Outside Magazine recently crunched the numbers and the numbers revealed that the outdoors is a main attraction for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) workers.ย ย The number of STEM jobs in an area is a key indicator of the health of the job market in a given area.ย Over half of STEM workers have computer-related jobs.
STEM workers have an average salary of $81,000 annually, which is significantly greater than the national average of $47,000 annually for other jobs. Many would assume that the best way to pursue a career in the STEM field would be to flock to tech areas such as Seattle and the Bay Area, but contrary to common belief, many towns offer tech jobs and the ability to live an active lifestyle.
Outdoorย cities aren’t onlyย good for skiing, biking, and hiking, but they have made themselves outdoor-friendly tech alternatives that offer superb activities for a healthy lifestyle. 23 of the 45 cities that were featured on Outside’s Best Town Competition offer a large number of STEM-related jobs in that area. Stem jobs account for 10% of jobs in the U.S. and they have experienced a growth of 11.4% from 2004 to 2014.
STEM workers are less likely to experience joblessness compared to their non-STEM counterparts. Boulder, Coloradoย is the leading non-Silicon Valley tech center in the United States. Outside of Silicon Valley and Framingham, MA, Boulder’s STEM job ranking is higher than any other region in the country.ย 8 tech companies listed on Outside’s Best Places to Work list are based in the Boulder area. Colorado is the 5th best-prepared state to thrive in the rapidly progressing STEM-focused economy. Boulder countryย is home toย nearly 24,000 STEM workers and 40 companies in that area have raised more than $5 million in funding.
Boulder, Colorado offers a bunch STEM careers, exceptional STEM education at University of Colorado Boulder, and it is home to some of the largest tech companies in the world such as: Google, Microsoft, Oracle, AOL, and IBM. Along with that, it offers a variety of outdoor activities that enable individuals to live a happy and healthy lifestyle.
