best for STEM Jobs

Boulder 3rd best U.S. city for STEM jobs

Boulder is the third-best city for graduates with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees, according to a new study. That’s good, because according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary in 2014 STEM occupations was about $81,000, compared with the $47,000 average salary for all occupations.

According to a new study by San Francisco-based financial analyst website NerdWallet, Boulder ranks only behind Huntsville, Ala. (home of a burgeoning aerospace industry) and San Jose, Calif., in terms of good jobs for STEM grads.

The study analyzed 354 U.S. cities and ranked them by the size of the city’s STEM industry and the income for STEM jobs.

“The Boulder metro area features one of the most prominent STEM job markets in the country, thanks to growth in its technology and aerospace industries,” NerdWallet wrote.

Boulder was followed by Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C., Seattle, Kennewick-Pasco-Richland in Washington state, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Houston and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville in Florida.

Denver came in No. 19 overall.