If money buys happiness...

…then our close neighbor Atlanta may be the place for you.

Business Week just released its findings of the best and worst cities for the top 20 careers. Along with Payscale.com, the study adjusted the jobs to fit the cost of living in the 25 big city metros, Atlanta among them. You may consider moving to Houston, Dallas and Charlotte, N.C.—the most affordable cities with equally competitive salaries.

But since we’re so close to Atlanta, maybe a simple change of career is more convenient. Following are five jobs for your consideration based on the Business Week report:

1. Executive Director of a Nonprofit Organization—Atlanta ranks third behind Houston and Dallas with an average salary of $73,200.
2. Financial Analyst—Atlanta is second only to Houston with an average salary of $62,500.
3. Legal Assistant—Atlanta’s average: $46,000
4. Graphic Designer—Atlanta’s average: $45,700
5. Of course, there’s more to a job than compensation, so why not check out one of the companies Atlanta Magazine named as the Best Places to Work in the upcoming July issue. We, the Inbox Crew, have the privilege of working at No. 9 on the list. We've got the best of both worlds, Athens and the Atlanta-based Jackson Spalding. JS is in the good company of a number of our clients: Hall, Booth, Smith & Slover, Kaiser Permanente and The Condo Store. Also on the list: The Buckhead Community Bank, Spanx, Intercontinental Hotels Group and Atlanta Medical Center, among others.
   

Photo: seanmorgan