September 28, 2026
Leisure and hospitality positions are plentiful in San Diego, but it’s not the best place for summer work according to a new report. File photo

San Diego, and most of California, lagged far behind in an online analysis of 2021’s Best Places for Summer Jobs, but there’s hope if you can pop over to Arizona for the season.

San Diego came in 139th among the 182 cities on finance website WalletHub’s list. Other parts of the county didn’t fare much better – Oceanside placed 144th, while Chula Vista came in at No. 156.

Los Angeles and Long Beach finished in the bottom 10. California, in fact, doesn’t make an appearance until Huntington Beach steps in at No. 58.

Arizona, though, finished on top, and had four slots in the top 25. Scottsdale hold the No. 1 spot, followed by Tempe, Chandler and Glendale.

Following Scottsdale to round out the top 5 are: Bismarck, ND; Cheyenne, Wyo.; Billings, Mont., and Salt Lake City.