Payscale.com has studied the hottest metro areas for healthcare jobs, and published its findings in the top-10 list below. The "hotspot score" for each metro area is an index based on the number of healthcare jobs available per capita in that location and how well those jobs pay, compared to the national average. An index higher than 1 means the metro area offers a better combination of those two factors than other US metro areas.
Top 10 Hotspots for Healthcare Occupations
| Rank | Metro Area | Median Annual Pay - Healthcare Occupations | Healthcare Hotspot Score |
| 1 | McAllen, TX | $54,300 | 1.91 |
| 2 | Fort Myers, FL | $51,800 | 1.72 |
| 3 | New Haven, CT | $56,200 | 1.53 |
| 4 | Modesto, CA | $63,500 | 1.49 |
| 5 | Riverside, CA | $58,700 | 1.46 |
| 6 | Sarasota, FL | $48,500 | 1.43 |
| 7 | Augusta, GA | $45,300 | 1.41 |
| 8 | Lakeland, FL | $45,800 | 1.40 |
| 9 | Poughkeepsie, NY | $53,800 | 1.39 |
| 10 | Youngstown, OH | $45,000 | 1.39 |
