New college graduates take note: St. Louis is the best place to kick-off your career, according to a new study by LinkedIn. 

To come up with their list of the top 15 U.S. cities to launch a career, LinkedIn analyzed starting salary data from LinkedIn Salary and housing costs from Zillow. The top 15 cities were then ranked by which had the lowest rent to salary ratio. 

The analysis found that in St. Louis, the typical salary for entry-level positions college grads are most likely to land is slightly more than $60,000 annually. Couple that with the average yearly rent of $11,900 and St. Louis is the most affordable city to begin a career. 

“The cost of living (in St.Louis) is very reasonable,” Rachel Hafley, a recent Ball State University graduate, told LinkedIn. Hafley said she was surprised to find two-bedroom apartments and townhomes within her $800 to $1,200 a month housing budget.  

Those starting their career in St. Louis can expect to spend about 20% of their gross income on rent. Compare that to larger cities like San Francisco and New York City, where rent would take 37% and 39% of your gross salary, St. Louis is an attractive option. College grads who choose to begin their career in St. Louis won’t have to make concessions, like finding a roommate or forgoing saving money, like they would if they chose more a more expensive city to being their professional life. 

Other cities to make the list include Milwaukee, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Detroit. 

How to Start Your Career in St. Louis

If the results of this study have you eager to find career opportunities in St. Louis, consider working with a St. Louis staffing agency like Burchard & Associates. We specialize in helping accounting and finance professionals find jobs in the St. Louis area. 

Check out our available opportunities or contact us today to get your job search started.