ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A new survey from WalletHub ranked both St. Petersburg and Tampa within the Top 20 best cities for summer jobs in the United States.
The survey saw St. Pete ranked seventh while Tampa came in at 11th, WalletHub shared in a news release. Orlando and Fort Lauderdale were ranked fifth and ninth respectively.
Experts compared more than 180 markets in the U.S. across 21 key metrics, WalletHub officials said. The data set reportedly covers the median income of part-time workers, the availability of summer jobs and commuter-friendliness.
The survey's top 10 cities hiring for summer jobs are:
- Columbia, MD
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Rapid City, SD
- Portland, ME
- Orlando, FL
- South Burlington, VT
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Charleston, SC
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Pearl City, HI
The personal finance website said many employers are eager to hire with summer approaching due to recent labor shortages. A U.S. Chamber of Commerce report says that 2.3 million workers are missing from the labor force compared to February 2020.
In addition, as of February 2024, job openings have largely increased in most states across the country, including a +40 to +69.9% increase in Florida, according to the Chamber.
“It’s a great time to get a summer job, considering that a lot of places are still having labor shortages and may increase their compensation as a result," WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said in a release. "In addition to good pay and good work conditions, the best cities for summer jobs also have attractive features like short commute times and fun activities to engage in outside of work.”
Experts in the survey shared several tips for young people searching for summer jobs and internships. Those tips include being proactive when applying and looking for opportunities early in the year before summer starts.
"If you know of a company where you want a summer job/internship, see if they have information on their company page regarding when to apply or reach out about their summer opportunities," Brandon Street, director of career and professional development at Southern Utah University, said in the survey.
To learn more tips and see which cities are hiring, click here.
