WORKFORCE

Where the Creative Class Earns the Most

By Richard Florida, The Atlantic Cities

Updated: October 23, 2012 | 12:18 p.m.
July 27, 2012 | 9:26 a.m.

The economic crisis has hit all workers hard. But the creative class — which includes professionals in the fields of science and technology, design and architecture, arts, entertainment and media, and healthcare, law, management and education — has fared better than most.



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Unemployment for this group never grew much higher than 5 percent, while the national rate surged to more than double that and triple for blue collar workers. 

But the pay levels of members of the creative class varies substantially by geography. Creative class members in the highest paying metros earn more than six figures, while those in the lowest paying metros make roughly $40,000.

Where do creative class workers get paid the most?

The map above shows the average salary and wages for all the metros across the United States. It is based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics compiled by my colleague Kevin Stolarick of the Martin Prosperity Institute.

View a slideshow of the top 20.

 

Richard Florida is co-founder and editor at Large at The Atlantic Cities. He's also a senior editor atThe Atlantic and  director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. He is a frequent speaker to communities, business and professional organizations, and founder of the Creative Class Group, whose current client list can be found here.



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