US News recently released their Best Jobs of 2014 which are based on employment opportunity, good salary, manageable work-life balance, and job security.

For the first time ever, an IT job ranked #1, as tech and healthcare jobs dominated the top of the list. Business occupations also had a strong showing throughout the entire rankings of "best jobs." We analyzed hiring demand data for the "best tech jobs".

In keeping on topic with the best of the best, we also looked at which locations present the best recruiting conditions for each job. In upcoming weeks, we'll also review these recruiting metrics for the "best" healthcare and business jobs. 

Software Developer

Software Developer was the most in-demand occupation of the "best tech jobs" and across all IT positions, with about 118,000 job listings appearing online in January 2014. Despite being in high demand by employers, this position isn't the most difficult to recruit on average. It actually scores among the lowest on the Hiring Scale of all the top tech jobs. Our Hiring Scale ranks recruiting difficulty on a scale of 1 - 99, with 99 demonstrating the hardest-to-fill. Software Developers score a 78, which still ranks on the harder-to-fill side. Employers in San Francisco and Atlanta are likely to encounter the most difficult recruiting conditions when sourcing Software Developers.  The best conditions are likely to be in Olympia (WA), scoring a 5, and Spokane (WA), scoring a 15. Recruiters can reduce hiring difficulty by relocating talent from these areas or placing job ads in these cities.

Best Locations to Recruit Software Developers

Computer Systems Analyst

Computer Systems Analysts are about as hard-to-fill on average as Software Developers, scoring a 77. This position is most difficult to recruit in Portland (OR) and Lansing (MI), both scoring a 92. Kennewick, located within 200 miles from Portland, has the lowest Hiring Scale score in the US and would be a favorable, alternate location for Recruiters to consider when sourcing talent. Employers in Lansing can reduce hiring difficulty by sourcing in the nearby metro area of Flint, located about 50 miles away. Flint also ranks among the metro areas with the least difficult recruiting conditions. Demand for Computer Systems Analysts is highest in Washington, DC and New York, where conditions are also likely to be challenging. Recruiters in the New York metro can look to source talent in the nearby city of Poughkeepsie (NY), which is among the locations with the lest challenging recruiting conditions, too.

Best Locations to Recruit Computer Systems Analysts

Web Developer

Web Developers had the second largest number of job ads posted online during January. This position has one of the highest scores on our Hiring Scale, scoring a 93 nationally. Seven cities score a 95, the highest score for Web Developers throughout the US, with Champaign (IL) among the hardest-to-fill cities. Even employers filling jobs in the cities with least difficult recruiting conditions are still likely to experience challenges. South Bend (IN) scores the lowest with a 54, which indicates that recruiting conditions are likely to be hard-to-fill. South Bend is the closest location to Champaign with more favorable conditions, although it won't be necessarily easy here either.

Best Locations to Recruit Web Developers

Information Security Analyst

Of the "best tech jobs," Information Security Analysts had the fewest number of job ads posted online in January. This position also has one of the highest average scores on our Hiring Scale, a 92 (just one point lower than Web Developers.) Ten metro areas score the highest for this position, a 95. There aren't really any "easy" locations in the US. Hiring conditions remain difficult in the cities with the lowest Hiring Scale scores, Madison (WI) and Rochester (NY), both scoring a 78. With a troublesome recruiting environment expected throughout the US, employers may want to invest in training and development programs for new hires or existing employees.

Best Locations to Recruit Information Security Analysts

Database Administrator

Database Administrator scores an 82 on our Hiring Scale, meaning this position will also be difficult-to-fill. The greatest difficulties are likely to be in Lansing (MI) and Charlotte (NC), scoring a 94 and 93. Riverside (CA) and Knoxville (TN) present the most favorable recruiting conditions, scoring 24 and 31 respectively.

Best Locations to Recruit Database Administrators