Where are Best Places to Get a Summer Job?

National + Weekender | May 24, 2019

This summer’s job market is likely going to be challenged by the tight U.S. labor market. The national unemployment rate is holding steady at a 50-year low and wage growth is finally starting to inch up a bit.

Personal finance website WalletHub took an in-depth look at 2019’s Best Places for Summer Jobs in an effort to help job seekers find the best summer employment opportunities. WalletHub’s analysts compared more than 180 markets in the U.S. across 21 key metrics (see the top 50 below). The data set ranges from availability of summer jobs, to median income of part-time workers, to median rental price.

What researchers found was that where candidates look for a job will matter almost as much as the job function. Obviously, opportunities will be more widely available in some places than in others. And while a job may pay well in one city, the same position may not pay as much in another. Minimum-wage laws and local costs, for instance, will determine earnings and consequently what workers will be able to afford in terms of housing, transportation and social activities. More importantly, for those supporting themselves, location will dictate how much income they’ll be able to save if that’s the goal.

Best vs. Worst

South Burlington, VT has the most part-time job openings per 1,000 people aged 16 to 24 in the labor force, 183.97, which is 27.5 times higher than in North Las Vegas, the city with the fewest at 6.69.

Scottsdale, AZ has the highest median income for part-time workers (adjusted for cost of living), $25,359, which is 3.6 times higher than in New York, the city with the lowest at $6,986.

Portland, ME has the highest labor-force participation rate of people aged 16 to 24, 77.66%, which is two times higher than in Irvine, CA, the city with the lowest at 38.58%.

Bismarck, ND has the lowest unemployment rate for people aged 16 to 24, 2.69%, which is 12.5 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 33.53%.

South Burlington, VT also has the lowest share of people aged 16 to 24 living in poverty, 7.87%, which is 6.8 times lower than in Tallahassee, FL the city with the highest at 53.40%.

Best Places to Get a Summer Job

Overall Rank (1=Best)	City	Total Score	‘Youth Job Market’ Rank	‘Social Environment & Affordability’ Rank
1	Orlando, FL	68.66	2	13
2	Scottsdale, AZ	68.15	3	6
3	Denver, CO	66.41	4	8
4	Dover, DE	65.59	1	181
5	Wilmington, DE	63.17	5	25
6	Portland, ME	62.96	13	7
7	Las Vegas, NV	62.51	12	11
8	Austin, TX	62.40	7	29
9	Columbia, MD	62.09	10	14
10	Fort Lauderdale, FL	61.77	11	15
11	Salt Lake City, UT	61.73	8	52
12	San Francisco, CA	61.37	29	1
13	Charleston, SC	60.81	6	97
14	Boston, MA	60.63	16	19
15	Rapid City, SD	60.31	9	62
16	Minneapolis, MN	60.08	23	9
17	Atlanta, GA	59.71	14	57
18	Seattle, WA	59.47	43	2
19	Tampa, FL	59.18	18	39
20	Richmond, VA	58.75	15	96
21	St. Paul, MN	58.45	26	18
22	Pittsburgh, PA	58.31	22	38
23	Raleigh, NC	58.09	17	69
24	St. Louis, MO	58.03	32	16
25	Washington, DC	57.92	52	4
26	Grand Rapids, MI	57.39	25	47
27	Colorado Springs, CO	57.32	33	33
28	Warwick, RI	57.13	20	92
29	Miami, FL	56.84	30	45
30	Worcester, MA	56.81	19	104
31	Portland, OR	56.74	63	5
32	Boise, ID	56.70	37	30
33	Virginia Beach, VA	56.62	31	51
34	Dallas, TX	56.42	24	86
35	Cincinnati, OH	56.22	46	23
36	Honolulu, HI	55.81	86	3
37	Reno, NV	55.70	49	27
38	Henderson, NV	55.69	39	44
39	Des Moines, IA	55.69	36	64
40	Chattanooga, TN	55.63	21	122
41	Indianapolis, IN	55.31	34	83
42	Buffalo, NY	54.97	61	24
43	Providence, RI	54.96	35	100
44	Albuquerque, NM	54.58	50	54
45	Rochester, NY	54.51	82	10
46	Juneau, AK	54.32	56	53
47	Nashville, TN	54.07	53	65
48	Plano, TX	54.01	27	140
49	St. Petersburg, FL	53.99	55	61
50	Nashua, NH	53.97	28	148

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Dennis Kaiser

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About Dennis Kaiser

Dennis Kaiser is Vice President of Public Relations and Communications for Connect Creative. Dennis is a communications leader with more than 40 years of experience including as a journalist and in corporate and agency marketing communications roles. He is responsible for Connect Creative’s agency client services and is involved in a range of initiatives ranging from public relations and content strategy, communications and message development, copywriting, media relations, social media and content marketing services. Prior to joining Connect Media in 2015, his most recent corporate communications roles involved leading a regional public relations effort across Southern California for CBRE, playing a key marketing role on JLL’s national retail team, and directing the global public relations effort at ValleyCrest (BrightView), the nation’s largest commercial landscape services company. He has worked on marketing communications assignments for such CRE companies as Blackstone/Equity Office, Carlyle, Caruso, Disney Resorts, GE Capital, Irvine Company, Hines, Howard Hughes Corp., Jeffries, Lennar, MGM, Marcus & Millichap, Prologis, Raleigh Studios, Simon, Starwood, Trammell Crow Company, Transamerica, UBS and Wynn Resorts. Dennis has also worked on communications and launch strategies for a number of consumer electronic, media and tech brands including SlingMedia, Channel Master, Deluxe Media Entertainment, BeIn Sports, EchoStar and Sprint. Dennis’s agency background included firms such as Off Madison Ave., Idea Hall and Macy + Associates. He has earned an outstanding reputation with organization leaders as a trusted advisor, strategic program implementer, consensus builder and exceptional collaborator. Dennis has developed and managed national communications programs for Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, both public and private. He’s successfully worked with journalists across the globe representing clients involved in major-breaking news stories, product launches, media tours, and company news announcements. Dennis has been involved in a host of charitable and community organizations including the American Cancer Society, Easter Seals, Boy Scouts, Chrysalis Foundation, Freedom For Life, HOLA, L.A.’s BEST, Reach Out and Read, Super Bowl Host Committee, and the Thunderbirds Charities.

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