Most of us hit up Google as our first stop when researching job opportunities and career prospects, but what people are searching for varies vastly state by state. Need proof? Take a look at this map that analyzes search terms by location, giving us a list of the most Googled jobs in each state. The map, which was created by Zippia, assembles research conducted on Google Trends; if you've never used Trends, it allows you to see how frequently a term is searched for according to location — which, in turn, allows you to compare how often something is Googled in your area versus somewhere else. It's perhaps unsurprising, but the job search data reveals a lot about the career climate in different geographic areas of the United States.
To create the map, the Zippia team simply conducted several hundred searches on Google Trends to find popular job-related search terms by state. Then they analyzed the data, using it to create a map ot the United States that shows the most popular job-related search term in each state. Zippia did note, however, that some states won out quite a number of times; as such, they then curated the best ones. Thus, keep in mind that the job listed on your state on the map might not be the only one people are often searching for.
Head on over to Zippia if you want to see the complete list of all 50 most Googled jobs by state 50 most-searched-for jobs by state; for the curious, though, here are my five favorites — as well as some info about each occupation. You never know where a career change might take you, right?
1. Potato Jobs
My home state of Ohio searches the most often for "Potato Jobs," according to Zippia. I'm guessing this is due to the large number of potato farms located in the state, as well as potatoes being some of the most profitable cash crops that originate here. What can I say? We like our potatoes.
2. Lion Tamer
Jobs related to lion taming were the most searched for in California, which is a very interesting profession, to say the least. Perhaps this is due to the vast population of mountain lions that live in the state. The more you know!
3. Pirate
Apparently, a large number of North Carolinians aspire to become pirates, if their search history has anything to say about their prospective job interests. This is a coastal state, so it makes some initial sense as to why this, um, career might be frequently searched for. I also learned that there are a large number of infamous pirates that settled along the North Carolina coast in the 17th and 18th centuries, including the pirate Blackbeard, who made his home in Bath, North Carolina. Perhaps some people want to follow in his pegleg steps?
4. Professional Cuddler
The people of New York are largely wanting to take up careers in professional cuddling, according to Zippia. Oh, New York —you never cease to amaze me. I can't actually believe I'm saying this, but it turns out that there are actually agencies that hire professional cuddlers; New York in particular has a booming industry in this profession. If you're looking to use your snuggling skills to the pay the bills, New York is the place to go.
5. Dance Mom
Although Zippia listed "Merchandiser" on it's map for Pennsylvania, they listed "Dance Moms" in the long-form description of their map. Now why wouldn't they place this epicness onto the actual map itself? It makes a lot of sense, actually, since Dance Moms' Abby Lee Daniels' dance company is based in Pittsburgh. Well, if you want to be a dance mom, Pennsylvania would certainly be the state to do it in!
Images: Getty Images (4); Giphy
