The job market may not be recovering fast enough for the 11.8 million unemployed Americans, but there is hope for thousands of jobless STEM professionals in major metro areas across the country.
Forbes and online job search engine Indeed.com have teamed up to compile a list of the 10 cities with the highest number of available STEM positions, which are occupations that require an education in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics disciplines.
Indeed.com combed through its data to find all open STEM jobs, as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET Online application, in the 50 largest metro areas by population. It then sorted the results by location to find the 10 cities that have the greatest number STEM job postings right now.
The picture we offer does not reflect a precise number of available jobs. An opening can be listed in more than one place and can remain online for some time after it’s filled. Nevertheless, the numbers do offer a strong, broad gauge of hiring demand for STEM jobs across the country.
In Pictures: The 10 Best Cities For STEM Jobs Right Now
The Big Apple proves to be the healthiest spot for jobless STEM professionals. Employers in the New York metro area are looking to fill 47,754 science, tech, engineering, and math positions right now.
“It’s no surprise that New York City tops the list,” says Mike Steinerd, director of recruiting at Indeed. “The New York metro area is home to big banks, hedge funds, venture capital firms, and accounting firms. In terms of the start-up technology scene, New York is rivaling San Francisco as the leader of the pack. Additionally, some of the greatest science and medical research taking place across the whole world is happening right now in New York City."
He continues: "New York is also home to many top-tier universities that attract A-level students from across the world, so local companies are pulling straight from the talent base to hire some of the best and brightest. Additionally, science and math students who attend undergraduate or graduate programs in other cities are all clamoring to live under the big city lights.”
The nation’s capital holds the No. 2 spot, with 39,368 STEM job openings right now. Steinerd says Washington D.C. makes this list for a number of reasons. “Firstly, companies that are major players in the aerospace and defense industries, such as NASA and Northrop Grumman, thrive in the Washington D.C. area. These defense positions demand high level computer skills.”
Secondly, some of the largest healthcare employers are located in the D.C. metro area, including MedStar Health, UnitedHealth Group, the Georgetown University Hospital and The George Washington University Hospital, he says.
“Thirdly, the area has a growing software scene, where employers are looking to fill open positions for the likes of software developers and software engineers,” he adds. “Of course, Washington D.C also has the highest concentration of government positions in the country, and more and more the government is looking for employees who have a strong STEM skill set for available positions within the Department of Energy, National Institute of Health, etcetera.”
Rounding out the top three with 30,731 STEM job openings is San Jose, California.
“San Jose has an extremely STEM-based economy, and over the past few years we’ve seen this city rise in the rankings on lists for the best places to live for technology job seekers,” Steinerd says. “Not only was San Jose at the heart of the Internet boom during the 1990s, but in the past decade it has become a true mecca for technology start-ups and corresponding venture capitalists and financial companies. Technology companies continue to grow, prosper and expand here, and we don’t expect it to slow down anytime soon.”
San Francisco takes the No. 4 spot. There are about 26,965 STEM job openings in The City by the Bay right now. Other major metro area to make the list: Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta.
“Overall we are noticing that major universities coupled with government policy is becoming a driving force behind encouraging more students, from a very early age, to become interested in STEM fields,” Steinerd says. “We are seeing extremely high concentrations of job postings in STEM-related fields, especially in the computer science realm.”
According to the BLS, by 2018 the STEM workforce in the U.S will total more than 8.65 million workers – which is a growth rate that will far surpass the growth rate of non-STEM jobs, he says.
“The demand for STEM talent is expanding beyond the walls of Google, IBM and Apple; and STEM skills are needed in all industries,” he adds. “We live in an ever-evolving digital world, which is causing a shift towards technology in industries that aren’t actually technology based. In essence, every industry is becoming its own mini tech industry. IT personnel and engineer positions are extending beyond traditional industries and we are seeing them crop up in new places like hospitality, music, and healthcare.”
He concludes: “Considering the anticipated increase in STEM-related jobs, a skilled workforce in science, technology, engineering and math will be the lynchpin to our country’s success globally. Companies today, both small and large, stand to benefit significantly from the fast-growing information-based economy and globalization in general. However, the ability to identify, attract and retain, STEM professionals will be essential to realizing these benefits.”
In Pictures: The 10 Best Cities For STEM Jobs Right Now
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