The last few years have solidified
STEM jobs — which refer to careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics — represent 6.2% of U.S. employment, according to the Technology Student Association. But despite the growing need for these roles, manufacturing company Emerson projected that nearly 2 million out of the 3.5 million STEM job openings expected by 2025 will go unfilled due to a widening skill gap.
Yet many states continue to push full steam ahead,
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Unsurprisingly, six of the top 10 most innovative cities are in California, with Silicon Valley in the top three, due to the sheer volume of STEM jobs available in the area and how well paid they've traditionally been. But more unexpected cities are also making significant waves — Baltimore came in second place, followed close behind by Boston, which took the sixth place spot. Seattle ranked number one as the most innovative city for STEM workers.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, states like Wyoming didn't have any cities featured on the list. With only 2,970 STEM workers in the whole state, Wyoming has the lowest overall STEM population nationally, as well as the lowest average salary at $68,770 a year — 63% lower than Seattle.
See what other major American cities made the cut:
