The Utah Job Market

Are you a Utah resident looking for work? Well, you’re in luck. Utah continues to have one of the strongest economies in the nation, and experts predict the job growth will continue.

Utah was ranked No. 1 in the nation for total job growth at 3.6%, according to the most recent employment numbers released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Utah is also ranked No. 5 nationally in unemployment with a low rate of 2.8%.

Empire Resume has reported on Utah’s booming technology industry before, which is responsible for much of the state’s economic success in recent years.

Many of these high-paying tech jobs are concentrated in an area dubbed as “Silicon Slopes,” which has become a hub of tech startup companies. The University of Utah Research Park in Salt Lake City is also a hub of bioengineering jobs.

But there’s more to Utah than just technology jobs.

A recent LinkUp report ranked Salt Lake City as having the most diversified job market in 2018 among all U.S. metro areas with a population of over 1.1 million. That’s because there are several large employers in Salt Lake City in a variety of industries, including lenders like Zions Bancorp, a real estate investment trust like Extra Space Storage Inc., and an e-commerce retailer like Overstock.com.

Experts say it’s important to have a diversified economy because then the job market will be less affected by a single company’s actions. In less diversified job markets, if a large employer or sector goes belly up, the whole market could suffer.

Utah’s fastest-growing job in 2019 wasn’t related to the technology industry, either. Money magazine reported that the state’s fastest-growing job was a roofer, which was projected to grow by 15% from 2017 to 2019.

In this article, Empire Resume will provide a general overview of Utah’s job market, the fastest-growing occupations in the state, and where you fit into the overall economic picture.

The Fastest-Growing Industries

All major Utah industries added jobs within the past year, according to the most recently released federal employment statistics. Empire Resume discovered that the fastest growing industries in Utah within the past year were manufacturing and information technology (4.7% growth), education and health sciences (3.8%), leisure and hospitality (3.7%), and natural resources and mining (3.2%).

As we’ve mentioned, Utah’s tech industry has become one of the strongest in the nation. The state’s information technology sector supported one in seven of all jobs in the state in 2018, and the industry grew at an average annual rate of 4.9% from 2008 to 2018.

Utah is home to more than 7,000 tech-focused companies, including well-known companies such as Adobe, eBay, IM Flash Technologies, and EMC Corporation.

The manufacturing industry is suffering in many parts of the U.S., but in Utah, it’s one of the state’s strongest industry sectors. Utah’s manufacturing industry saw employment growth above 11% every year between 2011 and 2016, according to the Economic Development Corporation of Utah.

Manufacturing is also one of the highest paying industries in the state. The average monthly manufacturing salary in Utah in 2015 was $4,533, which was much higher than the average monthly salary of $3,621 for all other industries.

The Best Careers in The State

Empire Resume discovered that the careers with the highest estimated growth rate in Utah include Mobile App Developers, Post-secondary Health Specialties Teachers, Web Developers, Personal Financial Advisors, and Market Research Analysts.

It’s no surprise the career with the highest estimated growth in Utah is related to the tech industry. Jobs for Mobile App Developers are expected to grow by nearly 6% in the state by 2024 with the Provo-Orem metro area seeing the largest growth.

Mobile App Developers earn an average of more than $94,000 annually in Utah. It’s a high paying and hot job in the state that requires a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering and a very specific skill set. To land this IT job, you’ll have to know the most up-to-date programming tools and be proficient in one or more programming languages.

Post-secondary Health Specialties Teachers is another career in Utah that’s expected to grow by nearly 6% by 2024. The formal name of the career is vague, but it basically means a college professor of courses on topics like public health, dentistry, and veterinary medicine.

Many job openings in this career field are expected to be for part-time faculty, and you’ll need a master’s degree or Ph.D. The average annual salary for these professors in Utah is more than $113,000, and the Ogden-Clearfield metro area is expected to see the highest growth rate of job openings.

Web Developer is another tech-related job in Utah that should see many job openings in the coming years. The annual median salary for this career is nearly $56,000 and landing an entry-level position will usually require a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a technical portfolio of work you’ve done in the past.

Huge Growth Causes Challenges

Utah’s booming economy has created growth challenges in the state, though. Since 2010, Utah’s population has ballooned by 14.4%, making it the fastest-growing state in the country in terms of population size, according to recent U.S. census figures.

Utah led the nation in population growth this past decade because of its high birthrate, but also because more people are moving to the state for its wealth of job opportunities.

Empire Resume discovered that the state’s economic and population growth has also been unevenly distributed. While places like Utah County and Salt Lake City have seen immense growth, counties such as Beaver, Carbon, and Emery have fewer jobs than they did a decade ago.

The tech industry has had a huge positive impact on Utah’s economy, but it’s also led to wage inequality and it’s partially to blame for skyrocketing real estate prices. Tech workers in Utah earn an average of about $106,000 annually while all other Utah workers earn an average annual salary of $58,500.

Overall, Utah’s economy and job market have become one of the strongest in the nation and growth is expected to continue. Legislators will have to find solutions to the typical challenges that come with such growth.

Rest assured, Utah is a good place to be if you’re looking for work or to start a career – and it should be for the foreseeable future.

Maria Gold is a Content Manager/Writer for Empire Resume. She is dedicated to helping educate and motivate people with the latest career articles and job search advice. Her interests range from writing to programming and design. She is also passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology.