Arizona Colleges and Universities: Search Degrees Online

Arizona is home to a number of Fortune 500 companies, most of which are located in Phoenix, the state's capital and largest city. These huge companies represent some of the biggest employers in the state, providing careers in the utility, healthcare, and retail industries.

With so many big companies local to Arizona, students seeking degrees in the state can often find employment close to home. Salary.com estimates that art managers in Phoenix make $74,000 on average, while human resources managers earn about $75,300. No education program can guarantee a particular salary, of course, but gaining skills and knowledge through a degree program can give job applicants the upper hand in competitive markets.

Arizona's statewide unemployment rate was 3.6% in May 2007, a figure significantly lower than the national average. One reason for this is Arizona's booming trade, transportation, and utilities industry, which employs about 523,800 workers statewide.

Cities in the Phoenix metropolitan area are also showing significant growth. The city of Glendale, for example, employs thousands of workers for projects like the University of Phoenix Stadium, Westgate City Center, and the Zanjero Business Park. Glendale expects to have six million square feet of retail and dining space. For residents of the area and workers hoping to find local employment, Glendale is only one on a list of lucrative business areas in Arizona.

Sources:

• Arizona Business Magazine
• CNN Money
• Salary.com
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics