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Metropolitan areas with the highest concentrations of STEM employment
November 06, 2024
This week, we celebrate National STEM Day, which falls on November 8. Jobs in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are found throughout the country, but are more highly concentrated in some areas than others.
Employment concentration of STEM occupations by metropolitan area, location quotients, May 2023
Metropolitan area
Location quotient
STEM employment
STEM annual median wage (in dollars)
United States
1.00
10,165,900
101,650
Abilene, TX
0.48
2,360
69,530
Akron, OH
0.82
17,510
82,310
Albany, GA
0.52
2,060
79,050
Albany, OR
0.51
1,630
83,810
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
1.24
36,420
90,080
Albuquerque, NM
1.19
31,650
103,540
Alexandria, LA
0.33
1,320
70,970
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
0.66
16,410
85,700
Altoona, PA
0.47
1,820
75,910
Amarillo, TX
0.52
4,210
78,990
Ames, IA
1.64
5,180
82,860
Anchorage, AK
0.97
11,020
97,870
Ann Arbor, MI
1.46
21,080
100,840
Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL
0.45
1,310
76,580
Appleton, WI
0.74
6,100
80,190
Asheville, NC
0.58
7,790
78,530
Athens-Clarke County, GA
0.56
3,420
68,220
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
1.03
194,890
102,150
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ
0.60
5,020
106,090
Auburn-Opelika, AL
0.82
3,510
87,280
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
0.71
10,900
86,080
Austin-Round Rock, TX
1.72
142,560
102,590
Bakersfield, CA
0.69
15,230
100,710
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
1.33
115,720
111,690
Bangor, ME
0.65
2,810
78,030
Barnstable Town, MA
0.57
3,880
97,060
Baton Rouge, LA
0.78
20,170
83,570
Battle Creek, MI
0.82
2,930
86,600
Bay City, MI
0.64
1,430
91,640
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
0.72
7,500
93,870
Beckley, WV
0.34
940
66,710
Bellingham, WA
0.79
4,810
91,710
Bend-Redmond, OR
0.80
4,820
88,670
Billings, MT
0.64
3,850
81,470
Binghamton, NY
0.98
6,230
97,160
Birmingham-Hoover, AL
0.77
26,170
85,530
Bismarck, ND
0.89
4,270
79,070
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
1.28
6,170
83,600
Bloomington, IL
1.47
9,000
107,730
Bloomington, IN
1.29
6,290
78,380
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA
0.54
1,480
82,370
Boise City, ID
0.92
23,050
83,060
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
1.69
311,560
123,870
Boulder, CO
2.73
35,580
124,080
Bowling Green, KY
0.49
2,560
76,230
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA
1.38
8,580
101,320
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
0.98
26,330
118,210
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
0.41
4,290
69,100
Brunswick, GA
0.36
1,060
72,430
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
0.78
27,500
86,560
Burlington, NC
0.63
2,800
83,740
Burlington-South Burlington, VT
1.32
10,640
88,400
California-Lexington Park, MD
3.43
10,830
118,660
Canton-Massillon, OH
0.46
5,010
78,330
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
0.48
9,290
79,340
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
0.37
1,090
68,570
Carbondale-Marion, IL
0.58
2,080
75,790
Carson City, NV
1.14
2,370
75,880
Casper, WY
0.59
1,530
78,410
Cedar Rapids, IA
0.94
8,820
83,940
Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA
0.48
1,860
87,750
Champaign-Urbana, IL
1.06
7,490
86,970
Charleston, WV
0.80
5,510
72,860
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
1.03
25,820
92,520
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
1.12
98,060
107,970
Charlottesville, VA
1.29
9,760
86,550
Chattanooga, TN-GA
0.67
11,750
80,950
Cheyenne, WY
0.84
2,610
77,110
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
0.81
244,990
102,910
Chico, CA
0.49
2,540
88,700
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
0.89
64,720
94,890
Clarksville, TN-KY
0.55
3,540
75,790
Cleveland, TN
0.49
1,460
73,040
Cleveland-Elyria, OH
0.83
55,480
92,320
Coeur d'Alene, ID
0.57
2,690
77,390
College Station-Bryan, TX
0.96
8,260
74,010
Colorado Springs, CO
1.35
28,030
106,240
Columbia, MO
0.86
5,630
78,820
Columbia, SC
0.82
20,970
81,810
Columbus, GA-AL
0.78
5,940
91,020
Columbus, IN
1.63
5,540
103,390
Columbus, OH
0.99
70,440
95,300
Corpus Christi, TX
0.64
7,980
82,240
Corvallis, OR
1.75
4,440
92,960
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
1.18
9,670
99,130
Cumberland, MD-WV
0.99
2,410
84,250
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
1.21
321,560
103,780
Dalton, GA
0.50
2,180
75,960
Danbury, CT
0.74
3,810
98,580
Danville, IL
0.37
650
76,490
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL
0.35
1,930
75,740
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
0.91
10,870
97,340
Dayton, OH
1.12
27,650
95,790
Decatur, AL
0.91
3,530
97,890
Decatur, IL
0.52
1,600
89,250
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
0.48
6,740
73,880
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
1.49
158,970
108,180
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
1.11
28,550
92,600
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
1.31
167,020
100,310
Dothan, AL
0.36
1,420
76,680
Dover, DE
0.71
3,150
80,610
Dover-Durham, NH-ME
1.10
3,730
96,260
Dubuque, IA
1.07
4,180
89,190
Duluth, MN-WI
0.70
5,830
80,990
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
2.11
47,520
108,300
East Stroudsburg, PA
0.62
2,290
83,450
Eau Claire, WI
0.76
4,310
80,300
El Centro, CA
0.32
1,350
86,830
El Paso, TX
0.56
12,030
71,960
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY
0.74
2,680
79,190
Elkhart-Goshen, IN
0.45
4,080
79,170
Elmira, NY
0.57
1,270
76,750
Enid, OK
0.55
860
75,310
Erie, PA
0.62
4,940
79,750
Eugene, OR
0.67
7,000
85,010
Evansville, IN-KY
0.59
6,000
75,410
Fairbanks, AK
1.21
2,860
85,310
Fargo, ND-MN
0.82
7,960
80,780
Farmington, NM
0.36
1,090
70,000
Fayetteville, NC
0.60
5,260
83,050
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO
0.82
14,580
88,190
Flagstaff, AZ
0.67
2,880
78,440
Flint, MI
0.52
4,600
83,460
Florence, SC
0.55
3,250
78,950
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
0.39
1,440
74,530
Fond du Lac, WI
0.77
2,320
82,600
Fort Collins, CO
1.42
16,420
96,950
Fort Smith, AR-OK
0.34
2,420
70,640
Fort Wayne, IN
0.71
10,570
78,320
Fresno, CA
0.47
12,730
89,030
Gadsden, AL
0.20
430
66,450
Gainesville, FL
0.93
8,820
75,140
Gainesville, GA
0.51
3,350
78,520
Gettysburg, PA
0.42
920
79,130
Glens Falls, NY
0.47
1,560
80,720
Goldsboro, NC
0.35
940
73,870
Grand Forks, ND-MN
0.64
2,170
76,510
Grand Island, NE
0.43
1,220
76,430
Grand Junction, CO
0.62
2,720
78,310
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
0.84
30,140
82,940
Grants Pass, OR
0.39
790
75,390
Great Falls, MT
0.50
1,210
68,540
Greeley, CO
0.71
5,260
88,910
Green Bay, WI
0.75
8,570
79,790
Greensboro-High Point, NC
0.69
16,390
85,700
Greenville, NC
0.68
3,640
80,710
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC
0.91
25,770
81,950
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
0.71
7,220
82,620
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
0.51
3,510
86,950
Hammond, LA
0.28
870
69,940
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
0.31
950
91,110
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
0.81
17,730
87,240
Harrisonburg, VA
0.53
2,280
80,890
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
1.12
42,390
104,940
Hattiesburg, MS
0.41
1,690
64,460
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
0.47
4,820
79,590
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC
0.41
2,210
82,010
Hinesville, GA
0.47
630
80,720
Homosassa Springs, FL
0.27
630
66,490
Hot Springs, AR
0.32
810
69,100
Houma-Thibodaux, LA
0.46
2,470
73,790
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
1.01
215,520
98,840
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
0.45
3,890
75,880
Huntsville, AL
2.65
44,450
108,510
Idaho Falls, ID
1.02
5,320
95,470
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
0.86
62,380
87,410
Iowa City, IA
1.07
6,470
80,380
Ithaca, NY
1.27
4,080
83,970
Jackson, MI
0.76
2,880
86,890
Jackson, MS
0.54
9,070
73,530
Jackson, TN
0.52
2,360
65,070
Jacksonville, FL
0.77
38,280
92,460
Jacksonville, NC
0.54
1,860
78,760
Janesville-Beloit, WI
0.63
2,880
77,960
Jefferson City, MO
1.03
5,190
62,580
Johnson City, TN
0.55
3,010
74,630
Johnstown, PA
0.55
1,770
70,450
Jonesboro, AR
0.39
1,550
68,660
Joplin, MO
0.37
1,970
68,730
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI
0.39
1,960
80,890
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
0.96
8,950
81,770
Kankakee, IL
0.31
850
76,070
Kansas City, MO-KS
1.05
76,140
94,330
Kennewick-Richland, WA
1.18
9,870
106,360
Killeen-Temple, TX
0.54
5,300
81,030
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA
0.78
6,080
83,030
Kingston, NY
0.45
1,710
80,360
Knoxville, TN
0.85
23,660
81,700
Kokomo, IN
0.33
770
80,870
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
0.76
3,800
81,760
Lafayette, LA
0.47
6,020
73,690
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
1.00
6,660
82,810
Lake Charles, LA
0.62
3,780
87,360
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ
0.38
1,400
76,470
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
0.53
9,180
77,470
Lancaster, PA
0.57
9,420
77,990
Lansing-East Lansing, MI
1.34
18,900
82,010
Laredo, TX
0.33
2,280
67,490
Las Cruces, NM
0.88
4,460
84,820
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
0.49
35,320
82,660
Lawrence, KS
0.92
3,050
80,900
Lawton, OK
0.49
1,390
77,930
Lebanon, PA
0.42
1,470
77,710
Leominster-Gardner, MA
0.44
1,530
82,810
Lewiston, ID-WA
0.47
880
75,280
Lewiston-Auburn, ME
0.46
1,450
84,090
Lexington-Fayette, KY
0.81
15,120
82,760
Lima, OH
0.55
1,840
76,330
Lincoln, NE
1.07
12,860
80,170
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
0.70
16,220
75,590
Logan, UT-ID
1.03
4,630
80,530
Longview, TX
0.49
3,190
74,780
Longview, WA
0.54
1,500
85,990
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
0.92
379,060
114,990
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
0.67
29,890
81,890
Lubbock, TX
0.52
5,290
68,730
Lynchburg, VA
0.73
4,760
84,910
Macon, GA
0.45
2,900
80,390
Madera, CA
0.30
1,050
81,250
Madison, WI
1.62
42,970
84,860
Manchester, NH
1.04
7,610
99,100
Manhattan, KS
1.03
2,790
77,830
Mankato-North Mankato, MN
0.60
2,220
79,300
Mansfield, OH
0.46
1,470
75,560
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
0.32
6,180
64,680
Medford, OR
0.58
3,400
78,950
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
0.65
27,250
83,960
Merced, CA
0.35
1,840
80,150
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
0.67
121,900
92,660
Michigan City-La Porte, IN
0.43
1,170
76,190
Midland, MI
1.23
2,970
105,360
Midland, TX
0.91
7,030
103,110
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
0.92
50,160
87,130
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
1.24
158,200
102,080
Missoula, MT
1.00
4,300
73,730
Mobile, AL
0.76
8,610
84,140
Modesto, CA
0.38
4,900
88,860
Monroe, LA
0.37
1,830
74,910
Monroe, MI
0.81
2,080
99,210
Montgomery, AL
0.82
8,870
81,740
Morgantown, WV
0.87
3,790
83,970
Morristown, TN
0.39
1,240
66,020
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
0.74
2,480
86,510
Muncie, IN
0.55
1,650
76,900
Muskegon, MI
0.49
2,000
80,000
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC
0.31
3,680
77,550
Napa, CA
0.48
2,490
88,510
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL
0.43
4,670
81,770
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
0.85
61,100
89,980
New Bedford, MA
0.45
1,960
94,180
New Bern, NC
0.90
2,720
87,530
New Haven, CT
0.80
15,510
101,670
New Orleans-Metairie, LA
0.64
21,980
91,890
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
0.89
566,500
125,520
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI
0.72
2,840
87,560
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
0.51
11,020
82,930
Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI
1.45
11,940
96,570
Ocala, FL
0.43
3,300
74,650
Ocean City, NJ
0.24
650
77,890
Odessa, TX
0.49
2,520
80,560
Ogden-Clearfield, UT
1.14
21,970
92,280
Oklahoma City, OK
0.92
40,590
83,200
Olympia-Tumwater, WA
1.37
11,270
96,890
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
1.00
32,550
94,490
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
0.80
73,050
94,490
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI
0.96
5,980
81,690
Owensboro, KY
0.41
1,420
72,100
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
0.93
19,640
107,990
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
1.78
28,300
102,290
Panama City, FL
0.79
4,460
87,620
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV
0.53
1,280
88,340
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
0.67
8,340
78,240
Peoria, IL
0.88
9,720
100,800
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
0.99
187,640
102,650
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
1.04
160,010
100,950
Pine Bluff, AR
0.50
970
82,830
Pittsburgh, PA
0.97
69,870
88,290
Pittsfield, MA
0.87
2,250
97,790
Pocatello, ID
0.66
1,640
71,600
Port St. Lucie, FL
0.45
4,900
76,780
Portland-South Portland, ME
0.97
13,470
85,460
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
1.36
109,570
105,940
Portsmouth, NH-ME
1.35
8,380
102,480
Prescott, AZ
0.48
2,220
80,490
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
0.84
32,040
101,490
Provo-Orem, UT
1.25
24,510
97,300
Pueblo, CO
0.54
2,300
78,020
Punta Gorda, FL
0.36
1,290
75,420
Racine, WI
0.69
3,510
79,340
Raleigh, NC
1.69
79,520
105,640
Rapid City, SD
0.73
3,490
76,000
Reading, PA
0.62
7,090
82,830
Redding, CA
0.63
2,850
91,970
Reno, NV
0.83
14,060
81,610
Richmond, VA
0.97
41,940
100,170
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
0.45
50,130
96,730
Roanoke, VA
0.61
6,170
81,950
Rochester, MN
0.80
6,390
99,490
Rochester, NY
0.94
30,980
88,400
Rockford, IL
0.55
5,090
84,060
Rocky Mount, NC
0.82
2,960
84,440
Rome, GA
0.37
1,020
75,570
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA
1.20
84,190
103,620
Saginaw, MI
0.81
4,310
79,240
Salem, OR
0.66
8,000
95,640
Salinas, CA
0.39
4,680
97,330
Salisbury, MD-DE
0.42
4,700
81,270
Salt Lake City, UT
1.33
71,570
94,270
San Angelo, TX
0.57
1,890
71,410
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
0.80
58,120
92,940
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA
1.38
140,590
118,870
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
1.98
320,540
159,850
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
3.43
262,000
174,610
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA
0.72
5,740
99,500
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
0.68
4,480
108,190
Santa Fe, NM
0.80
3,290
78,520
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
1.05
14,190
121,470
Santa Rosa, CA
0.65
9,040
104,260
Savannah, GA
0.61
7,740
100,440
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA
0.52
8,760
79,780
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
1.96
272,780
134,200
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL
0.36
1,350
77,570
Sebring, FL
0.36
660
64,080
Sheboygan, WI
0.70
2,790
80,340
Sherman-Denison, TX
0.49
1,650
81,270
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
0.33
3,780
74,960
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ
1.16
2,620
95,970
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
0.52
3,040
77,600
Sioux Falls, SD
0.77
8,610
79,090
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
0.67
5,820
79,340
Spartanburg, SC
0.61
6,540
80,720
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
0.71
12,100
86,900
Springfield, IL
0.84
5,830
92,160
Springfield, MA-CT
0.66
14,170
97,410
Springfield, MO
0.56
8,190
72,460
Springfield, OH
0.42
1,330
78,130
St. Cloud, MN
0.48
3,300
79,270
St. George, UT
0.46
2,550
77,360
St. Joseph, MO-KS
0.49
1,730
80,550
St. Louis, MO-IL
0.94
83,440
89,270
State College, PA
1.61
7,290
84,720
Staunton-Waynesboro, VA
0.49
1,630
77,910
Stockton-Lodi, CA
0.37
6,920
94,040
Sumter, SC
0.53
1,260
80,090
Syracuse, NY
0.87
17,120
91,650
Tallahassee, FL
1.10
13,320
61,450
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
0.91
86,520
93,210
Terre Haute, IN
0.44
1,910
74,890
Texarkana, TX-AR
0.34
1,270
72,210
The Villages, FL
0.38
960
77,620
Toledo, OH
0.62
12,040
81,220
Topeka, KS
0.79
6,030
78,240
Trenton, NJ
1.63
26,070
109,990
Tucson, AZ
1.13
28,950
91,880
Tulsa, OK
0.78
23,250
84,150
Tuscaloosa, AL
0.60
4,150
82,460
Twin Falls, ID
0.55
1,800
64,310
Tyler, TX
0.59
4,400
73,390
Urban Honolulu, HI
0.84
24,650
91,870
Utica-Rome, NY
0.66
5,150
82,230
Valdosta, GA
0.32
1,150
67,990
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
0.54
5,010
101,000
Victoria, TX
0.44
1,140
77,140
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ
0.28
1,180
80,980
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
1.07
52,920
97,820
Visalia-Porterville, CA
0.34
3,880
80,930
Waco, TX
0.62
5,210
78,170
Walla Walla, WA
0.79
1,440
90,980
Warner Robins, GA
1.15
5,890
85,570
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
1.78
367,660
129,130
Waterbury, CT
0.39
1,730
90,700
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
0.87
4,990
94,260
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
0.52
1,350
77,990
Wausau, WI
0.68
3,150
77,970
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH
0.41
1,030
73,910
Wenatchee, WA
0.59
2,000
80,850
Wheeling, WV-OH
0.40
1,570
78,280
Wichita Falls, TX
0.41
1,550
75,240
Wichita, KS
0.84
17,020
83,280
Williamsport, PA
0.58
1,930
73,400
Wilmington, NC
0.85
8,090
90,610
Winchester, VA-WV
0.65
2,830
92,690
Winston-Salem, NC
0.63
11,500
89,090
Worcester, MA-CT
0.88
16,590
99,510
Yakima, WA
0.38
2,500
79,780
York-Hanover, PA
0.65
7,870
81,880
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
0.40
5,410
75,380
Yuba City, CA
0.57
1,900
98,090
Yuma, AZ
0.55
2,430
77,550
In May 2023, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, and California-Lexington Park, Maryland, had the highest concentrations of STEM employment, at 3.43 times the U.S. average. An occupation's employment concentration in an area is measured using location quotients. A location quotient greater than 1 means that the occupation's share of employment in the area is greater than its share of employment in the nation as a whole.
The concentration of STEM employment was more than twice that of the nation in an additional three metropolitan areas: Boulder, Colorado (2.73); Huntsville, Alabama (2.65); and Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina (2.11).
Gadsden, Alabama, had the lowest concentration of STEM employment in May 2023, at 0.20 times the U.S. average. Areas with the lowest concentrations of STEM employment also included Ocean City, New Jersey (0.24 times the U.S. average).
STEM jobs had annual median wages of more than $150,000 in two metropolitan areas, both in California: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ($174,610), and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward ($159,850).
United States Department of Labor
