In recent times, the city of Gilbert has transitioned from an agricultural community to a young, affluent town. In fact, Gilbert has been one of America’s fastest-growing cities for over a decade. This population boom has made Gilbert the seventh largest city in Arizona. With the influx of new residents, business opportunities have blossomed. There are many new employers in Gilbert looking for qualified candidates.
The town of Gilbert is located in the Phoenix-metro area, just south of Mesa and east of Chandler. Two freeways, the 202 Santan and the 60 Superstition connect Gilbert to the rest of the Valley. Although much of Gilbert is still devoted to farmland, the unprecedented growth of the town has created a demand for residential and commercial zoning with new construction going up every day.
The biggest employers in Gilbert run the list of industries, from GoDaddy.com, an internet technology company, to Target, a big-box retailer, to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. The medical field, especially, is becoming an important part of Gilbert’s economy. Recently, the Banner Gateway Medical Center has opened up 1,500 new jobs in the medical field.
Gilbert is focusing on five key economic areas. Business and associated services are popular here, and the life sciences like the medical community, are already a cornerstone of Gilbert’s economy. The aerospace industry has a foothold with General Dynamics and the business supported by the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. High technology research and development is a growing field with software, hardware, and electronics firms to be found in the town. Finally, with the population increase, a need for entertainment and retail companies of all sorts has been made prevalent.
A recent comprehensive employment search through the Gilbert area discovered a large number of jobs available directly in town. Of these, many were in customer service, health care and management. The major companies looking for skilled employees included Mercy Gilbert Medical Center and Godaddy.com. Dozens of smaller companies also made the list.
The employment search also discovered hundreds of jobs within a few miles of Gilbert, in the local cities of Tempe, Chandler, and Mesa. Gilbert enjoys excellent freeway access, so a commute outside the town remains a practical option. These jobs in the area communities added a number of fields for employment-seekers, including administrative and clerical, skilled trades, finance and information technology.
Skilled Workers are a Staple of the Economy Employees in Gilbert are well-educated with nearly 40% holding a Bachelor’s degree or higher. The vast majority are young, from the 20s to age 54, with only 10% of the population being elderly. Given the highly-skilled work force, the median household income in Gilbert is around $76,000, which is almost $30,000 above the same measure in the greater Phoenix area. Young people with college degrees would do well to find a career in the town of Gilbert.