With STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math — jobs projected to grow at a faster rate than other careers until at least 2028, the personal-finance website WalletHub published an analysis of 2020’s Best & Worst Metro Areas for STEM Professionals as well as accompanying videos.
Groundwater professionals are well positioned for the future as many of their job responsibilities require STEM.
To determine the best markets for STEM workers, WalletHub compared the 100 biggest metro areas across 21 key metrics. The data set ranges from per-capita job openings for STEM graduates to annual median wage growth for STEM workers.
Best metro areas for STEM
1. Seattle, Washington
2. Boston, Massachusetts
3. Austin, Texas
4. Atlanta, Georgia
5. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
6. San Francisco, California
7. Raleigh, North Carolina
8. Madison, Wisconsin
9. Minneapolis, Minnesota
10. San Diego, California
Worst metro areas for STEM
91. North Port, Florida
92. Memphis, Tennessee
93. Lakeland, Florida
94. McAllen, Texas
95. Deltona, Florida
96. Toledo, Ohio
97. Stockton, California
98. Jackson, Mississippi
99. Little Rock, Arkansas
100. Cape Coral, Florida
The report’s highlights also include the following.
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has the most per-capita overall STEM job openings for STEM graduates, 114.12, which is 35.1 times higher than in Deltona, Florida, the metro area with the fewest at 3.25.
- San Jose, California, has the highest average monthly earnings for new employees in STEM industries, $11,798, which is 3.7 times higher than in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the metro area with the lowest at $3,175.
- San Jose, California, has the highest share of all workers in STEM occupations, 21 percent, which is 15 times higher than in McAllen, Texas, the metro area with the lowest at 1.40 percent.
- Houston, Texas, has the highest annual median wage for STEM workers (adjusted by cost of living), $98,886, which is 2.3 times higher than in Honolulu, the metro area with the lowest at $42,293.
Click here to view the full report.