With a cost of living below the national average and homes with a median price of only $265,000 it's no wonder you've chosen to purchase real estate in Vancouver, Washington. But even with the low costs you still need to make a living while you're living in the city. Luckily, there are many opportunities for exciting careers in the Vancouver area. Though in the early days of the city most of the industries came out of the land, with people doing everything from farming prunes to working with woodworking machinery, the mass exit of heavy industry in America led the city to look to other sectors. Now government and the service and high-tech industries provide the bulk of the jobs in the regions, with several residents choosing to drive to nearby Portland, Oregon.
There are several high-tech companies currently calling Vancouver home, from computer manufacturers to subcontractors. Some of these include Hewlett-Packard, WaferTech and Volt Services Group. Professional, scientific and technical services account for about four thousand of the jobs in the area with over four hundred companies large and small doing business in the city. This includes over fifty companies specializing in services related to computer system design, from programming the computer your reading this on to machines that help construct a front license plate bracket in complicated factory machinery.
Health care is another industry that brings up big numbers in terms of the people it employs. There are over ten thousand people working within this industry in Vancouver today in over four hundred different facilities. This means that if you're coming from a job doing something like home health care Sudbury-based, there is a good chance you will be able to find something in your field in Vancouver.
There are nearly two hundred manufacturing companies in the city but combined they account for less than eight thousand of the jobs in the area. This means that they are mostly smaller companies with an average of only four hundred employees. The production of fabricated metal tops the list with nearly thirty companies in the city and food manufacturing takes second place with eighteen factories in business. If you're looking to work with your hands but want something a little more creative, maybe making custom vanity cabinets you could work for one of the local contractors or start your own small business.
Retail is also a thriving industry in Vancouver, providing well over eight thousand jobs and nearly two million dollars to the local economy each year. Those looking for retail work can find employment in an entry-level position working directly with the customer or working all the way up to the management or corporate level. It's likely that the people who started learning how to sell used jewelry to cars when they were young are the people sitting in the head office today. Vancouver is home to the national headquarters of both Nautilus Inc and The Holland, which is the parent company of the Burgerville USA franchise.
Whether you're looking to make your way to the top of a major office or just looking to put food on the table, there is something for you in Vancouver's rich local economy.
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