STEM Careers Booming in the U.S.

STEM occupations are proving to be lucrative for those willing to step into the tech sector. On average, salaries are double than those in non-STEM related careers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are expected to grow by more than 10% over the next decade.

WalletHub did the leg work in finding the best metro areas for STEM professionals.

Here are the Top Five:

1. Seattle, WA

Tech in Seattle took off when Microsoft moved from Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1979 and has since become one of the strongest markets in North America. Along with Microsoft, Amazon is another high-profile tech company that made a home in Seattle. According to Builtin, some of the best places to work are ZS, Carta, OctoML, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Duolingo.

1. Austin, TX

Austin has nearly doubled its population to 2.29 million people in 2020 over two decades according to the United States Census. The area many tech companies have settled into in the Austin metro area has been referred to as Silicon Hills. Big tech with offices in the area included Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon, Apple, ARM Holdings, PayPal and Oracle.

1. Boston, MA

As the cultural and financial center of New England, many startups in tech flock to the region. Some of the big tech companies in Boston include Raytheon, Amazon and IBM. According to the State of Massachusetts Tech Economy 38% of females are in tech jobs.

1. Atlanta, GA

As the home to Atlanta-based higher institutions like Emory, Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia, these schools are able to retain talented students in the state. Tech companies like Airbus, Microsoft and Waystar have offices in Atlanta. Additionally, with tech salaries averaging more than $95K and a lower cost of living make this city attractive.

1. San Francisco, CA

Silicon Valley has long been known as the tech capital of the U.S. Top employers include Apple, Google, Intel, Salesforce and Tesla. Tech salaries remain high, but so is the cost of living. According to some reports, San Francisco startups raised more than $31b in 2022 with more than 1000 VC funds in the area.

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