25:["$","$L26",null,{"category":"$27","relatedArticles":[{"id":"cG9zdDo1NzkyOQ==","databaseId":57929,"postId":57929,"author":{"node":{"id":"dXNlcjo1MA==","databaseId":50,"userId":50,"avatar":{"url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/10ca58872f36412ceff58616bb971c22?s=96&d=mm&r=g","size":96,"__typename":"Avatar"},"description":"Amelia Josephson is a writer passionate about covering financial literacy topics. Her areas of expertise include retirement and home buying. Amelia's work has appeared across the web, including on AOL, CBS News and The Simple Dollar. She holds degrees from Columbia and Oxford. Originally from Alaska, Amelia now calls Brooklyn home.","additionalMeta":{"expertise":null,"__typename":"User_Additionalmeta"},"email":null,"firstName":"Amelia","fullName":"Amelia Josephson","lastName":"Josephson","name":"Amelia Josephson","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":334,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnection"},"slug":"ajosephson","__typename":"User"},"__typename":"NodeWithAuthorToUserConnectionEdge"},"categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTo4OQ==","children":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"CategoryToCategoryConnection"},"databaseId":89,"categoryId":89,"link":"https://smartasset.com/career/articles","name":"Career","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":38,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnection"},"slug":"career","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"}],"__typename":"PostToCategoryConnection"},"content":"$28","date":"2016-12-21T10:00:54","excerpt":"

\n","featuredImage":{"id":"cG9zdDoxNzI3Mzg=","databaseId":172738,"altText":"The Average Salary of a Dentist","date":"2022-11-08T17:44:32","fileSize":38015,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","modified":"2022-11-08T17:44:32","sourceUrl":"https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/12/average_salary_dentist_1-1.jpg","__typename":"MediaItem"},"modified":{"datetime":"2023-3-21","readable":"March 21, 2023"},"multipleBylinesByRole":{"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"writtenBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null,"hideAuthor":null,"__typename":"Post_Multiplebylinesbyrole"},"adTargetingOverrides":{"fieldGroupName":"adTargetingOverrides","pageGroupNewKey":null,"__typename":"Post_Adtargetingoverrides"},"seo":{"canonical":"https://smartasset.com/career/the-average-salary-of-a-dentist","metaDesc":"The average salary of a dentist is $158,310 per year, but becoming a dentist is a long road and, for most people, involves taking on six-figure debt.","metaKeywords":"","metaRobotsNofollow":"follow","metaRobotsNoindex":"index","readingTime":4,"title":"The Average Salary of a Dentist - SmartAsset","__typename":"PostTypeSEO"},"slug":"the-average-salary-of-a-dentist","status":"publish","title":"The Average Salary of a Dentist","uri":"/career/the-average-salary-of-a-dentist","tags":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"PostToTagConnection"},"__typename":"Post","adPageGroupOverride":null,"bylines":{"writtenBy":{"id":"dXNlcjo1MA==","databaseId":50,"userId":50,"avatar":"$29","description":"Amelia Josephson is a writer passionate about covering financial literacy topics. Her areas of expertise include retirement and home buying. Amelia's work has appeared across the web, including on AOL, CBS News and The Simple Dollar. She holds degrees from Columbia and Oxford. Originally from Alaska, Amelia now calls Brooklyn home.","additionalMeta":"$2a","email":null,"firstName":"Amelia","fullName":"Amelia Josephson","lastName":"Josephson","name":"Amelia Josephson","postCount":"$2b","slug":"amelia-josephson","__typename":"User"},"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null},"category":{"id":"dGVybTo4OQ==","children":"$2e","databaseId":89,"categoryId":89,"link":"https://smartasset.com/career/articles","name":"Career","postCount":38,"slug":"career","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"},"isModifiedBeforePublished":false,"contentBlocks":["

There are more than 113,000 dentists in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s not surprising given that most Americans are visiting the dentist at least once a year: The CDC found in 2014 that 62% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 had visited a dentist in the past year. That’s close to the percentage (64%) of Americans who have dental benefits.

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That means a steady stream of business for dentists, and it also contributes to the profession’s high salaries. Let’s take a closer look at the job landscape for dentists and the average salary of a dentist.

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The Average Salary of a Dentist: The Basics

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According to the BLS, the 2018 mean annual salary for dentists was $175,840 per year. The number of dentists is projected to grow by 19% between 2016 and 2026. That’s much higher than the 7% projected growth rate for all fields.

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The top-paying state for dentists is Delaware, where the annual mean wage for dentists is $264,440. Other high-paying states for dentists are Alaska, Rhode Island, Minnesota and New Hampshire. The top-paying metro area for dentists is Amarillo, TX, with a mean annual wage of $279,580. Other high-paying metro areas for dentists are Longview, TX; Fond Du Lac, WI; Reno, NV; Sebring, FL; and New Haven, CT.

","

Dentists enjoy a high salary and can feel confident that their field will grow in the years to come. But becoming a dentist is no walk in the park. According to the American Student Dental Association, the average student debt for all indebted dental school graduates in 2016 was $285,185. Roughly four out of five 2018 dental school graduates reported debt levels of more than $100,000. Since 1990, the amount of debt that dental students take on has increased fourfold.

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The Average Salary of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

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Not surprisingly, oral surgeons tend to earn higher salaries than non-surgeon dentists. The mean annual salary of an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is $242,370 per year, $116.52 per hour. Among the highest-paying states for oral surgeons are California, Nebraska, Indiana and Maryland. Among the highest-paying metro areas are Washington-Arlington-Alexandria; Chicago-Naperville-Elgin; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim; and Grand Rapids-Wyoming.

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The Average Salary of a Orthodontist

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Orthodontists, too, earn higher salaries than dentists. The average salary of an orthodontist is $225,760 per year, $108.54 per hour. The highest paying state for orthodontists is Massachusetts. Other high-paying states are South Carolina, North Carolina, New Jersey and Iowa. The top-paying metro area for orthodontists is Boston-Cambridge-Nashua. Other high-paying metro areas are North Port-Sarasota-Bradento (Florida); Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade; New York-Newark-Jersey City; and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

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The Average Salary of a Prosthodontist

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The average salary of a prosthodontist is $191,400 per year, $92.02 per hour. The BLS lacks state- and metro-specific data on prosthodontist pay. Prosthodontists construct oral prostheses that fill in gaps in patients’ teeth or jaws.

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The Average Salary of a Dental Hygienist

","

","

The average salary of a dental hygienist is $75,500 per year (or about $35 per hour, assuming a 40-hour work week). The top-paying state for dental hygienists is Alaska, where dental hygienists make an annual mean wage of $114,320. Other high-paying states for dental hygienists are California, Washington, Arizona and New Jersey. The top-paying metro area for dental hygienists is Fairbanks, AK, where the annual mean wage in the profession is $113,190. Other high-paying metro areas are San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA; Anchorage, AK; San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA; and Santa Rosa, CA.

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The Average Salary of a Dental Assistant

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The average salary of a dental assistant is $39,770 per year, $19.12 per hour. The top-paying state for dental assistants is Minnesota, where the annual mean wage is $49,880. Other high-paying states for dental assistants are the District of Columbia, New Hampshire, Alaska and North Dakota. The top-paying metro area for dental assistants is Santa Rosa, CA, where the annual mean wage in the profession is $53,190. Other high-paying metro areas for dental assistants are Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI; Napa, CA; Rochester, MN and Fargo, ND-MN.

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Bottom Line

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Dentists tend to have a good work-life balance and earn high salaries. However, becoming a dentist involves a considerable investment of time and money. Those who train to become specialists such as oral surgeons and orthodontists stand to earn over $200,000 per year.

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Tips for Managing Your Money

","$30","

Photo credit: ©iStock.com/RapidEye, ©iStock.com/Tempura

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\n","featuredImage":{"id":"cG9zdDoyMTY1OQ==","databaseId":21659,"altText":"6 Tips for Volunteering Your Way to a Job","date":"2014-09-24T19:32:47","fileSize":63357,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","modified":"2014-09-24T19:32:47","sourceUrl":"https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/08/879003299_a4a1f5f3ba_z.jpg","__typename":"MediaItem"},"modified":{"datetime":"2023-8-29","readable":"August 29, 2023"},"multipleBylinesByRole":{"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"writtenBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null,"hideAuthor":null,"__typename":"Post_Multiplebylinesbyrole"},"adTargetingOverrides":{"fieldGroupName":"adTargetingOverrides","pageGroupNewKey":null,"__typename":"Post_Adtargetingoverrides"},"seo":{"canonical":"https://smartasset.com/career/6-tips-for-volunteering-your-way-to-a-job","metaDesc":"Volunteers shouldn't feel like they are only giving, they can get too - depending on the organization, volunteering can be a path to full-time employment.","metaKeywords":"","metaRobotsNofollow":"follow","metaRobotsNoindex":"index","readingTime":4,"title":"6 Tips for Volunteering Your Way to a Job - SmartReads by SmartAsset","__typename":"PostTypeSEO"},"slug":"6-tips-for-volunteering-your-way-to-a-job","status":"publish","title":"6 Tips for Volunteering Your Way to a Job","uri":"/career/6-tips-for-volunteering-your-way-to-a-job","tags":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"PostToTagConnection"},"__typename":"Post","adPageGroupOverride":null,"bylines":{"writtenBy":{"id":"dXNlcjoyOA==","databaseId":28,"userId":28,"avatar":"$32","description":"Rebecca Lake is a retirement, investing and estate planning expert who has been writing about personal finance for a decade. Her expertise in the finance niche also extends to home buying, credit cards, banking and small business. She's worked directly with several major financial and insurance brands, including Citibank, Discover and AIG and her writing has appeared online at U.S. News and World Report, CreditCards.com and Investopedia. Rebecca is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and she also attended Charleston Southern University as a graduate student. Originally from central Virginia, she now lives on the North Carolina coast along with her two children. Rebecca also holds the Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF®) designation.","additionalMeta":"$33","email":null,"firstName":"Rebecca","fullName":"Rebecca Lake, CEPF®","lastName":"Lake, CEPF®","name":"Rebecca Lake, CEPF®","postCount":"$34","slug":"rebecca-lake-cepf","__typename":"User"},"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null},"category":{"id":"dGVybTo4OQ==","children":"$37","databaseId":89,"categoryId":89,"link":"https://smartasset.com/career/articles","name":"Career","postCount":38,"slug":"career","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"},"isModifiedBeforePublished":false,"contentBlocks":["

In a tight job market, it takes more than just a college degree to land an offer. Recent grads face some stiff competition and sometimes and you may have to be willing to stretch yourself a little in order to get hired. Volunteering is an excellent way to broaden your skill set and make contacts in your field but it can potentially open even more doors if you play your cards right. If you’ve been job hunting for awhile, here are a few tips that could help you convert a temporary stint into a permanent gig.

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Find out now: Does It Make Sense For Me To Go To School?

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1. Scout Out the Right Opportunities

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Ideally, when you’re researching places where you’d like to volunteer you should look for something that aligns with your career goals and personal interests. When you’re passionate about the cause you’re giving your time to, showing up each day becomes effortless. It’s tempting to focus on larger organizations that may get more exposure but you shouldn’t overlook smaller agencies in your local community. While a more well-known non-profit tends to carry more cachet, it’s also easier to get lost in the crowd.

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2. Figure Out What You Bring to the Table

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Once you’ve identified a few likely organizations, you’ll probably have to apply for a volunteering position and you need to be able to summarize why you’d be a good choice. Assessing your strengths and skills can help you figure out what kind of volunteer role would be the best fit. If you’re not sure what you have to offer, you’re going to have a hard time convincing the organization to let you get your foot in the door.

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3. Treat Volunteering Like a Job

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Just because you’re not getting paid for your time doesn’t mean you don’t have to take a volunteering assignment seriously. If you commit to serving at a particular organization, you should approach it with the same attitude that you would a regular 9 to 5 position. That means showing up when you say will and doing whatever your role as a volunteer requires.

","

Maintaining a professional attitude is especially important if there’s the potential for a paying position to open up at some point. Most agencies tend to look at their existing staff first before going outside to hire so building up a solid track record can give you an advantage. Even if the organization isn’t looking to hire anyone, your dedication could earn you a glowing reference which could come in handy later on.

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4. Foster Professional Relationships

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Volunteering is a prime opportunity for building your network and you should be proactive about making new connections. Taking the time to get to know other people in the organization ups your visibility and it expands your circle of contacts. If your position involves reaching out to other volunteer organizations, professional associations in your area or local businesses you’ve got even more chances to build valuable relationships. When you’re ready to move on to something else, you may be glad that you put in the extra effort.

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5. Be Open to Learning

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Perhaps the most important benefit of volunteering is the wealth of knowledge and experience you can take away. People who have been with the organization for a while usually have a lot to share and it’s important that you be receptive when a learning opportunity comes along. When you’re challenged to do something outside of your comfort zone, don’t let yourself be intimidated into shying away. The more you’re able to pick up as you go, the more attractive you make yourself to prospective employers.

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6. Play Up Your Experience

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Once you’ve got some volunteering experience under your belt, you want to make sure that companies are aware of how you’ve been spending your time. This is particularly true if you’re trying to break into a specific industry for the first time or you’ve been out of work for several months. When you’re sending out cover letters or going in for an interview, don’t be afraid to point out what you’ve been doing and what kinds of responsibilities you’ve been taking on in your volunteer role.

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Although there’s no guarantee that volunteering will lead to a new job opportunity, it certainly doesn’t hurt your chances. Even if you’re putting in just a few hours a month it could make a big difference to your employment prospects.

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Photo Credit: flickr

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Unions are controversial in the U.S. – more controversial, in fact, than they are in some other countries. Here in the States, some people tout unions as essential to a strong working class, while others criticize unions for putting too many restrictions on workers and employees. To help you get a handle on this debate, we put together a guide to some of the pros and cons of unions. Consider working with a financial advisor as you invest, save and plan for retirement.

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Check out our 401(k) calculator.

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Pro 1: Unions increase pay and benefits for workers.

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Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that non-union workers have median weekly earnings that are only 83% of the earnings for union workers. And while union membership is declining nationally – declining by 241,000 workers from 2020 to 2021 – unions in some states are more robust than in others. It’s not just unionized workers who benefit. Employers hiring for non-union jobs have to increase their wages, too, in order to compete for employees.

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Pro 2: Unions set up formal processes for disputes and complaints.

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When unions work well, they make it easier for workers to handle disputes and complaints, with other workers and with management. There are formal processes in place, which makes it easier for any worker – regardless of their individual status – to raise grievances. Many unions will also subsidize legal fees for unionized employees who want to sue their employers (such as for discrimination or wrongful termination).

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Pro 3: Unions make political organizing easier.

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By channeling workers’ energies into national organizations – and collecting money at the same time – unions make it easier to advance political causes that working people support. In effect, unions amplify the political voices of their members. Of course, not every union member agrees with the candidates and causes his or her union supports but, in general, unions help keep candidates focused on issues like the loss of manufacturing jobs, which might otherwise not have a politically powerful constituency behind them.

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Pro 4: Unions set norms that extend to the rest of the economy.

","

","

You may have seen bumper stickers that say something like, “The Labor Movement: The Folks Who Brought You the Weekend.” Before the labor movement, things we all take for granted in the workplace now – weekends, safety provisions – were not the norm. So, even though the U.S. workforce has never been completely unionized, unionization spread certain norms throughout the economy to the benefit of even non-unionized workers. The minimum wage, OSHA guidelines and overtime rules are all part of the legacy of the labor movement.

","

Related Article: The Pros and Cons of Raising the Minimum Wage

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Con 1: Unions can make it harder to promote great workers and get rid of not-so-great workers.

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Unions tend to put a lot of influence on seniority. That can be a good thing for creating a steady career path, but it can also make it hard for superstars to advance up the hierarchy. It can also make it hard to demote or dismiss workers who are consistently under-performing. And because unions have their own internal leadership structures, favoritism and cronyism can impede progress toward a meritocracy.

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Con 2: Unions can require dues and fees that some workers might not want to pay.

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Some workplaces are closed shops, which means you must be a union member to apply to work there. Others are union shops, where you can apply as a non-member but you must join the union if you’re hired. Still others are agency shops, where you can work there as a non-union-member but you have to pay agency fees to contribute to the work the union does on your behalf (contract negotiations, etc.)

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Critics say that all three of the above scenarios are unfair to people who might have practical or ideological objections to the union and don’t want to comply with requirements to pay dues or fees. That’s why some critics of unions prefer open shops, where employees can’t be required to pay dues or fees. Other critics of unions work to pass right-to-work laws that limit the power of unions to collect dues and engage in collective bargaining.

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Con 3: Unions can lead to a closed culture that makes it hard to diversify the workforce and weed out bad actors.

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Unions aren’t just systems for organizing workers. They also have distinct cultures, which can vary by union and by “local.” Teamsters and teachers might both be unionized, but their union meetings probably look and sound different. Some unions can be tough to break into. This is particularly true of some of the older, more homogeneous unions. The closed cultures of some unions can make it hard for outsiders (e.g. women and people of color who want to be union welders) to feel comfortable in union shops, advance in their fields and take on union leadership roles. The closed culture and strong sense of solidarity can also lead union members to protect each other from scrutiny or cover up member misconduct.

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Con 4: Unions can drive up costs and lead to an adversarial relationship between labor and management.

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The flip side of unions providing higher wages for workers is that labor costs are higher. Using only union labor, which the government sometimes requires, can make big projects (think: building a new NYC subway line) much more expensive than they would otherwise be. And because unions “unite” workers to tackle negotiations with management they can sometimes lead to hostilities between labor and management. If you think the relationship between workers and management is inherently adversarial you might not see a problem, but if you want to work in a place where lines between labor and management are blurred and relations are friendly you might not feel comfortable in a union.

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Related Article: What Is a Pension Plan?

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Bottom Line

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It’s hard to generalize about the pros and cons of unions because there are so many different unions and locals. And the face of union membership is changing. It’s less white and male than it used to be. Though union membership has declined significantly, there are some signs of a resurgence of interest in union membership. Time will tell how far that resurgence goes.

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Tips on Financial Planning

","$41","

Photo credit: ©iStock.com/Susan Chiang, ©iStock.com/Christopher Futcher, ©iStock.com/andresr

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This study was published on Feb 25, 2015. In the world of technology, women are vastly underrepresented. According to data from the U.S. Census, in 2013 women accounted for just 25% of the workforce in computer occupations, a category that includes software developers, programmers, network architects and information research scientists. Historically, tech has been seen […]

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This study was published on Feb 25, 2015.

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In the world of technology, women are vastly underrepresented. According to data from the U.S. Census, in 2013 women accounted for just 25% of the workforce in computer occupations, a category that includes software developers, programmers, network architects and information research scientists. Historically, tech has been seen as something of a boys-club, and recently some industry leaders, including such companies as Facebook and Google, have promised to address the lack of diversity in their offices.

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This is the 2015 version of SmartAsset’s study. Read the 2016 version here.

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Those promises notwithstanding, women still face an uphill battle in many corners of the tech world. While some tech companies foster an inclusive environment in order to encourage creativity and collaboration–Google famously offers employees delicious free food, in addition to typical benefits like a 401(k) and health insurance–women are too often excluded. So where do women in tech face the fewest obstacles to success?

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Key Findings

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Check out our 401(k) calculator.

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Data & Methodology

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To find the best cities for women in tech, SmartAsset looked at data from the U.S. Census Bureau on pay and employment in computer occupations.¹Specifically, we considered the following four factors:

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Women as percent of the tech workforce
Gender pay gap in tech
Income after housing cost (average tech income for women minus average annual cost of housing, to control for affordability)
Four-year employment growth for women in tech

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In our analysis we only considered cities with at least 200,000 residents, and cities with a large enough tech workforce to have statistically reliable data.²For the 54 cities that met those criteria, we ranked each one according to the above four factors.

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Finally, we averaged the four rankings for each city, giving 30% weight to each of the first two factors, and 20% weight to net pay and employment growth, and applied a score from 0-100 based on that average ranking. To score a perfect 100, a city would have to be ranked first in each factor, while a city ranked last in each factor would score a zero. The results, below, are the best cities for women in tech.

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1. Washington, D.C.

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The nation’s capital is the best city for women in tech, and by a fairly large margin. Women in Washington make up over 37% of the tech workforce, higher than in any other city we examined. This is probably due in part to the hiring policies of the federal government, most likely the largest tech employer in the city.

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While all employers, whether private or public sector, are required to comply by Equal Employment Opportunity laws, the federal government places a special emphasis on making sure that its workforce reflects the population at large. That means more opportunities for women in tech in DC than in other cities, and a better environment overall.

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2. Kansas City, Missouri

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In recent years, Kansas City has emerged as a leading city for tech startups, and perhaps the top tech city not on the West Coast or in the Northeast. Women have played an important role in that development, and today Kansas City offers one of the country’s best environments for women in tech. It is one of just two cities in our study in which women in tech face no gender pay gap. Women also make up a relatively high proportion of tech workers in Kansas City, nearly 33% and the third highest of any city in our study.

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3. Fremont, California

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The Bay Area’s lone representative in the top 15 of our index, Fremont sits between San Jose and Oakland on the San Francisco Bay. Income after housing costs for tech-industry women in Fremont is over $69,000, second highest of any city in our study. There has also been especially strong job growth in Fremont for women in tech: from 2,770 in 2010, up to nearly 4,000 in 2013. This is a 44% increase.

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4. Houston, Texas

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Houston has long been recognized as one of the most business-friendly cities in the nation, and job growth in the Space City since the Great Recession has been strong. During that time, Houston’s technology sector has seen major growth, and women in Houston’s tech world have particularly benefited. From 2010 to 2013, the number of women employed in tech jobs in Houston grew by 42%, and women now make up 28% of Houston’s tech workforce, well above the national average. Houston was one of just two cities to rank in the top 20 for all four of the factors we considered in our analysis.

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5. New York, New York

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are nearly 22,000 women in computer occupations in New York City; that’s more than three times the number of women in San Jose’s tech industry, and almost four times the number of women in San Francisco’s tech industry. In fact, no other city in the U.S. has more than 10,000 women employed in computer occupations.

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Thanks to the sheer size of its tech workforce, the Big Apple offers women resources that other cities do not. Along with the advantages inherent to tech occupations, like high job stability and retirement benefits, a large tech community means women have more opportunities for the networking and meetups that are so important for advancement in the tech world.

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6. Tucson, Arizona

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Tucson’s tech sector is anchored by the University of Arizona and the nearby presence of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The largest area employer is Raytheon Missile Systems. The Tucson area has seen especially strong growth in the number of women employed in tech jobs in recent years, from 1,113 in 2010 to nearly 2,000 in 2013, a growth rate of 78%. This is the highest in our study.

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7. New Orleans, Louisiana

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While New Orleans has one of the smaller tech sectors of the cities we considered, with a total of 2,400 people employed in computer occupations as of 2013 (the most recent year for which data is available), it also presents one of the best environments for women. In fact, at 36.5%, New Orleans’s tech workforce has the second highest percentage of women of any city in our study. Women in the Big Easy make just 4.5% less than men, one third the national average gender pay gap of 15% in computer and mathematical occupations.

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8. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Wisconsin’s largest city is also one of the nation’s best for women in tech. Women account for over 30% of workers in computer occupations in Milwaukee, 5^th highest in the nation, and well above the national average. While many may associate Milwaukee more closely with beer than with high technology, the city is increasingly recognized as a center for tech innovation and growth. In fact, in 2013, the city’s first startup-focused workspace opened up; it now houses over 15 companies, the majority in the tech industry.

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9. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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The ninth best U.S. city for women in tech is Philadelphia. Women fill 30.6% of computer occupations in Philadelphia, 7^th highest in the nation. They also face among the smallest gender pay gaps of tech women in any city in the country—women in Philadelphia’s tech sector are paid, on average, 4.9% less than men. In contrast, the gender pay gap for computer occupations in San Jose, one of the nation’s traditional tech capitals, is 13.6%.

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10. Plano, Texas

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The second Texan city among the top ten cities for women in tech, Plano is home to the offices of several major tech companies, including CA Technologies, Infosys Ltd and Gearbox Software. The average pay for tech women in Plano is over $74,000, and even after accounting for housing costs, women in tech enjoy an income after housing costs of $58,170, seventh highest in the country.

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11. Wichita, Kansas

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Women make up a larger percentage of the tech workforce in Wichita than in all but five of the cities in our study, with 30% of all tech positions in Wichita held by women. Job growth for women in Wichita’s tech industry has also been strong in recent years, with the number of positions growing by 26% over the four-year period we examined.

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12. Baltimore, Maryland

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Baltimore ranks above the national average in three of the four indicators used in our analysis. The average pay after housing costs of $55,371 for women in Baltimore’s tech industry is 13^th highest in the country, above historic east coast tech centers like Boston and Raleigh.

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13. Charlotte, North Carolina

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Job growth for women in Charlotte’s tech sector has been very strong in recent years, with the number of women employed in tech positions increasing from 3,141 in 2010 to 4,317 by the end of 2013. If that trend continues, Charlotte may soon have among the largest communities of tech women in the country. Women currently account for 30.4% of Charlotte’s tech workforce, the ninth highest rate of the cities in our study.

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14. Denver, Colorado

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While women hold just 22.4% of Denver’s tech positions, they are otherwise doing very well in the Mile High City. Average pay after housing for women in Denver’s tech sector is over $58,000, eighth highest in the country, and Denver’s gender pay gap for tech jobs is just 4.2%, less than a third of the national average.

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15. Arlington, Texas

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Arlington is one of just two cities in our study in which women face no gender pay gap. In fact, women in Arlington’s tech sector earn over 7% more than their male colleagues. Indeed, the average income after housing costs for tech women in Arlington is over $61,000, fifth highest in the country.

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Read the 2016 version of SmartAsset’s study of the best cities for women in tech here.

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Questions about our study? Contact us at press@smartasset.com.

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Photo credit: flickr

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1. The data used in our study comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 American Community Survey.

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2. Cities with a very small tech workforce have unreliable survey results that may skew the data. If we ignore the possibility of survey error, the top five cities by our methodology would be: Washington, D.C.; Chula Vista, CA; Tacoma, Washington; Detroit, Michigan; and Kansas City, Missouri.

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