The 15 Least-Competitive U.S. Markets for High-Paying Jobs

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When you’re looking for a high-paying job, there are many highly competitive markets. It can be very tough to even get a callback in those environments. However, some places have far less competitive markets. When on the job hunt, you may want to consider relocating to one of these areas.

According to Career.io, these are the markets that have the least competition for these jobs as decided by the daily number of applicants per job.

Parkersburg, West Virginia

Overlook of Parkersburg, West Virginia.
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In this city, there are 0.000 applicants per day for each high-paying job. If a job’s available here, there are virtually no other applicants due to the high amount of population the city has lost in the past few decades.

Nampa, Idaho

Residential Area with Empty Land in Nampa, Idaho
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There is only very slightly more competition here than in Parkersburg. The number of daily applications that high-paying jobs get here is 0.001. This may be a great place for you to get the kind of job you’re looking for.

Butte, Montana

Butte, Montana, seen here on a clear, summer day from Big Butte Open Space Recreation Area, was established in 1864 as a mining camp in the northern Rocky Mountains on the Continental Divide.
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In Butte, there’s triple the competition for high-paying jobs in Nampa. Of course, that only adds up to 0.003. These jobs may receive an application every once in a while, so there is very little competition.

Sitka, Alaska

Downtown of Sitka Alaska at sunset
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If you’ve been wanting to relocate to Alaska, this is your opportunity to do so. Open, high-paying positions here get about 0.005 applications a day, making them ripe for the picking.

Grand Island, Nebraska

Grand Island, Nebraska United States - June 24 2023: a view of some of the historic buildings in the town
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Nebraska has a lot going for it, and one of those things is the low competition for great jobs in Grand Island. Job posters there get just 0.007 applications per day for their job listings.

Kearney, Nebraska

Kearney, NebraskaUSA - June 7 2019: spanning the busy interstate 80 in Nebraska, the Archway Monument offers a unique historical exhibit that brings American history to life.
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With Kearney, we’re finally up to getting an application every few days for important jobs. Each one gets 0.024 applications per day. It’s not exactly cutthroat in this area of Nebraska.

Dover, New Hampshire

Aerial Drone Photography Of Downtown Dover, NH (New Hampshire) During The Fall Foliage Season
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When you want to live in New England and don’t want to enter a battle to get a good job, Dover is a good place to go. It has all the hominess of New England without the stiff competition for good jobs. It gets 0.025 applications a day for these jobs.

Laredo, Texas

Cathedral of San Agustin on the Plaza in Laredo, Texas.
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There are only slightly more applications submitted in Laredo than in Dover, New Hampshire. The number is a very modest 0.026 applications for each high-paying job.

Morgantown, West Virginia

View of the downtown area of Morgantown WV and campus of West Virginia University
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With a low cost of living and virtually no competition for high-paying jobs, this part of West Virginia may be a good place to live and work. It’s a way to have a higher standard of living since salaries go further. It ties in with Laredo with 0.026 applications per job per day.

Olathe, Kansas

Olathe, Kansas - June 13, 2023: Fisheye view of the New Downtown Olathe Public Library in Johnson County, KS
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If you don’t mind the tornadoes that tear through this state, you might want to consider Olathe as a place to apply for a great job. Those open positions only get 0.030 applications per day.

Evansville, Indiana

Evansville, Indiana, USA - August 24, 2021: The Vanderburgh County Courthouse with a bench as Civil War Memorial
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In Evansville, the enviable jobs get 0.041 applications per day, delivering about one application every other day. It’s not exactly steep competition in this land of the Hoosiers.

Dover, Delaware

Aerial View of Dover, Delaware during Autumn at Dusk
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The second Dover in New England on this list, this is a place that also has very little competition for the best jobs in town. It gets about 0.043 applications each day for these sought-after jobs.

Bismarck, North Dakota

North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum on July 18, 2017 in Bismarck, North Dakota
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This far-north city gets the same number of applications for its high-paying jobs each day as Dover, Delaware – 0.043. If you’re a good candidate, you may have great odds of getting that high-powered job.

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hattiesburg, Mississippi United States - April 3 2021: a view of the downtown streets in the evening light
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If you want to live in the South and want a high-paying job, you have good chances by applying to positions in Hattiesburg. About 0.044 people apply for one of these jobs each day.

Warwick, Rhode Island

Aerial view of Warwick Point including Warwick Lighthouse in city of Warwick, Rhode Island RI, USA.
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There are impressive jobs in this area that simply aren’t getting many applications. They each receive about 0.044 of them per day. If you want to live in the smallest state, this is a great area for opportunities.

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Farming and cultivations in Latin America. Portrait of middle aged hispanic farmer sitting proud in his tractor at sunset, holding the steering wheel. He looks at the camera and smiles happy.
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old man enjoying life at full by travelling around world sittig on the seaside against lighthouse on sunny Autumn day.
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Author: Lizz Shepherd

Bio:

Lizz Shepherd is a freelance writer living in Alabama.

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