In New York City, there is the flower district. There's the diamond district. There's even a lights district that has a string of shops that sell lighting fixtures.
The same thing happens with companies. After air flight was discovered, companies started popping up to support the growth of that new industry. Seattle and Los Angeles were two cities that quickly became major hubs. According to a report by the LAEDC [http://laedc.org/reports/AerospaceinSoCal_0812.pdf], Los Angeles County accounted for 10% of all aerospace jobs in 1987. And of course, Seattle is home to Boeing. The way it worked is that once one firm opened its doors, others followed resulting in more engineering talent. That in turn led to more aerospace companies locating there in a sort of virtuous circle.
This trend can be seen in major engineering hubs around the country. Understanding which cities have the most engineers and what sectors they're in is a useful tool in determining where you might need to relocate. If you're an aerospace engineer, New York City might not be for you. But, Seattle might be your perfect place.
There are also salary trends for different areas. When we pulled this data at the end of 2013, the average national salary across the United States (these 10 cities and all other cities) was $79,000. These ten cities, because they are hubs and major metropolitan areas, tend to pay more. For example, Indiana had an average salary range of $51,510-$68,980 across the entire state for engineers.
Taking into consideration how much an engineer makes, on average, in a city plus knowing what types of engineers are hired the most in those cities can help when you're looking to find a new job, relocate start a new career. Use the infographic to help you navigate the top ten cities with the most engineers.
Jacob Donnelly is a Business Analyst and the Product Manager of ThomasNetJobs.com