TAMPA – Employees in jobs requiring knowledge in science, technology, engineering and math, commonly known as STEM fields, are a much larger part of the national economy than generally thought, a Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program report released today says.
That’s because half of STEM jobs are filled by workers with associates’ degrees or less both nationally and in the Tampa Bay region, although those workers also require a high degree of knowledge in one of the STEM areas.
STEM jobs, which pay above-average wages both for those with bachelors degrees and higher and those with associate degrees and lower, are especially significant to the Tampa Bay region.
Higher paying jobs are in demand in the local area where median household income is comparatively low, ranking 91st among 100 major U.S. metro areas at $43,832.
In addition to providing higher wages, STEM jobs also are sought by locales and supported by government to bolster fields seen as critical for the United States to remain globally competitive and innovative.
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