This Texas city is best in US for STEM professionals in 2025, study shows. See full list

Posted by author January 23, 2025 Jobs

The start of 2025 has brought a great outlook for jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, and one Texas city stands out from all others in the U.S. in terms of its promise for STEM professionals.

A WalletHub analysis published Wednesday examined 100 of the largest U.S. metro areas to determine the best markets for STEM professionals. Between 2023 and 2033, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted STEM jobs would grow 10.4%, compared to only 3.6% for all other occupations. In addition to job growth, the median annual wage for STEM professions ($101,650) is over twice that of non-STEM professions ($46,680).

“Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs tend to have high salaries, and job opportunities grow at nearly three times the rate of non-STEM jobs,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. “We can only expect this to accelerate in the future as new technologies continue to change the employment landscape. The top metro areas for STEM professionals have high-quality schools, an abundance of jobs and high pay. They’re also great places to live, but since many STEM jobs can be done remotely, you might also consider working in one of these areas while living elsewhere.”

How did STEM markets in Texas cities compare to others in the U.S.? Here’s a breakdown of the data.

Austin is No. 1 US city for STEM jobs

The Texas capital ranked above all other 99 cities in the study for STEM jobs. With a total score of 67.07 out of 100, Austin was listed as second-best in the professional opportunities category. Unlike many other top cities, it also ranked relatively high in the quality of life category.

With STEM jobs accounting for 11.5% of all employment, Austin claimed one of the highest rates in the U.S. Between 2021 and 2023, it had the fifth-largest increase in STEM employment. The Texas city now has the 10th-most job openings for STEM graduates per capita.

On the subject of wages, Austin landed among the top 10 cities for median earnings, at over $107,000 after adjustments for the cost of living. With engineering programs at local universities and tech-related summer programs, the Texas capital also has many opportunities for STEM education.

LIST: 10 best US cities for STEM jobs

Here’s how Austin and the other top nine metro areas fared in WalletHub’s analysis:

Rank	Metro Area	Total Score (out of 100)	Professional Opportunities Rank	STEM-Friendliness Rank	Quality of Life Rank
1	Austin, TX	67.07	2	18	11
2	Boston, MA	66.93	6	1	67
3	Seattle, WA	66.88	1	7	44
4	Atlanta, GA	66.29	8	12	9
5	San Francisco, CA	64.67	4	3	58
6	Pittsburgh, PA	62.21	38	15	6
7	Madison, WI	60.46	31	11	18
8	San Jose, CA	60.12	7	5	73
9	Springfield, MA	59.99	63	2	4
10	Orlando, FL	59.36	19	26	15

Table by Alexis Simmerman/American-Statesman | Data by WalletHub

LIST: Texas cities rank in STEM markets

Besides Austin, five other Texas cities were included in WalletHub’s analysis and were spread throughout the rankings. El Paso claimed the highest STEM employment growth in the country, while Austin ranked fifth. Austin came in fourth for its quality of engineering programs at universities.

With an especially low rank in the professional opportunities category, McAllen appeared toward the bottom of the list. McAllen also ranked the lowest among all 100 cities for the share of its workforce in STEM fields: San Jose, the top-ranking city, had an 11-times greater share.

Houston ranked 99th in median wage growth for STEM professionals.

Rank	Metro Area	Total Score (out of 100)	Professional Opportunities Rank	STEM-Friendliness Rank	Quality of Life Rank
1	Austin, TX	67.07	2	18	11
28	Houston, TX	51.27	50	19	51
31	Dallas, TX	49.80	25	22	74
51	El Paso, TX	45.16	62	61	38
60	San Antonio, TX	43.66	52	45	70
91	McAllen, TX	34.44	95	74	27