that these cities also happen to be the top major cities across the U.S. It seems to make perfect sense that the biggest cities would have the most jobs available. However, these top major cities also come with high price tags with respect to the cost of living. Thus the problem is: entry level positions = entry level salary.

Let’s look at New York in particular, since it is number one on our list. New York comes in 3^rd place, with a cost of living that is 64.5% higher than average. If you are still interested in working in the number one city for entry level employment, you may also want to know that New York City is a great city for business. The popular industries include: finance, insurance, real estate, journalism and publishing, the arts, fashion, advertising, healthcare, medical research, and manufacturing.

While you can pursue almost any career in these big cities, it helps to know which ones specialize in which industries so you can plan accordingly. To see what industries the other cities on our list specialize in, go to www.employmentspot.com.