The job market is heating up, and more workers than at any time since before the Great Recession are taking a chance on a new job, with reports saying a third of workers would change employers if they felt they were underpaid.
Add to that the recent jobs report that found the most openings since 2001, and you have a recipe for good times for workers.
Still, not all places, or jobs, are equal. As the new year dawned, wallethub.com and U.S. News & World Report broke down the employment market from two different perspectives.
WalletHub used metrics to rank 150 cities in terms of finding a job. Two components were considered: job market and socioeconomic environment. The former counted for two-thirds of the overall ranking and included job opportunities, employment growth and median monthly salary, among other things. The latter included commuting time, benefits, housing affordability and other lifestyle considerations.
(Check out the 20 Best & Worst Cities to Start a Career and the 15 Worst Cities for Retirees.)
U.S. News considered the best jobs and even broke them down by category. Among the factors used to rank the jobs were median salary, work-life balance, stress level and prospects for growth.
The top 5 jobs for 2015 are: dentist, nurse practitioner, software developer, physician and dental hygienist.
In the business sector, financial advisor ranked fifth behind market research analyst, marketing manager, accountant and operations research analyst.
Armed with an idea of which jobs offer the best prospects, take a look at the 10 best cities for jobs in 2015:
10. Plano, Texas
Job Market Rank: 33
Socioeconomic Environment Rank: 9
9. Scottsdale, Arizona
Job Market Rank: 37
Socioeconomic Environment Rank: 2
8. Salt Lake City
Job Market Rank: 4
Socioeconomic Environment Rank: 61
7. Omaha, Nebraska
Job Market Rank: 30
Socioeconomic Environment Rank: 5
