by Elizabeth Troutman
Phoenix has the second highest percentage change in high-paying jobs out of a list of large U.S. metros, according to a Stessa report.
Phoenix saw a 217.1% increase in six-figure jobs from 2015 to 2020, marking the second-largest percentage increase among the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.
More Phoenix workers made six-figure salaries in 2020 than the national average. Out of Valley workers, 180,740, or 8.6% of the workforce, made six-figure salaries in 2020, while only 7.9% of workers nationally made $100,000 or more. Only 57,000 workers in the Valley reported salaries of $100,000 or more in 2015. Phoenix’s percentage beats all but two of the study’s 15 largest metros, including first-ranked Nashville.
“We are leading the nation in high-wage industry growth, including semiconductors, electric vehicle manufacturing, biosciences, start-ups and more,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego’s office told The Center Square. “Our efforts to accelerate and strengthen the business operating environment in Phoenix and the greater region are reflected in this exciting job growth, a sign of our economic vitality.”
In response to the report, Gallego called Greater Phoenix a “national leader and top relocation destination for families, jobs and businesses.”
Phoenix provides residents with more opportunities and a higher quality of life, Gallego said.
Tucson ranked eighth on the list with a 156.2% percentage change in six-figure jobs between 2015 and 2020.
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Elizabeth Troutman is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Phoenix, Arizona” by DPPed CC BY-SA 3.0.
