Gaithersburg Ranks Among Top 10 Best Cities For STEM Workers

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Based on data collected by Livability.com, a website that explores what makes small-to-medium sized cities ideal places to live, the City of Gaithersburg ranked in the top 10 of a 2018 listing of Best Cities for STEM Workers, coming in at #6. The site analyzed data from 2,000 cities and towns across the country, looking at such factors as share of total jobs that fall into the STEM category, the median income for those jobs, and the median income for STEM jobs in relation to overall median income within each city. Number one on the list was Huntsville, Alabama.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were nearly 8.6 million STEM jobs in 2015, with that number expected to grow by 13 percent through 2025. The national average salary for STEM jobs is $87,570.

In its description of Gaithersburg, Livability.com noted that one in every five employees in the City works in a STEM-related profession, enjoying a median income of $90,000. The article identified major employers, including Emergent BioSolutions, GeneDx, MedImmune, and the presence of NIST, as an attraction for STEM workers. It also noted a future commitment to cultivating STEM jobs with the recent opening of the Art of Problem Solving Academy, which enrolls elementary school students in accelerated math classes.

“I’m delighted with this designation,” said Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman. “We’re a well-rounded community, with a strong emphasis on both STEM-related programs and a commitment to arts and culture. The growing presence of information and biotechnology companies is vital to our resiliency, and the workers these companies attract help to make Gaithersburg even more vibrant.”

Read the full report here. Learn more about the City of Gaithersburg online at www.gaithersburgmd.govand on its economic development website, www.growgaithersburg.com.

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