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Geographic Opportunity Analysis

Introduction

Your skills and credentials matter—but your location might matter even more.

This geographic reality isn't just about salary—it's about opportunity density. A biotech PhD working in Boston or San Francisco is simply surrounded by thousands more people who can leverage growth positions than someone in Cherokee, Montana. When things don't work out at one company, the cluster effect means dozens of other opportunities are a short drive away.

The straightforward math is that where you live may define the trajectory of your life.

While some fields offer geographic flexibility through remote work, many high-value PhD opportunities remain concentrated in specific innovation hubs and regional clusters.

And I’m not even necessarily talking about the most expensive cities in America (SF, NYC, etc). Trajectory increases for your industry and career desires may be 5x better in San Antonio, TX than NYC or your current location, and be pretty affordable to boot. But knowing where that hub is located is critical.

The difference between working in a major innovation hub or knowledge cluster versus elsewhere can mean tens of thousands of dollars in annual compensation, access to specialized roles that don't exist elsewhere, and dramatically different career progression timelines.

In this section, we'll help you:

  1. Find the hubs of your sector and career interest and what major players are in that area
  2. Put numbers behind how active those sections are
  3. Explore remote possibilities
  4. Build a plan for being in the right location

Let’s start with some data to paint a picture:

🌎Geographic Opportunity Data

So maybe it’s a death sentence for your current neighborhood, maybe it’s unlimited due to remote flexibility in your field, or maybe it’s a chance to know where the right place might be for your goals. If you’re unsure, here’s an exercise that might help you hone in on where to aim to be.

Geographic Opportunity Analysis Exercise :

FIrst, let’s narrow down on the where, the what, and the why.

Exercise:

  1. Field-Specific Cluster Identification 

    2. Use this prompt with your chosen LLM:

🤖

I have a PhD in [your specific field]. Please identify: 1. The top 5 geographic "innovation hubs" or clusters for my field in the world, including specific cities or regions 2. For each hub, the major employers, research institutions, and unique advantages 3. The specific sub-disciplines or specializations that dominate in each hub 4. Typical salary differentials between these hubs and non-hub regions 5. Key industry networking events that happen in each hub annually Please be as specific as possible about locations (neighborhoods, suburbs, etc.) rather than just broad regions.

  1. Personal Geographic Assessment 

      2. This one we can do with a spreadsheet or scratch pad, since it’s just high level numbers to show trends and insights.

    1. List your current location and the top 3 desirable hubs for your field
    2. For each location, research and record:
      • Number of relevant job postings in the last 30 days (use LinkedIn/Indeed)
      • Average salaries for your target roles (use Glassdoor/PayScale)
      • Cost of living index (use online calculators)
      • Quality of life metrics important to you (commute times, housing costs, etc.)
      • Your existing network strength in each location (contacts on LinkedIn)
    3. Calculate "adjusted compensation" by factoring cost of living differences (Cost of living calculators can be helpful, or all of this could be a prompt on its own).
  2. Remote Opportunity Assessment 

    3. Or, maybe you want the luxury of working from your home, and would like to see if that’s a feasibility in the current job market.

    Here is a prompt to get a sense of whether the market is currently providing opportunities for people to produce value in their pajamas:

    🤖

    For PhDs in [your field], what types of roles can be performed remotely, and what percentage of jobs in my field offer remote or hybrid options? Please identify: 1. The most common remote roles for PhDs in my field 2. Key search terms to find remote positions 3. The typical salary differences between remote and in-person roles 4. Companies known for hiring remote PhDs in my discipline 5. Strategies to overcome potential disadvantages of remote work in my field

    This can also be followed up with remote searches on job boards using the listed keywords.

  1. Hub Immersion Plan (Optional) 

      2. Down the line, if you find yourself in the position to move to a hub, these actions might help make the transition easier, and get your new life off to a positive start!

    1. Research temporary housing options for 1-3 month stays
    2. Identify upcoming conferences, hackathons, or meetups in target hubs
    3. Plan a strategic "hub immersion trip" with targeted networking events
    4. Create an outreach script for connecting with people in your target location
    5. Build a financial runway calculation for a potential relocation

External Resources to Reference: