Best and worst cities for STEM professionals

With science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs expected to grow 1.7 times faster than non-STEM professions in the coming years, the personal-finance website WalletHub followed up on its Best & Worst Cities to Find a Job report with an in-depth analysis of 2017’s Best & Worst Metro Areas for STEM Professionals.

To identify the best markets for STEM workers, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 100 most populated metro areas across 17 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 Worst Metro Areas

For STEM Professionals For STEM Pros.

1 Seattle 91 Birmingham, AL

2 San Jose, CA 92 Lakeland, FL

3 San Francisco, CA 93 Bridgeport, CT

4 Boston, MA 94 North Port, FL

5 Springfield, MA 95 Honolulu, HI

6 Austin, TX 96 Cape Coral, FL

7 Minneapolis, MN 97 Memphis, TN

8 Atlanta, GA 98 Deltona, FL

9 Washington, DC 99 McAllen, TX

10 Pittsburgh, PA 100 Jackson, MS

Portland, Ore., ranked 44th in the survey.

Atlanta has the most per-capita job openings for STEM graduates, 108, which is 54 times more than in Deltona, Fla., the metro area with the fewest at two.

San Jose, Calif., has the highest percentage of all workers in STEM occupations, 22.2 percent, which is 13.1 times higher than in McAllen, Texas, the metro area with the lowest at 1.7 percent.

Washington has the highest projected number of STEM jobs per capita needed by 2020, 14.86 percent, which is 13.8 times higher than in Las Vegas, the metro area with the lowest at 1.08 percent.

Riverside, Calif., has the highest unemployment rate for residents with at least a bachelor’s degree, 6.1 percent, which is 3.2 times greater than in Des Moines, Iowa, the metro area with the lowest, 1.9 percent.

Houston has the highest annual median wage for STEM workers (adjusted by cost of living), $94,110, which is 2.3 times higher than in Honolulu, the metro area with the lowest at $40,223.

Dayton, Ohio, has the highest housing-affordability index for STEM professionals, 103.26, which is 2.1 times higher than in Honolulu, the metro area with the lowest at 48.25.

To view the full report and your metro area’s rank, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-metro-areas-for-stem-professionals/9200/.