Long Read
job market analysis: most in-demand careers in mérida (and why i keep missing the bus)
okay so i've been living in mérida for like two months now and every time i think i've figured out the job market here something else changes. the city's got this weird mix of old-school charm and startup energy that makes it feel like you're walking through two different timelines at once. i keep hearing people say "mérida is the new digital nomad hotspot" but nobody talks about how hard it is to actually find steady work here if you're not in tech or tourism.
anyway, here's what i've gathered from talking to locals, other expats, and that one guy who runs a co-working space out of his garage:
tech & remote work
- software developers (especially frontend devs)
- UX/UI designers
- digital marketers
- content creators
- virtual assistants
i met this dude at café lito who said he moved here from mexico city because "the internet's faster and the rent's half the price." he wasn't wrong. rent in centro histórico can be brutal though - i'm paying 8,000 pesos for a one-bedroom that would cost me 20k in cdmx.
"everyone thinks they can just show up and start working remotely, but half the people i meet don't even have mexican bank accounts yet." - overheard at sombra
tourism & hospitality
- hotel managers
- tour guides (especially for mayan ruins)
- restaurant staff
- event coordinators
the tourism thing is wild. mérida gets flooded with norteamericanos and europeos from november to march, then it's like a ghost town. i've watched three different restaurants open and close in my neighborhood this year alone.
traditional careers that still pay
- accountants (everybody needs one)
- healthcare workers (there's a massive hospital boom happening)
- teachers (especially english teachers)
- artisans/craft workers
my neighbor carmen has been cutting hair for 30 years and she says she's busier now than ever because all these new people moving in don't know where to go. she charges 200 pesos for a men's cut which is basically highway robbery compared to what i'm used to.
the reality check
here's the thing nobody tells you: mérida is safe. like, weirdly safe. i walk home at 2am and the only thing that's ever tried to mug me was a stray dog who wanted my tacos. but that safety comes with a cost - everything moves slower here. job offers that should take a week take a month. people show up late to interviews like it's a personality trait.
i tried applying for jobs through mercadolaboral.com and indeed mexico but honestly, most of the good gigs come from word-of-mouth. there's this facebook group called "expats in yucatán" that's basically a dumpster fire of people asking if it's safe to drink the tap water, but buried in there are some solid job leads if you dig.
pro tips from someone who's still figuring it out
- learn spanish. like actually learn it, not just "hola como estas" level
- if you're going to work remotely, get a mexican phone number immediately
- the best co-working spaces are hidden in plain sight (look for signs that say "oficinas disponibles")
- don't trust anyone who says they can "get you a job" for a fee - that's always a scam
i keep thinking about leaving because i miss the chaos of bigger cities, but then i remember that my biggest expense here is netflix and not my landlord. plus, cancún and playa del carmen are just a bus ride away when i need my beach fix.
if you're thinking about moving here for work, just know that mérida will test your patience in ways you didn't know were possible. but if you can handle the slow pace and the constant heat, there's opportunity here. just don't expect anyone to tell you about it directly - you gotta earn that info the old-fashioned way, by showing up and being present.
mercadolaboral mérida jobs | expats in yucatán facebook group | co-working spaces in mérida
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