The Best Places to Be a Med Device Engineer?

As our sister publication MD+DI proclaimed, the medtech job market is heating up, and the demand for good engineering talent is outstripping supply. While that is certainly good news, it is less clear where in the United States is the best spot to be a medical device engineer.

Qmed Staff

Roughly six months ago, we asked our audience where the best spot in the country for engineers in the biomedical space. The most popular answer now seems to be Minneapolis-St. Paul.

That seems to fly in the face of a recent piece by MD+DI, which states that "recruiters agree that the San Francisco Bay Area--which also leads the nation in medical device venture funding, according to PwC and the NVCA--continues to be the hottest area for medtech hiring." It then goes on to state, unsurprisingly, that Boston and Southern California "remain good bets for industry job seekers" but adds that "the jury is out on Minneapolis." While one recruiter believes that the Twin Cities area "is still a hotbed for medtech hiring," another seems to say that the the Twin Cities' cardiovascular technology market is "lukewarm." Meanwhile, Texan cities like Dallas and Austin are seeing significant growth in medtech recently.

We are still looking for feedback on which hubs are the best for engineers in the field and share below the feedback we have already received from nearly 200 industry professionals:
 

Orange County, CA

"I currently live in Orange county and I enjoy the fact that there are so many medtech companies here. There is always something to do in Orange County and the people are very laid back."

"The variety of start-ups."

"1) Hundreds of companies with particular strength in cardiovascular, ophthalmic and neurovascular devices. 2) Great weather and recreation."

"mix of start-ups and big caps"

"higher wage and the nicer weather means you do not have to sacrifice cold and dirty cities to make the best wages. Its the best work-life balance choice to me."

"Over the national mean salary, south CA top world in science development, Weather, very close to LA, SD & Mexico, Beach, beautiful city, Multicultural & multi ethnic city."

San Diego, CA

"plenty of biotech companies, life style, environment"

"Best place to live and raise family.

"Best place to live"

"Weather!"

"Not only do you have San Diego, but you are also close to Orange County"

Silicon Valley, CA

"Silicon Valley lots of good jobs and innovation. SV is the hub of the US."

"greatest diversity and innovation in the nation"

"Talent pool is deepest"

"Venture Capital, vast infrastructure catering to medical device development, start up culture, networking, many medical device companies from start up to multinational, perfect weather, attractive urban area close to beautiful natural resources, great academic centers to collaborate with."
 

Warsaw, IN

"Orthopedic Capital of the World"

"Wages are very competitive and cost of living is way low...... do your homework"

"Orthopedic capital Zimmer, Biomet, Medtronics, J&J, Greatbatch, and others"

New Orleans, LA

"The diverse culture and community creates a perfect environment for collaboration and development of innovative technologies." "New Orleans is a new emerging city that is allowing for new ideas to emerge. Many VCs are coming into New Orleans to invest in new startups. Not to mention all the good food you can eat and amazing music throughout the city."

"There is a vibrant community of biomedical engineers seeking to make a different in the world through many biotech start-ups which are supported by the many universities and hospitals in the area."

Boston, MA

"There are some many universities to work with in Boston. MIT, Harvard, Boston College and some many great research hospitals. Boston General, and the list goes on and on"

"Education, # of biotech companies"

"versatility, being able to move from one hospital environment to another without even having to travel beyond the next street. Many things to do, places to eat, and great entertainment, good place to bike or take short drives to Salem, Gloucester, etc. Good sports town"

"Best Universities and biomedical firms located in Greater Boston Area"

Detroit, MI

"Great region for growth, low cost real estate, plenty of skilled workers, great manufacturing base."

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

"sub-tier suppliers are there allowing design work to happen quickly."

"Best wage in comparison to cost of living. Excellent opportunities across a wide spectrum of biomedical companies."

"Highest salary vs cost of living. Number of jobs. Number of opportunities."

"The 112,000 equals 125K-175K in the other expensive cities to live in SanFran with housing costs 300% higher food costs 25%, higher taxes nearly double those of MN"

"High wages, great quality of life, lower cost homes and ability to enjoy your money to the max"

"It is well known to be medtech hub of US."

"Good wage and the cold drives away the competition."

"A network of knowledge and talent that is unlike any other place on Earth"

"good wages, low cost of living, good health care, 4 seasons, good quality air, great place to raise kids"

"Diverse economy; mid-west values; Economically, socially, and politically stable; Plenty of Bio-med and non-bio med opportunities"

"Cost of living is better than the other cities listed."

Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, NC

"Great schools, weather & job growth!"

Middlesex County, NJ

"concentration of employers, quality elementary & HS education."

"I am a BME, lived there, and had a great career there. Proximity to NYC and lots of companies."

Cleveland, OH

"Large influx of both large and small companies including start-ups field by the strong academic hospitals."

"Good work, cost of living low, great parks, world class music, lots of theaters, great lakes, four seasons"

"I make $93,000 here and the cost of living is cheap."

Philadelphia, PA

"Close to major cities. Not expensive to live. Lots to do nearby. Scenic areas nearby. Moderate climate - no freeze, drought, or disasters. Good sports. City w character unlike western and midwestern cities. I've worked in most of the areas - this one is better overall."

Dallas, TX

"Rapidly growing local economy, reasonable cost of living, and strong growth in the high-tech space"

"There are several medical device manufacturers in the DFW area which are frequently overlooked."

Houston, TX

"The nation's fourth largest city continues to be among the top metros leading the nation in population and job growth; is ranked a top city with greatest number of STEM positions currently open, and boasts the world's largest medical center."

"Texas Medical Center is the kargest medical center in the world and Houston is home of Rice University."
 

San Antonio, TX

"2015 influx of medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers into San Antonio requires more biomedical talent."
 

Salt Lake City, UT

"Low cost of living and great outdoor activities such as skiing & hiking. Traffic is also not bad with shorter commutes."

"Close to multiple ski resorts"

"It's not a hard town to get around in and you can go out in the country and not have to put up with thousands of people. Nature is real close to you."

"Salary is relatively higher than cost of living. Other areas are either expensive to live in and/or have crappy weather."

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