About 1 in 5 Florida workers are in science and engineering or related fields, placing the Sunshine State near the bottom of the list of states whose workforce is made up of STEM jobs.
New figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show that just 8.9 percent of Florida workers between ages 25 and 64 worked in science, technology, engineering and math jobs, also known as STEM jobs.
Another 12 percent were in related fields, like architecture or health care management.
Florida had more than 450,000 workers in STEM or STEM-related jobs.
Only four other states — Wyoming, New York, Nevada and Georgia — and the District of Columbia had lower rates of workers in science and technology or related fields than Florida.
State officials in recent years have made efforts to bring high-tech science businesses to Orlando and Palm Beach County.
Rate of STEM & STEM-related jobs by state
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey, released July 10, 2014
RANK | STATE | STEM & STEM-RELATED JOBS |
---|---|---|
1 | Maryland | 29.3% |
2 | Washington | 29.1% |
3 | West Virginia | 26.9% |
4 | Massachusetts | 26.6% |
5 | Alaska | 26.5% |
6 | Michigan | 26.3% |
7 | New Mexico | 26.1% |
8 | New Hampshire | 25.4% |
9 | Pennsylvania | 25.2% |
10 | Oregon | 25.2% |
11 | Arizona | 25.2% |
12 | Colorado | 25.2% |
13 | California | 25.1% |
14 | Virginia | 25.0% |
15 | South Dakota | 24.9% |
16 | Wisconsin | 24.8% |
17 | Delaware | 24.8% |
18 | Louisiana | 24.7% |
19 | Idaho | 24.7% |
20 | Montana | 24.2% |
21 | Utah | 24.2% |
22 | New Jersey | 24.0% |
23 | Minnesota | 23.9% |
— | UNITED STATES | 23.7% |
24 | Nebraska | 23.7% |
25 | North Carolina | 23.7% |
26 | Ohio | 23.5% |
27 | Alabama | 23.5% |
28 | Texas | 23.4% |
29 | Indiana | 23.1% |
30 | Rhode Island | 23.0% |
31 | Vermont | 23.0% |
32 | Maine | 22.9% |
33 | Connecticut | 22.9% |
34 | Tennessee | 22.4% |
35 | Missouri | 22.4% |
36 | Illinois | 22.4% |
37 | Iowa | 22.3% |
38 | Mississippi | 22.2% |
39 | North Dakota | 22.1% |
40 | Kentucky | 22.0% |
41 | Kansas | 22.0% |
42 | Arkansas | 21.7% |
43 | South Carolina | 21.7% |
44 | Oklahoma | 21.6% |
45 | Hawaii | 21.5% |
46 | FLORIDA | 20.8% |
47 | Georgia | 20.6% |
48 | Nevada | 20.2% |
49 | New York | 20.1% |
50 | Wyoming | 19.2% |
51 | District of Columbia | 19.0% |