Job Market Analysis: Most In-Demand Careers in San Francisco (aka, How I'm Still Paying Off My Kombucha Habit)

okay, so, real talk. i'm a touring session drummer, which means i spend roughly 70% of my time eating questionable gas station sushi and 30% of my time actually drumming. but when i'm not on the road, i gotta, you know, live somewhere. and that somewhere is increasingly expensive San Francisco.

so, i was chatting with this sound engineer at a gig last week - seriously, the guy looked like he hadn't slept in three days, which, fair - and he was complaining about how hard it is to find good people. like, really good people. and it got me thinking… what’s actually happening in the sf job market? beyond the usual tech hype, what can a semi-functional musician (and, you know, you) actually do to survive?

apparently, it's not just coding anymore. i did some digging (aka, spent way too long on LinkedIn after a particularly rough set) and it turns out there's a surprising demand for… well, a bunch of stuff.

*Data Dump (Don't Worry, I'll Explain)

look, i'm not a spreadsheet wizard, but i did manage to cobble together some numbers. the Bureau of Labor Statistics and a few other sites (i'll link them at the bottom) are saying that healthcare, specifically registered nurses and medical assistants, are consistently in high demand. like, really high. apparently, the aging population and… well, life… means we need more people patching us up. then there's cybersecurity - everyone's terrified of getting hacked, so cybersecurity pros are raking it in. and, surprisingly, data scientists. even i know that data is the new gold, and sf is basically a giant, glittering mine.

but here's the kicker: the cost of living. seriously. it’s brutal. i saw a studio apartment in the mission the other day that was smaller than my drum kit and cost $3,500 a month. three thousand five hundred. i’m pretty sure that’s illegal.

Cost of Living Breakdown (Because You'll Need to Know)

Overheard Gossip (Drunk Advice Edition)

> “Dude, don’t even think about trying to find parking in North Beach. Just… don’t. Uber it. Or better yet, walk. Your car will hate you either way.” - A barista at a cafe near Fisherman's Wharf.

> “The tech bros are getting desperate. I heard one offer a free kombucha subscription just to get someone to look at his website. Kombucha.” - A freelance web designer.

> “Seriously, learn a trade. Plumbers are making bank. Like, real bank. And they can fix your leaky faucet when the apocalypse hits.” - A very pragmatic bartender.



okay, so, back to the jobs. beyond the obvious, i’ve been hearing whispers about demand for UX/UI designers (still tech-adjacent, but slightly less soul-crushing), renewable energy specialists (because, climate change, duh), and even… wait for it… skilled tradespeople. apparently, finding a decent plumber in sf is like finding a unicorn riding a scooter.

Pro-Tips for the Aspiring San Franciscan (From a Guy Who's Been There, Done That)

*Network, network, network: go to industry events, join online communities (r/sanfrancisco on reddit is surprisingly helpful https://www.reddit.com/r/sanfrancisco/), and talk to everyone you meet. you never know where your next gig (or apartment lead) will come from.
*Embrace the side hustle: unless you’re a tech billionaire, you’ll probably need multiple income streams. drumming, teaching music lessons, dog walking, selling vintage finds on etsy… whatever it takes.
*Learn to love public transit: your car will just become an expensive parking lot. bart and muni are your friends (mostly).
*Don't be afraid to move to Oakland: it's cheaper, still cool, and only a short bart ride away.
*Check out Yelp for local gems:* https://www.yelp.com/


the weather here is… weird. like, sunny one minute, foggy the next. it’s currently a “marine layer” situation - basically, the entire city is shrouded in a damp, grey blanket. it’s giving me serious “waiting for a gig to start” vibes. my neighbors are a group of artists who are always having impromptu jam sessions, which is both awesome and occasionally deafening. and los angeles is just a quick flight away, which is good because i need to escape sometimes.

and finally, a word of warning from a local i overheard at a coffee shop (because, of course, there was a coffee shop involved): “don’t trust anyone who tells you they ‘love’ san francisco. they’re either lying or they’re new.”

check out TripAdvisor for some tourist traps to avoid: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g6086-San_Francisco_California-Vacations.html

okay, i’m gonna go find some ramen. wish me luck. and send kombucha.

https://www.bls.gov/

---

You might also be interested in:

• https://topiclo.com/post/manila-mayhem-sweat-street-food-and-seriously-weird-vibes
• https://topiclo.com/post/palermo-on-a-shoestring-a-digital-nomads-budget-breakdown
• https://topiclo.com/post/lahore-vs-islamabad-which-one-offers-a-better-life-spoiler-it-depends-if-you-like-chaos-or-cubicles
• https://topiclo.com/post/ogden-where-the-mountains-whisper-and-the-coffee-roars
• https://topiclo.com/post/crdoba-dont-spit-in-the-mate-or-theyll-spit-on-you-a-photographers-chaos-guide