ANN ARBOR ? If you needed more proof that Ann Arbor has become the hotbed for technology development in Michigan, you just need to read the latest findings from University of Michigan economists as part of their 30th annual economic outlook for Washtenaw County.
In the latest U-M survey, nearly 17 percent of all job growth in Washtenaw County over the next three years will come from the technology sector that will create more than 2000 jobs by 2017. U-M economists George Fulton and Donald Grimes, also said the professional and business services industry will generate far more of the 13,000 jobs forecast to be created in the county over the next two years.
In 2013, the tech sector accounted for 12.6 percent of the jobs in 2013, compared with 11.3 percent in 1990. The large majority of tech jobs are likely to end up in downtown Ann Arbor as tech companies pour into the heart of the city.
The median wage for a worker in Washtenaw County is $41,740, but those with a Bachelor’s degree earn $46,829 and a graduate degree or higher earns $72,207.
But even though those workers make more than the median-waged worker in the county, many companies say the lower cost of living in Ann Arbor when compared to cities like Chicago and areas like Silicon Valley mean they can still offer competitive wages for the Ann Arbor market that aren’t as high as they are in other areas, local experts said.
