Last month, Forbes reported on salary comparison site Glassdoor's annual top cities for jobs list, finding that small and mid-size cities are providing some of the best opportunities to job seekers right now.
“Many small and mid-size cities offer good economic value today,” Dr. Andrew Chamberlain, Glassdoor chief economist, told Forbes, “but I don’t think public perceptions have kept up with that. There are still stereotypes about old industrial cities.”
As part of determining the top cities for jobs, Glassdoor considered job satisfaction ratings for employees in those metros, drawing on 1,000 plus reviews per metropolitan area on Glassdoor over the past 12 months shared by employees in the 50 largest U.S. metros.
Which cities are not only providing great opportunities but keeping their current employees happy as well?
Topping the list is San Francisco, where a largely tech-focused workforce finds the deepest levels of satisfaction with their work. In fact, several California cities can claim deeply engaged workforces, as San Jose and San Diego round out the top three spots on this ranking.
Many smaller cities fare well for employee satisfaction as well. Salt Lake City, Austin, Raleigh-Durham, and Oklahoma City all make the cut. Major east coast mainstays Boston and Washington, D.C. have satisfied workforces as well, as does the Pacific Northwest's tech flagship, Seattle.
“When you look at the data on where job opportunities are and what cost of living looks like,” said Chamberlain, “the list may upset many stereotypes people have about small and mid-size cities.”
How does your city fare?
The Top 15 Cities For Employee Satisfaction
1) San Francisco, California
2) San Jose, California
3) San Diego, California
4) Salt Lake City, Utah
5) Washington, D.C.
6) Boston, Massachusetts
7) Seattle, Washington
8) Austin, Texas
9) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
10) Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
11) St. Louis, Missouri
12) Virginia Beach, Virginia
13) New Orleans, Louisiana
14) Sacramento, California
15) San Antonio, Texas
