Jobs by States in the U.S.

Learning unique methods to finding employment starts with knowing where to look. Sometimes jobseekers have a narrow view of where companies are hiring.
Just like with anything the more work you put into your job search the better results you will achieve.
The topic for discussion has to do with picking jobs by state. How relocating can increase your chances of getting work.
You will want to make a list of all 50 states and then research the job market.
The great thing about job listings by state is that you are looking for a few criteria such as population, industry growth, job title and description, median salary and competitiveness.
The ideal situation would be one where you are trained in a high paying profession that is in demand in a certain City where there is a lack of applicants.
This would put you at the top of the hiring managers list and your chances of getting hired is over 80% probability.
States with Best Employment Job Markets:
For some reason the U.S. Census Bureau thinks that populous States have the highest employment opportunities, it does seem logical that if a state is full of people or a growing population that there would be more jobs.
Actually the opposite is true, the more people the harder it is to find a career in certain sectors. I decided to check the states that are considered the best places to work.
This list is based on job creation for the following industries: Agriculture, Natural Resource, and the Federal Government as you can see if you are not looking for work in these industries then seeking employment in these states will be of no benefit.
1. District of Columbia, 2. Alaska, 3. Arkansas, 4. North Dakota, 5. South Dakota, 6. West Virgina, 7. Maryland, 8. Texas, 9. Oklahoma, 10. Iowa, 11. Pennsylvania
It is important to note that not all industries thrive in the same geographical location. Low paying jobs will match the cost of living of the area.
Although there may be more job openings in a certain County the reason could be that companies are not paying very much when it comes to salary.
For instance the median income in Arkansas is $39,392 whereas in Maryland the median household income is $69,272 this shows that a state by state comparison of economies will effect job rankings.
Search Jobs By State - The top 50 States:
  • Alabama - the states industries include aerospace, education, health care, banking, and agriculture, automobile manufacturing, mineral extraction, steel production and fabrication. The best jobs in Alabama are for health professionals.
  • Alaska  - industrial outputs are crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, gold, precious metals, zinc and other mining, seafood processing of salmon, cod, Pollock and crab, timber and wood products. The best jobs in Alaska are on oil rigs and fishing jobs.
  • Arizona - is known for its copper mining, cotton, cattle, citrus, and climate with the biggest employers being the Sate Government and Walmart. The best jobs in Arizona are at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Mayo Clinic and Chandler Regional Medical Center.
  • Arkansas -  is known for its commercial catfish aquaculture farms, agriculture, food processing as well as automobile parts manufacturing, electric equipment, fabricated metal products, machinery, paper products. The best jobs in Arkansas are preschool teachers, IT technicians, and healthcare professionals.
  • California  - is located on the west coast and the most populous states in the U.S., the highest in unemployment rates but at the same time has success in agriculture, energy and transportation. The best jobs in California are Sofware Engineers and Physical Therapist.
  • Colorado - one of the top states for business with a concentration on scientific research and high-technology industries, along with food and beer processing, transportation equipment, machinery, gold, silver, and molybdenum mining.
  • Connecticut - industries include transportation equipment, helicopters, aircraft parts, nuclear submarines, military weaponry, fabricated metal, chemical and pharmaceutical products as well as scientific instruments.
  • Delaware - the largest employers per industry include: government, education, banking, chemical and pharmaceutical companies, healthcare, automotive manufacturing, agriculture and chicken farming.
  • District of Columbia - has business professional and service jobs with growing industries such as education, finance, public policy, and scientific research.
  • Florida - the rise in elderly residents and tourism makes this hot bed for exporting trade goods along with transportation, financial services, public utilities, manufacturing and construction.
  • Georgia - nice agriculture and industry to go with the top fortune 500 companies in the region from  Home Depot to UPS and Coca Cola. Due to tourism the state has seen growth in real estate and communication industries.
  • Guam - has a thriving japanese tourism and locally owned businesses. The largest source of income for the island is the United States Military.
  • Hawaii - has large miliary and tourist population with industries in food exports of coffee, macadamia nuts, pineapple, livestock and sugarcane.
  • Idaho - is an agricultural state producing the potatoes grown in the U.S. along with three varieties of wheat. Industries include food processing, lumber, electronics manufacturing, silver mining and tourism. Home of Anheuser-Busch. The best jobs in Idaho is in science and technology.
  • Illinois - known for its electricity production of energy, wind power, coal, petroleum, and nuclear power as well as biofuels from corn production. U.S. Presidents have been elected while living in the state. 
  • Indiana - is the largest steel producer in the U.S. along with manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, automobiles, electrical equipment, transportation equipment, chemical products, rubber, petroleum and coal products, and factory machinery.
  • Iowa - often viewed as a farming state, manufacturing, biotechnology, finance and insurance services, along with government services is a big part of the economic income.
  • Kansas - natural gas and oil production, as well as aerospace manufacturing industries, other areas include: transportation equipment, commercial and private aircraft, food processing, publishing, chemical products, machinery, apparel, petroleum and mining.
  • Kentucky - expansion of the auto manufacturing, energy fuel production, and medical facilities industries puts the state at the top of the list for the number of automobiles and trucks assembled.
  • Louisiana - known for its seafood industry which supports thousands of jobs along with chemical products, petroleum and coal products, processed foods, transportation equipment, and paper products as well as tourism.
  • Maine  - has a large support base for the U.S. Navy. Industries include paper, lumber and wood products, electronic equipment, leather products, food products, textiles, bio-technology and is the number one exporter of blueberries and toothpicks.
  • Maryland -  has a large food-production sector to include commercial fishing, the blue crab, oysters, striped bass, and menhaden. A major center for life sciences research and development of more than 400 biotechnology companies.
  • Massachusetts - include higher education, biotechnology, finance, health care, and tourism. Large companies such as The Liberty Mutual Insurance Group and MassMutual Financial Services are based in the state.
  • Michigan - major industries include automobiles, cereal products, pizza, information technology, aerospace, military equipment, copper, iron, and furniture. The state is one of the leaders in Christmas tree farming with high tech employment of tech workers in the automotive industry.
  • Minnesota -  headquarters of several companies including: including Target, UnitedHealth Group, 3M, Medtronic, General Mills, U.S. Bancorp, Ameriprise, Hormel, Land O' Lakes, SuperValu, Best Buy and Valspar.
  • Mississippi - known for flooding and Hurrican Katrina, the state is the largest gambling revenue of any state, behind New Jersey and Nevada. Federally recognized Native American tribes have established gaming casinos on their reservations, which are yielding revenue to support education and economic development. 
  • Missouri - Major industries include aerospace, transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, printing/publishing, electrical equipment, light manufacturing, and beer as well as resources in lead, coal, and crushed stone for the lead mines.
  • Montana - is where you can find micro-brewing, lumber and mineral extraction industries. It is known for ranching, wheat farming, oil and coal mining, tourism, and hard rock mining.
  • Nebraska - is a producer of beef, pork, corn, soybeans, freight transport, manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, and insurance.
  • Nevada - known for its vices and agriculture of cattle, hay, alfalfa, dairy products, onions, and potatoes. Most popular for its tourism, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, and electric equipment.
  • New Hampshire - industries include dairy products, nursery stock, cattle, apples and eggs as well as machinery, electric equipment, rubber and plastic products and tourism.  Since half of New Hampshire households use fuel oil for winter heating, the state has potential for renewable energies like wind power, hydroelectricity, and wood fuel.
  • New Jersey - is centered on pharmaceutical, financial, chemical development, telecommunications, food processing, electric equipment, printing and publishing, and tourism as well as industries in nursery stock, horses, vegetables, fruits and nuts, seafood, and dairy products.
  • New Mexico -  is one of the mountain states with oil and gas production, tourism, and money from the federal government for technical assistance to promote job growth and business investments in new technologies. 
  • New York  - populous state known for its financial, cultural, transportation, and manufacturing centers.the exports of foodstuffs, commodities, minerals, computers, electronics, cut diamonds, automobile parts and the largest imports are oil, gold, aluminum, natural gas, electricity,  and lumber.
  • North Carolina  - has an economy of transition from reliance upon tobacco and furniture to an emphasis on engineering, biotechnology, and finance. Best jobs in North Carolina is WestStar Precision that makes components for aerospace, medical and alternative energy industry.
  • North Dakota -  large producers of food processing, and petroleum, also have a state owned bank and a state owned flour mill for cereal grains such as barly, oats and wheat. oil seeds such as canola, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, mustard seeds and soybeans.
  • Ohio - manufacturing and bioscience industries with the largest producer in the country of plastics, rubber, fabricated metals, electrical equipment, and appliances.
  • Oklahoma - mostly in sectors of aviation, energy, transportation equipment, food processing, electronics, telecommunications and producer of natural gas, aircraft, and food.[ Ranking high for natural gas production, economic base of aviation, energy, telecommunications, and biotechnology.. 
  • Oregon - is the home of breweries, salmon fishing industry, headquarters for Nike, inc.as well as many of the big datacenters for Google, Amazon, Facebook along with biotechnology company Genentech.
  • Pennsylvania - has big companies such as U.S. Steel, PPG Industries, and H.J. Heinz, along with GE Transportation Systems, producer of train locomotives. The best jobs in Pennsylvania is Wal-Mart, followed by the University of Pennsylvania.
  • Puerto Rico -economy is fueled by tourism of cruise ship passengers from the  U.S. allowing for construction of new hotels and convention center. There is growth of petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and technology companies on the island.  
  • Rhode Island - has a textile industry along with toolmaking, custom jewelry and silverware. The largest industries are health services, tourism and manufacturing.
  • South Carolina - producers of tobacco, poultry, cattle, dairy products, soybeans, rice and hogs along with textile goods, chemical products, paper products, machinery, automobiles and tourism
  • South Dakota - most valuable agricultural products are cattle, corn maize, soybeans, wheat, and hogs along with retail, finance, and health care industries.
  • Tennessee - major industries include agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, agricultural production of poultry, soybeans, and cattle. Manufacturing exports include chemicals, transportation equipment, and electrical equipment. Best jobs in Tennessee are FedEx Corporation, AutoZone Incorporated, International Paper, Pilot Corporation, Regal Entertainment Group, Eastman Chemical Company, and Nissan headquarters. 
  • Texas - known for its many industries of agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers, electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. The states growing population is 25.1 million residents.
  • Utah - state has been able to bring in high-paying jobs and attract high-tech corporations to the area with the mining activity of copper, gold, silver, molybdenum, zinc, lead, and beryllium along with fossil fuels including coal, petroleum, and natural gas.
  • Vermont - is successful from the manufacturing of artisan foods, fancy foods, and novelty items with specialty exports such as Cabot Cheese, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Fine Paints of Europe, Vermont Butter and Cheese Company.  The best jobs in Vermont are IBM, and Fletcher Allen Health Care.
  • Virginia - one of the wealthiest states with highest concentration of technology workers, software communication technology, datacenters, military base facilities and federal agencies. The best jobs in Virginia is computer system manufactures of chip exports.
  • Washington - is a place where you will find major corporations for aircraft, automotive, computer software development, electronics, biotechnology, aluminum production, lumber and wood products, mining, beverages, real estate, retail, and tourism as well as hydroelectric power generation. Best jobs in state of washington are microsoft, starbucks, amazon nintendo, t-mobile and norstrom.
  • West Virginia -  is the top coal producer and is known for a wide range of outdoor recreation, including skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and hunting.
  • Wisconsin - is based on its agriculture, manufacturing and healthcare.The best jobs in Wisconsin are Wal-Mart, University of Wisconsin–Madison
    Milwaukee Public Schools, U.S. Postal Service and Wisconsin Department of Corrections. 
  • Wyoming - has a great travel and tourism industry, mineral extraction mining along with agricultural commodies in livestock, hay, sugar beets, grain, and wool.
     
Not all states in the U.S. are created equal when it comes to employment opportunities and job growth. It will depend on your occupation.
Good advice would be to decide while your enrolled in college which state your degree or major will fit best. For instance if you are studying to be a nurse which happens to be the most in demand profession, it would be smart to find out which states pay the highest salaries and which states have the most job openings.
Apparently the top 3 are California, Florida and New York have plenty of need for trained nurses, as far as how much you will earn will depend on your licensing and experience.
Doing a little career research on job openings by state will save you time and frustration after graduation. Just like it is not wise to pick a profession based on income only it is also not a good idea to set your heart on working in a certain city or county without first checking the ratio of openings compared to the cost of living data.
Resource: gallup.com/poll/economy.aspx