Seattle and the Eastside have long been a hub for technology companies, from longtime employers like Amazon and Microsoft to more recent additions including Apple and Google. This density of big tech companies (and smaller startups in innovative spaces) has made Washington a national leader in innovation — an economic driver that contributes around $600 billion annually to the U.S. economy.
The United States itself is ranked third in global innovation, supported by its dedication to research and development and the export of knowledge and technology. WalletHub recently ranked the states by their contributions to the country’s innovation ranking, measuring the states across multiple categories, including share of STEM professionals, research and development spending per capita and tech company density.
Overall, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia were ranked first and second, with Washington State taking third place nationally. In the last three slots were North Dakota, Louisiana and Mississippi, respectively.
In individual categories, Washington tied for first place for highest projected STEM job demand by 2028 and highest venture-capital funding per capita. The state was also number 2 in highest share of science and engineering graduates aged 25+, and number 5 in highest R&D spending per capita.
Thanks to our state’s established tech sector and abundance of top-tier universities and research organizations, it seems likely that Washington will remain a leader in innovation for many years to come.
This article was originally posted on WalletHub by Adam McCann.