From Accountant to Programmer — These Are the Cities With the Least Demanding Jobs

This post includes affiliate links. If you purchase anything through these affiliated links, 247wallst.com may earn a commission.

They say sitting is the new smoking, yet in many jobs today workers end up stuck to their chairs throughout their entire workday, usually in front of a computer screen or while serving customers. Accountants, computer programmers, receptionists, graphic designers are but a few such jobs. Compared to jobs that require long periods of standing, lifting heavy weight, or working in unpleasant conditions, these jobs are considered to be less physically demanding.

If you’re looking for minimal physical effort while working, you might want to consider cities that have an abundance of such jobs.

To determine the cities with the least physically demanding jobs, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on physical demands of occupations from the Occupational Requirements Survey and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics programs of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Cities were ranked based on an index combining the percentage of workers exposed to the outdoors, the percentage of workers exposed to extreme heat, the average maximum amount of weight workers are required to lift or carry on the job, and the average amount of time workers are required to stand on the job per day. Occupation-level data was aggregated from the ORS to the metropolitan statistical area level using employment counts from the OEWS. Concentration by occupation is measured by location quotient, which measures concentration compared to the national concentration.

Of the 50 cities with the least demanding jobs, 17 are in states in the West, including four in California, three in Oregon, and two each in Washington and Arizona. These cities almost inevitably include tech centers such as San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington. (On the other hand, see: Cities With the Most Physically Demanding Jobs .)

Another 14 cities are in states in the South, including two each in Texas, Virginia, and Maryland as well as Washington D.C. This, again, is not surprising considering the high concentration of government jobs and those at defense contractors in the area. For example, California-Lexington Park, Maryland, has a relatively high concentration of aerospace engineers, while Washington D.C. has a relatively high concentration of political scientists.

Among the 12 cities in the Northeast, Boston not surprisingly has a relatively high concentration of biochemists and biophysicists. Finally, there are seven Midwest cities on the list.

Why This Matters

People starting a career or looking to change jobs often consider different factors, including pay, work-life balance, and location. Some prefer to work in a more physically demanding job, while others prefer to exert less physical effort at work. Here we aim to showcase the cities that have the least physically demanding jobs is highest.

ALERT: Take This Retirement Quiz Now  (Sponsored)

Take the quiz below to get matched with a financial advisor today.

Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.

Here’s how it works:
1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz
2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles.
3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future

Take the retirement quiz right here .