The Best and Worst Cities to Work

Wondering where the best cities are for jobs and what places to avoid? Find out where all the happy workers live or simply see the CareerBliss’ Happiest and Unhappiest Cities to Work list.

CareerBliss analyzed thousands of independent company reviews and evaluated the top fifty cities on factors that affect work happiness including: growth opportunities, compensation, benefits, work-life balance, career advancement, senior management, job security and whether the employee would recommend the company to others. See where your city ranks.

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Rank Metro Area Benefits Career Advancement Compensation Growth Opportunity Job Security Recommend to Others Senior Management Work-life Balance Index Score Min Salary Max Salary Avg Salary
1 San Jose,CA 3.62 3.35 3.59 3.57 3.13 3.53 3.49 3.61 3.54 $36,812.83 $143,324.10 $82,635.58
2 San Francisco,CA 3.54 3.27 3.49 3.48 3.13 3.46 3.44 3.56 3.47 $35,474.27 $126,962.80 $74,745.13
3 Jacksonville,FL 3.42 3.25 3.38 3.47 3.26 3.50 3.42 3.56 3.45 $28,921.26 $91,656.59 $55,532.67
4 Miami,FL 3.48 3.20 3.47 3.44 3.10 3.45 3.41 3.57 3.45 $29,194.30 $100,763.42 $58,039.72
5 Washington,DC 3.53 3.22 3.45 3.44 3.19 3.47 3.43 3.53 3.45 $35,287.82 $123,541.08 $73,708.26
6 Memphis,TN 3.43 3.21 3.44 3.46 3.24 3.49 3.43 3.50 3.44 $31,260.87 $77,455.40 $51,351.97
7 El Paso,TX 3.45 3.26 3.40 3.47 3.24 3.50 3.43 3.47 3.43 $29,668.79 $92,537.52 $57,051.41
8 Los Angeles,CA 3.45 3.21 3.44 3.44 3.05 3.42 3.42 3.55 3.43 $29,411.31 $115,324.05 $63,409.59
9 San Diego,CA 3.46 3.20 3.42 3.44 3.08 3.42 3.40 3.52 3.42 $29,885.28 $113,705.76 $64,984.62
10 Birmingham,AL 3.47 3.13 3.38 3.40 3.14 3.46 3.42 3.51 3.42 $31,771.50 $92,495.06 $58,839.84
11 Seattle,WA 3.47 3.22 3.43 3.42 3.07 3.43 3.42 3.52 3.41 $34,445.70 $111,357.49 $68,265.30
12 Houston,TX 3.41 3.18 3.40 3.40 3.11 3.42 3.43 3.48 3.40 $30,114.15 $116,810.20 $65,594.95
13 New Orleans,LA 3.37 3.18 3.33 3.40 3.23 3.40 3.46 3.56 3.40 $25,735.26 $79,256.00 $47,708.15
14 New York,NY 3.44 3.14 3.41 3.39 3.09 3.40 3.36 3.50 3.39 $33,725.04 $119,645.85 $69,458.92
15 Minneapolis,MN 3.37 3.15 3.37 3.41 3.12 3.44 3.36 3.51 3.39 $34,635.72 $98,145.57 $63,325.03
16 Fresno,CA 3.29 3.14 3.36 3.43 3.10 3.44 3.41 3.58 3.39 $25,929.96 $84,857.48 $49,671.44
17 Atlanta,GA 3.44 3.15 3.42 3.40 3.01 3.38 3.39 3.50 3.39 $30,529.90 $103,777.42 $61,781.54
18 Des Moines,IA 3.30 3.22 3.32 3.38 3.10 3.45 3.48 3.54 3.38 $35,122.84 $86,218.58 $57,647.63
19 Louisville,KY 3.45 3.13 3.42 3.38 3.05 3.38 3.32 3.46 3.38 $30,648.12 $92,606.16 $55,766.68
20 Orlando,FL 3.40 3.13 3.36 3.37 3.03 3.38 3.38 3.52 3.38 $28,223.47 $102,094.17 $59,121.11
21 Boston,MA 3.42 3.16 3.41 3.36 3.03 3.37 3.39 3.52 3.38 $35,091.76 $111,722.40 $68,108.78
22 San Antonio,TX 3.40 3.17 3.36 3.42 3.13 3.43 3.41 3.48 3.38 $28,342.83 $95,849.55 $55,904.77
23 Detroit,MI 3.43 3.13 3.43 3.36 2.95 3.39 3.40 3.50 3.38 $32,511.46 $98,421.37 $61,932.80
24 Chicago,IL 3.43 3.13 3.40 3.37 3.02 3.37 3.36 3.49 3.37 $29,920.64 $106,112.43 $61,756.95
25 Charlotte,NC 3.42 3.12 3.39 3.38 3.04 3.38 3.35 3.49 3.37 $31,044.43 $102,333.20 $61,596.73
26 Hartford,CT 3.36 3.12 3.38 3.36 3.11 3.41 3.39 3.50 3.37 $32,611.41 $101,453.37 $61,940.56
27 Dallas,TX 3.44 3.16 3.43 3.38 2.98 3.39 3.35 3.46 3.37 $30,502.43 $122,220.15 $67,020.37
28 Sacramento,CA 3.40 3.19 3.38 3.37 3.06 3.35 3.41 3.49 3.36 $30,075.15 $102,418.40 $60,355.41
29 Philadelphia,PA 3.37 3.14 3.36 3.36 3.05 3.38 3.37 3.49 3.36 $31,983.11 $104,374.66 $63,163.15
30 Saint Louis,MO 3.40 3.10 3.37 3.33 3.03 3.34 3.39 3.48 3.36 $31,034.34 $89,197.54 $56,954.19
31 Oklahoma City,OK 3.41 3.15 3.36 3.38 3.27 3.38 3.43 3.40 3.36 $34,446.15 $84,662.23 $54,838.10
32 Austin,TX 3.43 3.15 3.37 3.35 2.96 3.34 3.37 3.49 3.35 $30,825.31 $116,287.51 $66,840.32
33 Phoenix,AZ 3.38 3.14 3.37 3.35 2.94 3.34 3.31 3.46 3.34 $28,531.07 $101,763.50 $58,816.98
34 Kansas City,MO 3.40 3.13 3.37 3.32 3.03 3.33 3.31 3.45 3.34 $31,433.45 $89,329.80 $57,373.67
35 Tulsa,OK 3.31 3.10 3.32 3.33 3.03 3.35 3.36 3.49 3.33 $32,532.47 $88,923.34 $57,067.57
36 Baltimore,MD 3.36 3.09 3.30 3.32 3.08 3.32 3.36 3.46 3.32 $31,127.54 $99,014.43 $60,805.70
37 Fort Worth,TX 3.28 3.02 3.31 3.30 3.08 3.33 3.32 3.47 3.32 $30,394.94 $103,284.09 $61,830.25
38 Cincinnati,OH 3.38 3.06 3.37 3.30 2.98 3.31 3.34 3.42 3.31 $31,116.16 $95,735.49 $59,174.10
39 Denver,CO 3.37 3.08 3.34 3.30 3.01 3.29 3.28 3.46 3.31 $33,578.10 $113,089.70 $67,898.85
40 Las Vegas,NV 3.34 3.04 3.39 3.30 2.96 3.28 3.27 3.41 3.31 $26,641.59 $103,320.79 $56,987.10
41 Tampa,FL 3.30 3.03 3.36 3.29 3.00 3.31 3.34 3.42 3.30 $30,062.08 $102,506.39 $60,387.36
42 Portland,OR 3.31 3.01 3.33 3.31 2.87 3.32 3.23 3.42 3.30 $32,845.02 $105,688.05 $64,325.36
43 Tucson,AZ 3.33 3.07 3.30 3.30 2.98 3.30 3.33 3.41 3.29 $26,778.23 $92,641.39 $53,208.15
44 Brooklyn,NY 3.27 3.09 3.31 3.28 3.02 3.28 3.27 3.46 3.29 $32,423.98 $112,890.32 $66,184.26
45 Salt Lake City,UT 3.25 3.04 3.32 3.32 2.94 3.31 3.30 3.49 3.29 $32,244.52 $93,741.27 $58,507.95
46 Pittsburgh,PA 3.32 3.02 3.30 3.25 3.02 3.29 3.29 3.42 3.28 $31,505.96 $87,113.97 $55,819.57
47 Cleveland,OH 3.34 3.07 3.29 3.24 2.95 3.28 3.31 3.43 3.28 $30,073.24 $96,780.36 $58,251.31
48 Omaha,NE 3.29 3.10 3.26 3.25 3.05 3.26 3.29 3.45 3.27 $34,260.23 $83,667.85 $54,934.18
49 Indianapolis,IN 3.30 3.04 3.30 3.24 2.92 3.23 3.28 3.37 3.25 $29,937.90 $92,382.67 $56,929.53
50 Saint Paul,MN 3.22 3.02 3.24 3.24 3.01 3.27 3.29 3.44 3.24 $34,235.70 $94,758.42 $61,780.48