10 states with the most career opportunities (2024)

After three years of economic whiplash brought on by the pandemic, employees are eager to take advantage of a promising job market and settle into a role and organization that will support their needs and aspirations. But where to start the search?

As the early days of the pandemic brought the world to a halt, the rate of unemployment peaked at 13% in April of 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the years since, that rate returned to pre-pandemic figures, and a booming job market inspired the Great Resignation's record quits throughout 2021. As of February of 2023, the unemployment rate settled in at 3.6%, and hopeful applicants are still eager to embrace fresh job opportunities.

Read more: 10 states struggling the most to retain talent

Education platform Scholaroo recently tapped into job and economic data to rank the states with the most promising career opportunities. Scholaroo's data team analyzed five key metrics — job market, affordability, the state's economy, quality of life, and business friendliness — for all 50 states, as well as additional data points including labor force participation and employment opportunities, from internships to long-term gigs in fields like engineering and management.

Colorado, Vermont and Texas rounded out the ranking's top three states with the best career prospects. All three scored particularly high in state economy, quality of life and affordability. Massachusetts made it into the top 10 based primarily on a bustling job market.

According to a recent survey by Monster, 96% of workers are looking for a new position in 2023. Knowing where they can find the best circ*mstances could be critical to their job hunt —see which states made Scholaroo's list: