Wichita trails only West Coast hot spots in rankings for advanced industry jobs

Wichita ranked third in the nation among the top 100 metro areas for its concentration of jobs in advanced industries, behind only high-tech hubs San Jose, Calif., and Seattle, according to a new study.

The study from the Brookings Institution shows that 15.5 percent of the Wichita area’s workforce is tied to advanced industries, most of them in aerospace manufacturing, but also some in agricultural machinery manufacturing, engineering, consulting and other sectors.

The average pay for workers in those advanced industries was $73,990, compared to $44,410 for all workers in the Wichita area.

But the report says that, while advanced manufacturing and services are critical to U.S. competitiveness, the U.S. is losing ground to international competitors.

And it showed that Wichita had lost jobs in advanced industries from 2010 to 2013, ranking it 88th among the top 100 metro areas in the country in terms of growth in that sector.

Nationwide, the report said it found that more industries, services, companies and jobs have moved from the U.S. The country has a trade imbalance in most advanced sectors, although not in aircraft and aircraft parts manufacturing.

This story was originally published February 3, 2015 at 7:49 AM with the headline "Wichita trails only West Coast hot spots in rankings for advanced industry jobs."