Just graduated? Here are the best and worst places to launch a career

Location, location, location.

The saying isn’t only key in the real estate world but also for newly-minted graduates, who are looking to launch their careers on the right foot.

According to a new study released Tuesday, employers are planning to hire 4% more graduates from the class of 2018 than they did last year.

In lieu of the good news, personal finance website WalletHub analyzed data on more than 180 U.S. cities to figure out the best spots for entry-level positions.

The top spots included Salt Lake City, and Orlando, Florida, while Santa Clarita, California and Shreveport, Louisiana turned out to be duds.

But if money is the top priority, the report says new graduates should head down south to Durham, North Carolina because it has the highest monthly average of $3,746, which is 2.7 times higher than in Honolulu and Pearl City, Hawaii at $1,396.

Here are the top 10 best and worst places to launch a career.

Best Places to Start a Career

  1. Salt Lake City, Utah
  2. Orlando, Florida
  3. Atlanta, Georgia
  4. Charleston, South Carolina
  5. Tempe, Arizona
  6. Austin, Texas
  7. Columbia, South Carolina
  8. Denver, Colorado
  9. Raleigh, North Carolina
  10. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Source: WalletHub

Worst Places to Start a Career

173. Detroit, Michigan

174. North Las Vegas, Nevada

175. Jackson, Mississippi

176. Newport News, Virginia

177. Montgomery, Alabama

178. Newark, New Jersey

179. Hialeah, Florida

180. Oxnard, California

181. Shreveport, Louisiana

182. Santa Clarita, California.