(The Center Square) – A new study shows that Washington state ranks second in the nation for salaries for jobs related to science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. Evergreen State STEM jobs pay an average salary of $123,954, topped only by California’s $124,937.

The highest paying STEM jobs within Washington are anesthesiologists, who can earn $314,500 per year; neurologists, who can earn $284,500 per year; and orthopedic surgeons, who can earn $275,500 per year.

The German health technology company CYTENA went over data from staffing company Glassdoor to rank U.S. states on pay levels for STEM-related jobs to determine its rankings. CYTENA examined the salary data of 76 jobs to calculate a mid-point salary as the average of lower- and upper-bound salary estimates. It then ranked each state by their weighted average mid-point salary before taxes.

Why do STEM jobs pay so well in Washington?

“Jobs in occupations that involve skill sets in science, technology, engineering, and medicine are increasingly sought after by communities in Washington State,” the AWB Institute states on its website. “This embrace is a clear recognition of the many positive attributes: they carry larger than average salaries, a higher level of education, and for most of the occupations, careers in a clean industry.”

The AWB Institute is a nonprofit affiliate of the Association of Washington Business that focuses on employment and human resource issues.

STEM jobs are often referred to as the jobs of the future, with this sector of the job market widely expected to continue growing.

“More generally, jobs in STEM fields form the backbone of what many call the ‘knowledge economy,’" the AWB Institute’s website continues. “As the 21st century marches on, knowledge acquisition and its commercial applications are seen as key pathways for economic development efforts.”

STEM jobs in Washington seem to be making a comeback after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to statistics from the AWB Institute based on figures from the Washington State Employment Security Department.

In 2020, there were 108.61 STEM jobs per 1,000 jobs in Washington. That figure cratered to 36.97 in 2021, and rebounded to 102.6 in 2022.

Total STEM jobs in the state tell a similar story.

In 2020, the state had 340,338 STEM jobs, which fell to 115,845 in 2021. In 2022, there were 323,663 STEM jobs in Washington.

Rounding out the top five states in terms of STEM average salaries are New York, with an average annual salary of $114,437; Nevada, with an average salary of $111,767; and Maryland, with an average salary of $110,226.

The five states with the lowest-paying STEM jobs are Mississippi, with an average salary of $85,382; Louisiana, with an average salary of $88,935; Arkansas, with an average salary of $91,561; West Virginia, with an average salary of $91,916; and Alabama, with an average salary of $92,097.