Utah leads as the epicenter for high-paying jobs in America

Emma Pitts
·3 min read
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Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City is pictured on Oct. 12, 2020. Salt Lake City’s daily average for applicants received per job was 34.9, making it the most competitive job market in the country.
Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City is pictured on Oct. 12, 2020. Salt Lake City’s daily average for applicants received per job was 34.9, making it the most competitive job market in the country. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

When considering big city life with high-paying and competitive jobs, many people might look to the coasts in the United States. However, they might want to start looking more inland.

With a top-ranking economy and multiple cities ranked top five in the nation for resilience and growth, it’s no surprise that Utah also has the most competitive cities for highly paid jobs, according to a new study by Career.io.

“I don’t think anyone realizes how many great opportunities and careers in the trades there are out there,” said Michelle Price, director of Alpine School District’s career and technical education program, per Utah Business. “The one thing I’d want others to know is that these aren’t low-level, low-paying jobs or careers. There’s everything from HVAC and general construction — where kids build a house from the ground up — to plumbing and electrical, cosmetology and nursing.”

The study examined data from LinkedIn to evaluate and rank each state in the U.S. and its major cities by the daily number of applicants for local jobs with high salaries.

“We set the threshold for ‘highly paid’ jobs by doubling the local average wage. Then, we identified jobs at these rates available on LinkedIn and calculated how many applications per day each of these vacancies received,” the study added.

Salt Lake City’s daily average for applicants received per job was 34.9, making it the most competitive job market in the country.

5 most competitive U.S. cities for high-paying jobs:

  1. Salt Lake City, UT — 34.9.

  2. Saint Louis, MO — 33.4.

  3. Denver, CO — 31.9.

  4. San Jose, CA — 29.6.

  5. Kansas City, KS — 27.4.

5 least competitive U.S. cities for highly paid jobs:

  1. Parkersburg, WV — 0.000.

  2. Nampa, ID — 0.001.

  3. Butte, MT — 0.003.

  4. Sitka, AK — 0.005.

  5. Grand Island, NE — 0.007.

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“I think Utah has one of the strongest economies in the country, and has for some time,” Phil Dean, a chief economist and public finance senior research fellow at the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, told U.S. News and World Report.

The state has a “stable tax and regulatory structure,” which is “what business leaders want,” Dean added, emphasizing that its highly educated population and entrepreneurial spirit also help give Utah its top ranking.

According to the Career.io study, Utah's rapidly expanding Silicon Slopes technology area has driven an impressive employment increase of 56.1% since the year 2000, leading to an average of 22.6 daily applicants for each high-salary position, the highest rate among all states.

“For the past two-plus decades, Utah being the No. 1 fastest-growing state in the U.S. has led to opportunities for progress and demands to accommodate the growth,” per the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. “Employment indexes (rank) above the national average in five targeted industries – advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, financial services, life sciences and healthcare innovation, software and IT.”