The greater St. Louis region has the third most diversified economy in the U.S. That means we mirror the country and have a wide range of industries from advanced manufacturing to biosciences and everything in between. Some of the largest companies in the U.S. are headquartered here, including 14 of the Fortune 1000 and nine of America’s largest private companies. And St. Louis has major business center with large banking, accounting, legal, and IT industries.
Access the Talent You Need
Employers have a lot to gain from hiring in the St. Louis region. Not only does our diverse, skilled, and well-trained workforce benefit from one of the largest educational centers in the country, but that workforce is available at very competitive rates.
A Growing Workforce
With a population of 2.8 million, the St. Louis metropolitan area has a vast labor pool of 1.5 million ready and willing workers. The diverse bi-state region includes seven counties in Missouri and eight in Illinois and attracts about 50,000 new people every year, including about 4,000 immigrants.
Our region is home to immigrants from all over the world. As a result, we have several initiatives focusing on strengthening economic and social inclusion, including the International Institute and the St. Louis Mosaic Project.
STEM Talent
Science, technology, engineering, and math talent is critical to many high-tech and growing industries, and the St. Louis region boasts one of the largest STEM workforces in the U.S. More than 75,000 were employed in these highly specialized occupations in St. Louis in 2024. STEM employment here is 6% of total employment. And STEM occupations have an average annual salary of $100,340 — much higher than non-STEM occupations at $61,310.
To support our strong STEM workforce strengths, the St. Louis region has cultivated a variety of robust STEM educational programs, from college degrees to training programs. We proudly support one of the highest concentration of plant science Ph.Ds in the world. And we’ve grown an emerging ecosystem around the $1.75 billion western headquarters of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency under construction in north St. Louis.