Detroit is the fourth best city for “advanced industries” jobs, according to a report recently released by the Brookings Institution.
Advanced industries spend a lot of money on research and development, and they have a large number of workers in science, technology, engineering, and math-oriented roles.
Not surprisingly, San Jose, the center of Silicon Valley, topped the list at 30% of advanced industry jobs per capita. Seattle, home to Microsoft and Boeing, came in second. Both of these cities have at least two advanced industries in them.
“The best-positioned cities have specializations in multiple areas,” said Mark Muro, a senior fellow at Brookings’ Metropolitan Policy Program.
That held true for Detroit. The city’s diversity is what helped it place so well on the list. In addition to the auto industry, Detroit also has lively battery and software industries, which helped bump the city up to fourth place, at 14.8% advanced industry jobs per capita.
Here are the cities with the highest concentration of advanced industry jobs:
- San Jose, CA – 30%
- Seattle, WA – 16%
- Wichita, KS – 15.5%
- Detroit, MI – 14.8%
- San Francisco, CA – 14%
- Washington, D.C. – 13.7%
- Palm Bay, FL – 13.4%
- Boston, MA – 13.3%
- Houston, TX – 12.8%
- San Diego, CA. – 12.3%
Nationwide, Brookings identified 50 advanced industries, including oil drilling, pharmaceuticals, architecture, and chemicals.
The pay in advanced industries averages about $90,000 a year, and the growth rates are high. Since 2010, many of the advanced industries have been adding jobs at almost twice the rate of the overall economy.
Though the pay in advanced industries is higher than most jobs in America, less than half of the workers in the sector have a four year college degree. Many of the employees rely on their technical training and skills to operate the machines and troubleshoot the systems.
As Detroit continues to recover and grow, its advanced industries may become valuable tools for attracting new talent to the city and inspiring residents to action.