![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Scottsdale-Canal-Getty.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAn aerial shot of Scottsdale during a golden sunset in spring.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAn aerial shot of Scottsdale during a golden sunset in spring.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
halbergman<\/a>\/Getty Images<\/p>\n That first job out of college can really make or break your professional and adult life. Pick a city that doesn\u2019t have many entry-level roles, and you might be miserably job hunting for months. Find a position in a city with a high cost of living, and your fun new paycheck might not feel so fun after most of it goes toward rent<\/a>.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s some good news for the newest batch of Arizona State University<\/a> graduates: If they want to stay in the Valley for their first job, it might not be a bad idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n Eight cities in the Valley were ranked among financial site WalletHub<\/a>\u2019s 2026 list of Best and Worst Places to Start a Career. Scottsdale ranked first in the state, with Tempe close behind it. Phoenix came in third. (Not in the Valley but still in-state, Tucson ranked 101st out of 183 cities nationally, or eighth out of nine Arizona locales.)<\/p>\n WalletHub analyzed 25 metrics for 183 cities in the country. This included the top 150 most populous cities as well as the two most populous cities in each state. The metrics added up to 100 points and were categorized as \u201cprofessional opportunities\u201d and \u201cquality of life.\u201d For \u201cprofessional opportunities,\u201d the financial site analyzed data about the availability of entry-level jobs, unemployment rate, the availability of career counselors and more. For \u201cQuality of life,\u201d WalletHub analyzed data about housing affordability, average commute time, number of adults with at least a bachelor\u2019s degree aged 25 and older, among other factors.<\/p>\n Sign up for the This Week\u2019s Top Stories newsletter to get the latest stories delivered to your inbox<\/p>\n THANK YOU!<\/p>\n You’re all set.<\/p>\n CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how the Valley\u2019s cities stack up against each other and in the nation for places to start a career.<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 Peoria<\/strong><\/p>\n National rank: 144th This West Valley suburb ranked last in the state for places to start a career. Some of its major industries<\/a> are healthcare, advanced manufacturing and semiconductors.<\/p>\n 7. Glendale\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n National rank: 96th Like its neighbor Peoria, Glendale offers many jobs in healthcare and manufacturing, but it also has a thriving aerospace, aviation and defense industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n 6. Gilbert<\/strong><\/p>\n National rank: 80th The biggest private employers<\/a> in this southeastern Phoenix suburb include Deloitte, Morgan Stanley and Anthropologie.\u00a0<\/p>\n 5. Mesa\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n National rank: 79th Many of Mesa\u2019s biggest employers<\/a> are in education, healthcare and government, but there are jobs in aerospace and defense, automotive, and semiconductors as well.<\/p>\n 4. Chandler<\/strong><\/p>\n National rank: 39th This southeastern suburb boasts many of the same industries as other cities in the Valley, but it also has a robust self-driving cars<\/a> industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n 3. Phoenix\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n National rank: 31st Jobs in healthcare, retail and finance dominate Arizona\u2019s capital city.<\/p>\n![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/best-worst-places-to-start-a-career.webp\")
<\/p>\n
Overall score: 42.97
Professional opportunities rank: 141
Quality of life rank: 122<\/p>\n
Overall score: 47.49
Professional opportunities rank: 70
Quality of life rank: 125<\/p>\n
Overall score: 49.43
Professional opportunities rank: 87
Quality of life rank: 67<\/p>\n
Overall score: 49.5
Professional opportunities rank: 76
Quality of life rank: 78<\/p>\n
Overall score: 54.27
Professional opportunities rank: 59
Quality of life rank: 23<\/p>\n
Overall score: 55.51
Professional opportunities rank: 35
Quality of life rank: 40<\/p>\n