Hottest Professions in Central New York

Looking for work soon? Stick around—CNY has plenty of hot jobs

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

If you’re graduating in 2026, Central New York might be where you should consider settling down.

“The Syracuse metro area economy is strong and adding jobs at a brisk pace,” said Karen Knapik-Scalzo, associate economist for the New York State Department of Labor Division of Research & Statistics in Syracuse.

The Syracuse metro area added 7,400 total nonfarm jobs over the year ending in June 2025. This represented an over-the-year job growth rate of 2.3 %, which was the second highest growth rate out of the 14 metro areas in New York state.

“It is also a stronger job growth rate than the state (1.2%) and nation (1.1%). Job growth has been widespread in the Syracuse metro area with particular strength in leisure and hospitality, private educational and health services, professional and business services and trade, transportation and utilities.”

Unemployment is decreasing in CNY, meaning your chances of landing a job are good.

Knapik-Scalzo said that the local unemployment rate of 3.2% in June 2025 — the most recent figures available at time of publication — is down from 3.6% in 2024 and represents the lowest figure for that month since 1990. The figure also ranks below the levels in the state (3.8%) and nation (4.4%).

Knapik-Scalzo said that industries with particular growth in CNY in the past year include:

• Administrative & Support Services

• Educational Services

• Social Assistance

• Transit & Ground Passenger Transportation

• Couriers & Messengers

• Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods

• Real Estate

• Hospitals

• Management of Companies & Enterprises

• Paper Manufacturing

• Miscellaneous Manufacturing