The 12 Best States to Start Your Career in 2024

With inflation and an uncertain economic future weighing on the minds of many Americans, it is more important than ever to consider every factor when deciding where you want to live as you pursue your career. Unfortunately, that decision is complicated by a variety of factors that must be weighed to make sure that you are choosing a location that offers the best chances for career success.

The good news is that there are some key metrics you can look at to help you in your decision-making. In this post, we will explore some of the key factors that you should consider when making your own choice about where to live and work in 2024 and provide some insight that might help you identify some of the best states to start your career.

Key factors to consider

Obviously, no list like this will ever account for all of the many and varied factors individuals may prioritize in their decision-making process. For example, a most recent BestColleges.com study examined nine specific priorities to produce a list of the top ten best states for careers in 2024:

The average price of rent

Rental costs, along with home prices, can have a huge impact on your ability to enjoy your employment earnings. For most Americans, housing costs are the single-largest bill they pay each month. For example, Nerdwallet compared the rental costs for a two-bedroom apartment in Iowa City, Iowa to a similar abode in Manhattan, and found that the New York rent was roughly $4,000 higher. Similar disparities can be found in cities and states across the country, so weigh your options carefully.

The overall cost of living

Of course, rental prices are only one of many factors that contribute to the cost of living. Bestplaces.com compared the cost of living in Des Moines, IA to that of New York City and concluded that the Big Apple was about 114% more expensive to live in than Iowa’s capital. Obviously, potential salaries in New York can be much higher than those in the Hawkeye State, but you will need to decide how you prioritize earnings versus the overall cost of living.

The average salary for entry-level workers

The importance you place on compensation will be another important factor. Again, though, that baseline salary number only tells part of the story. You will also need to consider your opportunities for advancement in your field, how taxes will impact your take-home pay, and that annoying cost of living.

Available employment opportunities

Job openings are as important as any other factor involved in determining where you want to launch your career. To determine your job prospects in a given state, you should consider just how many open positions you are likely to find now and in the future.

The state’s level of ethnic diversity

Ethnic and racial diversity represents another key consideration that many Americans prioritize when deciding where to live and work. It is also something that can vary wildly from state to state and city to city, so you will need to research diversity in your chosen state to ensure that it meets your needs.

Percentage of the population aged 25 to 34

For a variety of reasons, most people who are just launching their careers prefer to live in areas that have a sizable population of people their own age. Being in a state with a healthy percentage of people in your age bracket can make it easier to socialize, date, and eventually get married and raise a family.

Levels of gender equality

Gender equality is another important metric to take into consideration as you decide which state to live in and start your career. While gender discrimination laws are fairly similar in jurisdictions across the United States, some states maintain an even stronger commitment to ensuring equality between the sexes.

Educational attainment

A state’s level of educational attainment can be an important indicator of its economic prospects. While it ranked lower in priority for the BestColleges.com list, it may be another factor that you will want to consider when making your location choice.

Availability of entertainment, attractions, recreation, and overall level of fun

As many states have discovered, younger people tend to migrate away from states and cities that offer few entertainment options. If social activities and entertainment are important priorities for you, then you will probably want to consider giving greater priority to their availability in your chosen career launch destination.

12 of the best states to start your career

Obviously, those are not the only factors that might matter to you. Moreover, you might not even care about some of those considerations. If, for example, you plan to raise a family and are more focused on public safety, school quality, and similar issues, then those concerns should be factored into your decision-making process as well. With that said, here are twelve of the best states to start your career in 2024, based on the criteria listed above:

Texas

As one of the largest states in the Union, it should come as no surprise that the Lone Star State found its spot on this list. The state provides a low cost of living, a high percentage of younger people, great diversity, and an abundance of job opportunities. In addition, anyone looking for a good time in Texas will find plenty of entertainment and attractions to occupy their off-hours. 

Florida

The Sunshine State has enjoyed tremendous growth in recent years and continues to host one of the most dynamic job markets in the nation. Cities like Orlando have led the nation in job growth, while North Port boasts the highest recent wage growth of any city in the country. The state is also diverse, with reasonable costs of living and plenty of entertainment options.

Michigan

The Wolverine State is another of the best states for a career launch, with a superior cost of living and job opportunities. The state also scores highly in both average entry-level salary and rental costs. On the downside, Michigan comes in as below average for racial and ethnic diversity and youth population.

California

The Golden State is another prime destination, thanks to California’s high scores in areas like employment opportunity, diversity, relatively young population, higher entry-level compensation, and fun factor. On the other hand, the state’s high cost of living — including rental costs, may make it a less attractive option for those who prioritize that consideration. 

Colorado

Despite not ranking highly for the cost of living or rental prices, the Centennial State still deserves a prominent spot on any list of the best states to start your career. According to experts, Colorado’s youthful population, fun atmosphere, high level of educational attainment, and better-than-average starting salaries make for a dynamic environment to launch any new career.

Washington

The Evergreen State ranks near the top for average starting salary and for its youth population. Along with its strong diversity and high number of open job positions, those strong characteristics help to offset the state’s high cost of living and housing prices and earn Washington its prominent place on this list.

Georgia

The Peach State’s inclusion in this list may come as a surprise to some people, but those who have been watching its evolution in recent years will understand why it has earned its spot. According to recent reports, Georgia has been a leader in workforce development and has made great strides in helping its workforce better align with the needs of businesses in the state. A commitment to job growth and reasonable costs of living potentially make this a great place to launch your career.

Virginia

The Old Dominion is not only the Mother of Presidents, but also one of the best places to start your career—ranking well for average entry-level salary, number of job openings, percentage of young people, and racial and ethnic diversity. Those attributes more than made up for its higher average rental prices and cost of living.

New York

The Empire State deserves its spot on this list due to the sheer number of job openings and the high entry-level salaries. Other factors weighing in its favor include its relatively youthful population, the overall diversity of race and ethnicity, entertainment availability, and gender equality. Those considerations may outweigh factors like high rental prices and the overall high cost of living.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma may not be the first state that springs to mind when you think about career opportunities, but the Sooner State scores well in all but one of the main criteria used in rankings. It is number two for cost of living, number thirteen for rental prices, and fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen for starting salary, diversity, and youth population.

Maryland

The Old Line State deserves a spot in any top ten list of the best states to start a career with a great average starting salary and a true commitment to diversity. Maryland also boasts a better-than-average youth population and job availability but ranks near the bottom for cost of living.

Illinois

The Land of Lincoln could be another great option, thanks to a glut of job openings, a commitment to women’s equality, superior diversity, and an abundance of available entertainment and cultural opportunities. Illinois has the most favorable cost of living among the high-population states on this list, but it also has lower entry-level salaries.

Summary

For many newcomers to the job market, finding the right job can be a difficult process. That process is even more challenging when you are not sure which state you want to move to as you launch your career. Fortunately, resources like this can help you figure out the best states to start your career in so that you can focus on beginning your journey to success as soon as possible.

Knowing the best states to start your career in is only part of the battle when it comes to finding that first job in your field. You will need to ensure that you have the right tools to beat your competition, secure an interview, and obtain a great job offer. And when it comes to job-seeking tools, none are as important as a polished resume.

For a free resume review by our team or information about how we can help you craft the powerful resume, you need for success, visit our website today!

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