While your initial impressions of Scottsdale may be of an industry-less void
filled with row upon row of suburban housing, you're not getting the full
picture. In order for there to be buildings like Charlie Condos there must
be contractors and building material suppliers and carpenters and electricians,
among other things. The median household income is in the vicinity of $70,000.
Where do you suppose that comes from? Industry, of course; at least until someone
genetically engineers a species of tree that sprouts money instead of leaves.
Until then, you'll probably need a job, so we've created this guide
to Scottsdale industry to help you see what your options are.
Tourism
Tourism is the number one factor that keeps Scottsdale's economy afloat.
The year-round balmy weather, old west charm, and upscale art galleries all
attract large numbers of white collar tourists. As a result, hotels and resorts
with Parc Nuvo-like opulence, such as the Canyon Suites and the Fairmont Princess
are always in need of staff. There are a number of golf courses in the area,
which provide opportunities for service staff and golf pros, and a plethora
of destination spas, which employ large numbers of people in the beauty and
aesthetics fields.
Retail and Entertainment
Scottsdale's popularity with the upscale crowd has allowed sellers of
high demand, high priced items to flourish in the city rather than small time
mixed goods retailers or hardware stores selling loop calibrators. Scottsdale
Fashion Square Mall has over 200 stores that could provide employment to salespeople
and food servers. The surrounding area is also full of shops, restaurants, and
bars and the old downtown is full of galleries that could offer opportunities
for art dealers, appraisers and artists. Another major saleable item in Scottsdale
is real estate. With so many well-off people looking for second homes in the
area, commissions can be sizeable.
Health Care
Tourists and snowbirds don't want to come all the way from their primary
home at 110 Bloor St. in Toronto only to find that they can't get the
same quality of health care in Scottsdale. So the city had made an effort to
provide top notch services. There are five hospitals in the city which may have
openings for medical and service staff, many of which provide rehab and senior
citizen services as well at critical and acute care. The city is also home to
a branch of the famed Mayo Clinic, which is often a destination for well-off
patients looking for high-end or experimental treatments.
Manufacturing, Construction, and Transport
Though the majority of jobs in Scottsdale are in the hospitality and services
sectors, hard industry does play a part as well. You won't see a lot of
opportunities for drivers of septic tank pump trucks but pilots and airport
services personnel might find jobs at the Scottsdale Airport. The nearby Airpark
Industrial Park also offers opportunities in engineering, manufacturing, and
finance to those who have experience in the aviation field. With the high demand
for real estate in Scottsdale, there are of course also a number of construction
firms of varying sizes that tradespeople may be able to find employment with.
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