Photo Credit: UNC-Charlotte, commencement 2021
May 20. Got a new graduate in the family and worried about how hard it will be for them to find a good job? The Charlotte region is a good job market compared to much of the rest of the nation, but Durham and Raleigh are better.
Durham came in at No. 9; Raleigh at No. 17; and Charlotte at No. 30.
Columbia and Charleston, SC are even better places to launch a career, coming in fifth and sixth, respectively, on WalletHub’s list of 2021’s Best & Worst Places to Start a Career.
Less optimal cities for launching a career include Fayetteville, NC, at No. 164; Detroit at No. 178; and Newark, NJ, dead last at 182.
Key metrics include starting salaries 
WalletHub compared the relative market strength and overall livability based on 28 key metrics ranging from the availability of entry-level jobs to monthly average starting salary to housing affordability.
New grads are entering the market as the unemployment rate for people ages 20 through 24 was 10.5 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The good news is that employers plan to hire 7.2 percent more graduates from the Class of 2021 than they did from the Class of 2020. Due to increased hiring and the vaccine rollout, economists are looking for significant increases in employment this year.
What is the biggest career mistake that young people make?
ANDY CHAN
“One of the biggest is that students assume that their academic major or their first job has locked them into a specific career path and that they have limited future opportunities. Another is setting their sights on a particular company as opposed to looking at the role and the experience they will gain wherever they work. Working at that big-name firm might be great, but it also might be a less-then-interesting experience. A smaller organization might provide better opportunities to take on a variety of tasks and challenges.”
—Andy Chan, Vice President
Innovation and Career Development
Wake Forest University
WalletHub’s Best Cities to Start a Career
| Overall Rank | City | Total Score | Professional Opportunities | Quality of Life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake City, UT | 69.15 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | Orlando, FL | 65.81 | 1 | 27 |
| 3 | Atlanta, GA | 64.99 | 3 | 19 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | 61.94 | 22 | 1 |
| 5 | Columbia, SC | 61.10 | 5 | 31 |
| 6 | Charleston, SC | 60.88 | 9 | 14 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | 60.72 | 24 | 4 |
| 8 | Overland Park, KS | 60.38 | 11 | 23 |
| 9 | Durham, NC | 60.19 | 6 | 46 |
| 10 | Scottsdale, AZ | 60.18 | 13 | 17 |
| 11 | Tempe, AZ | 59.82 | 34 | 3 |
| 12 | Boise, ID | 59.68 | 17 | 18 |
| 13 | Tampa, FL | 59.53 | 4 | 95 |
| 14 | Knoxville, TN | 59.33 | 7 | 54 |
| 15 | Cincinnati, OH | 59.22 | 16 | 30 |
| 16 | Madison, WI | 59.21 | 33 | 5 |
| 17 | Raleigh, NC | 58.59 | 28 | 11 |
| 18 | Huntsville, AL | 58.20 | 19 | 45 |
| 19 | Denver, CO | 58.16 | 32 | 10 |
| 20 | Reno, NV | 57.94 | 30 | 21 |
| 21 | Portland, ME | 57.89 | 46 | 6 |
| 22 | Pittsburgh, PA | 57.87 | 29 | 16 |
| 23 | Richmond, VA | 57.47 | 20 | 55 |
| 24 | Cheyenne, WY | 57.05 | 27 | 42 |
| 25 | San Francisco, CA | 56.81 | 51 | 9 |
| 26 | Birmingham, AL | 56.37 | 10 | 99 |
| 27 | St. Petersburg, FL | 56.34 | 12 | 94 |
| 28 | Irving, TX | 56.31 | 31 | 44 |
| 29 | Nashville, TN | 55.79 | 39 | 39 |
| 30 | Charlotte, NC | 55.61 | 37 | 50 |
For the full list, click here.
