If you’re looking for professional opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), then go west, but things on the East Coast are also looking up. According to a new study by WalletHub, Washington D.C. ranked second after Seattle in Washington state. The 100 metro areas listed in the “Best & Worst Metro Areas for STEM Professionals” is a good reference guide for job seekers.
In the top 10 for professional opportunities in Best Cities for STEM Jobs are:
Cities with the highest percentage of their workforce in STEM jobs are San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara, all in California.
Three key areas in Washington, D.C. Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia also ranked high, beating out Seattle, Tacoma and Bellevue in Washington state, Raleigh, N.C., and the San Franciso-Oakland-Hayward metro area, which has some of the highest quality engineering universities.
Raleigh, N.C. also ranks among the top cities for the highest STEM employment growth. Other cities in this category are Provo-Orem, UT, Des Moines in Iowa, Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky-Indiana, and the Spokane Valley in Washington state.
Also noteworthy are the cities ranked by STEM Friendliness:
Seattle is ranked eighth on this list, with Baltimore (11) and Philadelphia (12), just missing out in the top 10.
