Find a Job You Really Want In
Did you look for a job in 2019?
If so, you probably have a general feel for how your local job market is. Which is good. Or bad. Or somewhere in between. Cities in the same state can have dramatically different job markets. Job hunting in one part of the state can be a piece of cake, while in another city it can be a herculean task to just land an interview.
Here at Zippia, we love math (and jobs!), so we delved into the data to determine where in 2019 it was easiest to find a job in Florida.
Here were the ten hottest job markets in Florida:
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville
- Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island
- Jacksonvillee
- Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin
- North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford
- Port St. Lucie
- Gainesville
- Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent
There you have it, folks- the ten cities where it was easiest to get a job in Florida. Keep reading for a more detailed breakdown of how we reached these results. Your city not in the top 10? Keep scrolling to see where it landed on the full list.
How We Determined The Best Job Markets In Florida
We used the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics to pull data for the main Florida metro areas.
While unemployment rate can tell you a lot about the local job market, it is simply one metric and job markets are complex entities. We opted to take a more in-depth look at the best job markets in the country.
- Unemployment Rate
- Change In Unemployment Rate
- Wage Change
- Current Average Wage
The lower the score in each category the better. For example, the Crestview area had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.9%, earning it the #1 spot for unemployment rate. The four ranked categories were then averaged together to produce our final list. The final list ranks the 24 metro areas from 1-to-24. Once again, the lower the score, the stronger the job market.
Here is a more in-depth breakdown of the top 10, with the full list at the bottom:
1.Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
Employed Population: 1,361,791
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Average Annual Wage: $53,679
2. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
Employed Population: 240,304
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Average Annual Wage: $53,450
3.Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL
Employed Population: 154,180
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Average Annual Wage: $53,826
4. Jacksonville, FL
Employed Population: 680,024
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Average Annual Wage: $53,271
5. Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
Employed Population: 113,855
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
Average Annual Wage: $51,943
6. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
Employed Population: 324,701
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Average Annual Wage: $50,734
7. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
Employed Population: 1,155,574
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Average Annual Wage: $54,064
8. Port St. Lucie, FL
Employed Population: 188,047
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%
Average Annual Wage: $51,106
9. Gainesville, FL
Employed Population: 129,575
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Average Annual Wage: $49,106
10. Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
Employed Population: 200,737
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Average Annual Wage: $50,252
Measuring The Best Job Markets
You might be reading this and thinking, “Hey, I live in Tampa and have been unemployed for months- this can’t be right!” That’s entirely possible.
While Tampa and the surrounding metro area have the hottest job market in Florida, personal finances can be, well, personal. Education, work experience, and occupation all play a big role in securing a job. However, overall, job seekers in Tampa will have an easier time than those in Panama City, which came in dead last.
Check out the full list below to see where your city landed.
| Rank | Metro | Employed Population | Unemployment Rate | Average Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,361,791 | 3 | 53,679 |
| 2 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 240,304 | 3 | 53,450 |
| 3 | Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL | 154,180 | 3 | 53,826 |
| 4 | Jacksonville, FL | 680,024 | 3 | 53,271 |
| 5 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 113,855 | 2 | 51,943 |
| 6 | North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | 324,701 | 3 | 50,734 |
| 7 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 1,155,574 | 3 | 54,064 |
| 8 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 188,047 | 3 | 51,106 |
| 9 | Gainesville, FL | 129,575 | 3 | 49,106 |
| 10 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 200,737 | 3 | 50,252 |
| 11 | Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL | 56,909 | 4 | 48,889 |
| 12 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 302,250 | 3 | 50,791 |
| 13 | Tallahassee, FL | 174,900 | 3 | 49,890 |
| 14 | Punta Gorda, FL | 63,378 | 3 | 48,533 |
| 15 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 262,262 | 3 | 49,047 |
| 16 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 265,019 | 3 | 47,260 |
| 17 | Ocala, FL | 121,060 | 4 | 45,707 |
| 18 | The Villages, FL | 26,339 | 4 | 49,952 |
| 19 | Homosassa Springs, FL | 44,174 | 5 | 47,030 |
| 20 | Sebring, FL | 32,695 | 4 | 42,601 |
| 21 | Panama City, FL | 87,911 | 4 | 50,109 |
Curious where this lands them nationally? Check out our national ranking of the best job markets in the US.
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
