Best cities for an owner

The best cities for owners are Raleigh, NC, Chesapeake, VA, and Jersey City, NJ, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for owners vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for owners in the U.S.

Whether you're starting your career as an owner or considering a move, this list of the best cities for owners to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for owners. We also consider how easy it is to find work as an owner. While the absolute best city for owners is Raleigh, NC, there are plenty of other great places to consider.

Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for owners in 2024.

If you're looking for an owner job, here are five companies hiring now:

10 best cities for owners in 2025

1. Raleigh, NC

Total owner jobs:	13
Average annual salary:	$107,908
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$72,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$159,000
Location quotient:	1.52

Owner jobs in Raleigh

2. Chesapeake, VA

Total owner jobs:	3
Average annual salary:	$119,026
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$82,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$171,000
Location quotient:	3.43

Owner jobs in Chesapeake

3. Jersey City, NJ

Total owner jobs:	9
Average annual salary:	$154,025
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$109,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$216,000
Location quotient:	0.84

Owner jobs in Jersey City

4. Charlotte, NC

Total owner jobs:	28
Average annual salary:	$102,892
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$67,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$156,000
Location quotient:	1.44

Owner jobs in Charlotte

5. Saint Paul, MN

Total owner jobs:	14
Average annual salary:	$91,369
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$61,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$136,000
Location quotient:	2.23

Owner jobs in Saint Paul

6. Virginia Beach, VA

Total owner jobs:	2
Average annual salary:	$119,484
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$83,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$171,000
Location quotient:	0.91

Owner jobs in Virginia Beach

7. Winston-Salem, NC

Total owner jobs:	1
Average annual salary:	$106,682
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$71,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$160,000
Location quotient:	0.63

Owner jobs in Winston-Salem

8. Sacramento, CA

Total owner jobs:	10
Average annual salary:	$106,747
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$66,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$171,000
Location quotient:	1.46

Owner jobs in Sacramento

9. Chicago, IL

Total owner jobs:	22
Average annual salary:	$108,571
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$72,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$161,000
Location quotient:	0.68

Owner jobs in Chicago

10. Columbus, OH

Total owner jobs:	12
Average annual salary:	$93,838
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$63,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$138,000
Location quotient:	0.82

Owner jobs in Columbus

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Best cities for owners

Raleigh, NC
Chesapeake, VA
Jersey City, NJ
Charlotte, NC
Saint Paul, MN
Virginia Beach, VA
Winston-Salem, NC
Sacramento, CA
Chicago, IL
Columbus, OH

Detailed list of the best cities for an owner

Rank	City	Average salary	Lowest 10% Earn	Population	Job count
1	Raleigh, NC	$107,908	$72,000	458,880	13
2	Chesapeake, VA	$119,026	$82,000	237,940	3
3	Jersey City, NJ	$154,025	$109,000	264,152	9
4	Charlotte, NC	$102,892	$67,000	842,051	28
5	Saint Paul, MN	$91,369	$61,000	302,398	14
6	Virginia Beach, VA	$119,484	$83,000	452,602	2
7	Winston-Salem, NC	$106,682	$71,000	242,203	1
8	Sacramento, CA	$106,747	$66,000	495,234	10
9	Chicago, IL	$108,571	$72,000	2,704,958	22
10	Columbus, OH	$93,838	$63,000	860,090	12
11	Philadelphia, PA	$106,602	$75,000	1,567,872	7
12	San Antonio, TX	$80,323	$49,000	1,492,510	18
13	Boston, MA	$118,473	$83,000	673,184	13
14	Cleveland, OH	$94,819	$66,000	385,809	3
15	New York, NY	$134,539	$95,000	8,537,673	24
16	Washington, DC	$121,655	$85,000	681,170	15
17	Newark, NJ	$153,945	$109,000	281,764	-
18	Brookhaven, NY	$135,111	$96,000	486,040	-
19	Islip, NY	$134,996	$96,000	335,543	-
20	Oyster Bay, NY	$134,798	$95,000	293,214	-
21	Orlando, FL	$84,242	$53,000	277,173	12
22	Hempstead, NY	$134,744	$95,000	759,757	-
23	Atlanta, GA	$87,627	$55,000	472,522	28
24	Detroit, MI	$110,174	$76,000	672,795	-
25	Durham, NC	$108,118	$72,000	263,016	-
26	Buffalo, NY	$128,926	$90,000	256,902	-
27	Minneapolis, MN	$91,281	$61,000	413,651	7
28	Seattle, WA	$117,059	$76,000	704,352	8
29	Greensboro, NC	$107,238	$71,000	287,027	-
30	Cincinnati, OH	$91,885	$60,000	298,800	3
31	Pittsburgh, PA	$103,859	$72,000	303,625	-
32	Austin, TX	$80,071	$49,000	947,890	21
33	Norfolk, VA	$119,400	$82,000	245,115	-
34	Milwaukee, WI	$73,457	$49,000	595,047	13
35	Indianapolis, IN	$74,955	$49,000	855,164	13
36	San Francisco, CA	$110,446	$68,000	870,887	9
37	Toledo, OH	$93,393	$64,000	278,508	-
38	Nashville, TN	$72,165	$45,000	660,388	10
39	Scottsdale, AZ	$74,885	$46,000	246,645	8
40	Oakland, CA	$109,965	$67,000	420,005	-
41	San Jose, CA	$109,762	$67,000	1,025,350	1
42	Houston, TX	$80,094	$49,000	2,303,482	20
43	Mesa, AZ	$74,918	$46,000	484,587	3
44	Fremont, CA	$109,733	$67,000	233,136	-
45	Irvine, CA	$103,435	$64,000	266,122	3
46	Tampa, FL	$83,631	$52,000	377,165	7
47	Los Angeles, CA	$104,270	$64,000	3,976,322	6
48	Albuquerque, NM	$86,504	$52,000	559,277	-
49	Stockton, CA	$107,459	$66,000	307,072	-
50	Phoenix, AZ	$75,009	$46,000	1,615,017	25

Highest paying cities for owners

Rank	City	Avg. owner salary
1	New York, NY	$134,539
2	Washington, DC	$121,655
3	Manassas, VA	$121,448
4	Hartford, CT	$121,428
5	Providence, RI	$119,148
6	Boston, MA	$118,473
7	Bellevue, WA	$116,808
8	San Francisco, CA	$110,446
9	Dearborn, MI	$110,183
10	Chicago, IL	$108,571
11	Raleigh, NC	$107,908
12	Harrisburg, PA	$105,666
13	Annapolis, MD	$101,936
14	Fargo, ND	$96,200
15	Columbus, OH	$93,838
16	Saint Paul, MN	$91,369
17	Atlanta, GA	$87,627
18	Eugene, OR	$84,631
19	San Antonio, TX	$80,323
20	Lehi, UT	$77,815