The best and worst places to find a lob.

• Position: STEM - Brief article

With STEM--science, technology, engineering, and mathematics--jobs expected to grow 1.7 times faster than non-STEM professions in the coming years, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an analysis of 2016's Best & Worst Metro Areas for STEM Professionals.

WalletHub's analysts compared the 100 most populated metropolitan areas across 16 metrics to help STEM professionals find the best markets for their occupations. The data set ranges from per-capita job openings for STEM graduates to annual median wage growth for STEM workers.

The best metro areas for STEM professionals, starting at the top, are San Jose, Calif.; Austin, Texas; Seattle, Wash.; Denver, Colo.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Boston, Mass.; Madison, Wis.; Houston, Texas; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Columbus Ohio.

Of the 10 worst areas, five are in Florida. From the bottom up, they are North Port, Fla.; Deltona, Fla.; Miami, Fla.; Jackson, Miss.; Oxnard, Calif.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Cape Coral, Fla.; Lakeland, Fla.; Bridgeport, Conn.; and Las Vegas, Nev.

Comparing the best and worst reveals that:

* The per-capita job openings for STEM graduates is highest in Austin, which is 76 times...