10 happiest cities for young professionals

A recent survey from CareerBliss.com named San Jose, Calif. as the happiest city for young professionals. San Francisco claimed second place, and San Diego and Riverside—both in the Golden State—snagged spots five and six, respectively.

CareerBliss defines young professionals as employees with less than 10 years of experience in a full-time position.

Why are the young pros in these cities so happy? Hint: it’s not the paychecks.

“Salary has the least impact on happiness for this group,” Heidi Golledge, CareerBliss chief executive, says in an interview with Forbes.

“As professionals begin their careers, they seek a company culture that embraces their individual work style. Our data consistently shows that the work environment, co-workers, and the way one works have the biggest effect on overall happiness.”