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Los Angeles can be known as a "hard town to make it in" because of the many people who come to the city hoping to make a break in the entertainment industry. In reality, there are a variety of jobs available. The city is one of the largest manufacturing centers in the world with a major banking industry and remains the largest retail market in the USA. Services, wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, government, financial service industries, transportation, utilities, and construction contribute significantly to local employment. Though not as glamorous as working in film, the average hourly wage of production workers in manufacturing is $18.67. Los Angeles maintains it's strong ties to Asia and Mexico by trade through its massive port.

The original 3 major industries of aerospace, entertainment, and tourism continue to thrive, but other industry has evolved as well. One of the newer industries is the booming biotechnology industry. It has quickly become a powerhouse in Los Angeles with over 200,000 jobs, making it a larger industry then even entertainment. More than 2,500 companies in Southern California make pharmaceuticals and other medical products.

The tourism and the entertainment industry which so many people pursue when coming to LA are still popular career paths and offer a variety of opportunities. Tourism employs more than 468,000 people in the entire metropolitan area. Every year young hopefuls descend on the city to make it big, and sometimes- with a little luck- they do!