By Kurt Schlosser | GeekWire | January 19, 2022
The Seattle region topped 100 U.S. metro areas in a new ranking of the best and worst places for professionals in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs.
The comparison by the personal finance website WalletHub measured the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area across 19 key metrics, ranging from percentage of workforce in STEM; STEM employment growth; median wage for STEM workers; quality of engineering universities; and more.
The Seattle region was No. 1 in professional opportunities and outpaced cities such as Austin, Boston, Madison, Wisc., and Minneapolis in the top five.
Here’s how Seattle’s STEM job market placed in assorted categories (1 = best, 50 = average):
- 2nd – % of workforce in STEM
- 1st – STEM employment growth
- 41st – math performance
- 5th – quality of engineering universities
- 1st – median wage growth for STEM workers
- 8th – job openings for STEM graduates per capita
WalletHub says STEM jobs are projected to grow 10.5% between 2020 and 2030, compared to 7.5% for other occupations. The median annual STEM wage in the U.S. is $89,780, compared to $40,020 for all non-STEM occupations.
Best Cities for STEM Jobs
| Overall Rank | Metro Area* | Total Score | Professional Opportunities | STEM-Friendliness | Quality of Life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | 73.02 | 1 | 8 | 24 |
| 2 | Austin, TX | 65.17 | 4 | 27 | 12 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | 65.06 | 9 | 1 | 71 |
| 4 | Madison, WI | 64.35 | 10 | 16 | 6 |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MN | 62.25 | 18 | 11 | 21 |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | 61.85 | 7 | 28 | 14 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh, PA | 61.06 | 32 | 14 | 11 |
| 8 | San Francisco, CA | 60.97 | 3 | 7 | 66 |
| 9 | Salt Lake City, UT | 60.80 | 2 | 43 | 17 |
| 10 | Orlando, FL | 58.18 | 15 | 41 | 18 |
