Best cities to move to for work

With remote working now commonplace across a swathe of industries, from teaching to tech, it’s easier than ever to move to a new city to take up a new job - or simply relocate your old one.

If you're thinking of relocating, make sure to compare mortgages before buying a new home to ensure you get the best deal.

However, your career prospects aren’t entirely divorced from where you live and not everyone can work remotely all the time.

So, when taking into account the number of jobs available and average earnings, which are the best major cities to consider relocating to?

The UK towns and cities with the most job opportunities

1. Reading, Berkshire

Job listings on Indeed: 3,945

Listings per 100,000 people: 2,460

The place with the most job opportunities per person is Reading, where there are currently just under 2,500 job listings per 100,000 people.

Reading is one of the largest towns in the UK yet to be granted city status, and its proximity to London makes it a popular place for commuters to live.

2. Manchester, Greater Manchester

Job listings on Indeed: 13,299

Listings per 100,000 people: 2,393

Arguably the second biggest city in England, Manchester, takes second place overall for job listings. While Manchester is much bigger than Reading, the number of jobs on offer is higher still, with just under 2,400 per 100,000 people.

Manchester is a major Northern city and has seen large amounts of investment since the turn of the millennium. 

This has brought with it a large growth in the number of job opportunities as firms relocate or choose it to start up in, and attracted lots of people to the city in recent years.

3. Bristol, City of Bristol

Job listings on Indeed: 11,041

Listings per 100,000 people: 2,370

Another of the country’s major cities comes in third place, with Bristol having 2,370 job openings per 100,000 people.

Bristol’s economy is built on the creative media, electronics and aerospace industries, with its city-centre docklands area being regenerated and becoming a hub for businesses.

The US cities with the most job opportunities

1. Boston, Massachusetts

Job listings on Indeed: 45,150

Listings per 100,000 people: 6,682

In the US, the city that has the most current job openings per person is Boston, with 6,682 per 100,000 people.

Boston has a rich history, but it remains a very important city today. Many people move here to work in the realm of scientific research, with lots of leading colleges and universities in the wider Boston area.

The city is also considered to be a global pioneer for innovation and entrepreneurship, with a large number of startups.

2. Washington, District of Columbia

Job listings on Indeed: 42,973

Listings per 100,000 people: 6,232

In second place is the nation’s capital, Washington, DC, with over 6,200 job listings per 100,000 people.

As the home of the US government, many people move to DC to work in the public sector. It’s estimated that roughly a quarter of employees in the city work for a federal government agency.

3. Seattle, Washington

Job listings on Indeed: 42,678

Listings per 100,000 people: 5,791

The city with the third-highest proportion of job openings is Seattle, Washington, with 5,791 per 100,000 people.

Since the 1980s, Seattle has become a major technology centre, with Microsoft and Amazon both being founded here.

This boom had led to thousands moving here for work, with the population increasing by almost 50,000 during the 1990s.

The best UK towns and cities to move to by industry

Best cities for job opportunities

When we look at the opportunities across ten different industries, we once again see that Reading has the most openings in six of these industries.

Manchester was the top city for two industries, marketing and HR, having seen a big increase in people moving for work in these industries recently.

Norwich was another city that was a large concentration of jobs in a couple of industries, healthcare and nursing.

Best cities for salaries

When it comes to average salaries, it’s probably not surprising to see that London is the highest-earning city for four out of ten industries.

However, there were a number of industries where the highest-earning city was outside the capital.

Three of these were in Aberdeen, which is the highest-earning city for marketing, teaching and engineering, and well known for its seaport and oil industry.

The best US cities to move to by industry

Best cities for job opportunities

In the USA, Boston is the city with the most job listings for a number of industries, including accountancy, HR, marketing and nursing.

While Boston is a notable city historically, it remains an important one to this day, considered to be a global pioneer for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Other cities that had the most openings include Las Vegas for customer service, with many being employed by the city’s casinos and hotels.

Austin was the city with the highest number of engineering vacancies. A steady stream of graduates from the engineering programs at the University of Texas at Austin helps to fuel the local engineering sector here.

Best cities for salaries

When it comes to earnings in different sectors across the USA, there’s a clear geographic trend, with all of the top-earning cities being found in California.

San Jose was the top-earning city for six of these industries, with the city known for being one of the country’s most affluent.

It’s also the home of Silicon Valley, with thousands moving there to work for high tech companies such as eBay, Cisco Systems, PayPal and more.

San Francisco and Los Angeles are the other two cities that offered the best wages in certain industries. 

San Francisco is the best city for construction, engineering and healthcare, while LA came out best for marketing salaries.