The idea of moving to a new city after graduation can be equal parts exciting and scary. Before you pack up your possessions and move to parts unknown, read our posts on some of the best places to work in major cities across the U.S. We’ve got the lowdown on Denver and this week we’re heading out to the Pacific Northwest to take a closer look at why Seattle, Washington is one of the best places to work.
Making Your Move to the “Emerald City”
Seattle probably isn’t the first image that springs to mind when you hear the term ‘Emerald City,’ but it definitely fits the abundant greenery that fills the city and surrounding areas. But before you buy into the idea Seattle is so lush because of all the rain it gets, you should know that only shows up mainly in the fall and winter months. In fact, during the summer there isn’t much rain. More than three and a half million residents call Seattle home and it’s easy to see why. In addition to the natural beauty of the city, a relatively short commute will take you to wineries, ski resorts, hiking trails and sprawling parks. Seattle definitely lives up to its reputation of being both ‘calm and patient.’ As far as what you can expect to get paid, the median annual salary is just under $60,000.
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Top Places to Work in Seattle
One image commonly associated with Seattle is coffee. Thankfully, when it comes to jobs, working at Starbucks headquarters is not your only option. That’s because the city also thrives in industries such as tech, health care, maritime, and manufacturing. Of course, Seattle is home to some well-known names such as Amazon.com, Costco Wholesale, Expedia, and Microsoft. Here are three of the other best places to work in Seattle:
Large Company – Payscale
This compensation software company helps people and business find out what they’re worth by linking them to the largest salary profile database in the world. They also take very good care of their employees, offering such benefits as unlimited paid time off (PTO), 100-percent paid medical/vision/dental and prescription premiums, discounted gym memberships, and more! In addition to savvy software gurus, the company has positions for Journalism, Business, Marketing, Economics, and Statistics majors as well.
Midsize Company – Zipwhip
Like texting? Then this texting software company could be your ideal place to work. The goal of Zipwhip is to make texting with business as natural as it is with your family and friends. Just a couple of the perks of working here are being able to bring your dog to the office and enjoying gourmet lunch Fridays. The ‘awesome and welcoming culture’ also gets high marks. Although a tech company, Zipwhip has a variety of roles to fill and are looking for employees who majored in Communications, English, Journalism, Finance, Accounting, Mathematics, Human Resources, and of course Computer Science.
Small Company – Kinetic Sports Rehab
Less than 20 years old, Kinetic Sports Rehab focuses on changing the way people view manual therapy and chiropractics. Their goal is to provide a fun, vibrant, energetic, completely unique experience for the patient. And that positive attitude extends to their employees as well. In addition to the usual benefits (Paid Time Off and Medical/Dental/Vision), team members work to cultivate relationships with community partners and, of course, an active lifestyle is also encouraged.
Companies like Kinetic are looking to hire people who’ve majored in Health Care Administration, Nursing, Kinesiology and Health Sciences, and even Chiropractic.
Share in the comments if Seattle is a city you would consider moving to.
Check out our other best places to work: Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Minneapolis-St.Paul, Orlando, Salt Lake City, and Boston!
