According to search data, an average of 4,400 searches are made for finance jobs and other related terms in the UK monthly. However, finance graduates in some UK cities may face stiffer competition for entry-level roles in the sector.
UK financial services provider CMC Markets has analysed data from major job search sites, Indeed and Linkedin, to reveal the UK cities outside of London with the least entry-level vacancies in finance roles. They have also collated cost of living data from Numbeo for these cities to provide the complete picture for decision-making.
Sheffield is the city with the least entry-level finance job openings per capita, with 0.15 jobs per 100,000 people. Liverpool, the city with the second least entry-level finance roles in the UK, has 0.23 jobs for every 100,000 people.
Newport comes in third on the list with 0.32 entry-level finance jobs per 100,000 people and a monthly average cost of living of £1,182.60. Swansea ranks fourth, with 0.33 finance vacancies for every 100,000 people and a monthly average cost of living of £1,192.00, including rent for an apartment outside the city centre.
Another Welsh city, Cardiff, has the fifth lowest entry-level finance jobs per capita, with 0.67 jobs per 100,000 people and monthly living costs averaging £1,346.38 for one person. Plymouth has 0.76 jobs for every 100,000 people and ranks sixth on the list. Colchester has the seventh least entry-level finance jobs per capita with 0.82 jobs per 100,000 people. It is also the second most expensive city on the list, with the average monthly living costs for one person coming to £1,351.7.
Bradford is eighth on the list, and Carlisle has the ninth least entry-level finance jobs per capita, with 1 job per 100,000 people. The 10th city on this list is Bangor; it is also the most affordable city on the list, with average monthly costs of £997.10 for one person.
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By GlobalDataFinance graduates keen to have the best access to entry-level opportunities and who are willing to move should consider Cambridge, which has even more entry-level finance openings per capita than London, the UK’s finance capital, at 13.54 jobs per 100,000 people. It is, however, worth noting that Cambridge has a relatively high cost of living, with the average monthly cost of living for one person coming to £1,765.23, including rent for an apartment outside the city centre. The full list of the best and worst UK cities for entry-level finance roles are below.
The Worst UK Cities for Entry-Level Finance Roles:
| S/N | City | Entry-Level Finance Jobs per 100,000 People | Average Monthly Cost of Living (£) | Population |
| 1 | Sheffield | 0.15 | 1,329.82 | 685,368 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 0.23 | 1,187.30 | 864,122 |
| 3 | Newport | 0.32 | 1,182.60 | 306,844 |
| 4 | Swansea | 0.33 | 1,192.00 | 300,352 |
| 5 | Cardiff | 0.67 | 1,346.38 | 447,287 |
| 6 | Plymouth | 0.76 | 1,355.17 | 260,203 |
| 7 | Colchester | 0.82 | 1,351.70 | 121,859 |
| 8 | Bradford | 1.00 | 1,060.10 | 299,310 |
| 9 | Carlisle | 1.27 | 1,137.70 | 78,470 |
| 10 | Bangor | 1.29 | 997.10 | 60,385 |
On the opposite end of the spectrum, these are the best UK cities for entry level finance jobs:
| S/N | City | Entry-Level Finance Jobs per 100,000 People | Average Monthly Cost of Living (£) | Population |
| 1 | Cambridge | 13.54 | 1,765.23 | 125,595 |
| 2 | Oxford | 5.55 | 1,661.88 | 162,032 |
| 3 | Norwich | 5.44 | 1,366.65 | 202,150 |
| 4 | Birmingham | 3.15 | 1,269.89 | 856,000 |
| 5 | Bristol | 2.85 | 1,605.90 | 701,000 |
| 6 | Brighton | 2.74 | 1,725.60 | 291,738 |
| 7 | Coventry | 2.51 | 1,278.37 | 439,000 |
| 8 | Leicester | 2.49 | 1,222.80 | 562,000 |
| 9 | Edinburgh | 2.37 | 1,417.88 | 548,000 |
| 10 | Leeds | 1.48 | 1,330.16 | 812,000 |
| London | 7.21 | 2,347.92 | 9,541,000 |
