Learn more about our skilled workforce
Workforce Climate
Local Demographics
Queen Anne’s County has a labor participation rate of 68.4% which ranks among the top half of Maryland’s counties.
The County has a high school graduation attainment rate of 91.6%, making it the 9th highest rate in the state of Maryland. 35% of Queen Anne’s County residents over the age of twenty-five (25) hold a bachelor’s degree.
In Queen Anne’s County we have a highly-skilled workforce that is currently commuting outside the county but which would choose to work locally given the opportunity.
Data Story
Explore our local economic development story using this dynamic data story tool.
Youth Career Development
Queen Anne’s County recently added a new career technology liaison position within the department dedicated to developing internships and apprenticeships for youth among local industries. The program kicked off officially in the Fall of 2021.
Mission: Support opportunities for youth on-the-job training & experiences, especially those in technology and trade industries. It also serves the local business community by connecting local businesses with a local youth workforce.
Youth
Learn more about the Youth Career Technology Liaison and efforts to support links between youth career development and workforce development with local businesses.
Educational Connections
Expected growth rates for occupations vary by the education and training required. While all employment in Queen Annes County, Maryland is projected to grow 0.4% over the next ten years, occupations typically requiring a postgraduate degree are expected to grow 1.1% per year.
Those occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree are forecast to grow 0.6% per year, and occupations typically needing a 2-year degree or certificate are expected to grow 0.9% per year.
The Wye Research and Education Center
The Wye Research and Education Center, established in 1966, utilizes 800 acres on the Wye River for sustaining agriculture productivity, diversity and preserving the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
The Wye Angus heard of Black Angus Cattle, was gifted to the University of Maryland by Arthur A. Houghton, Jr, and is now held by the UM Foundation.
The University of Maryland Extension employs approximately 200 faculty and support staff to accommodate joint appointments with research and academic programs.
Public & Private Schools PreK – 12
Queen Anne’s County Public Schools are among the highest-rated in the State of Maryland for academic excellence!
Queen Anne’s Public School System consists of 8 elementary schools, 4 middle/combined schools, 2 high schools, and 1 alternative education program. These county schools rank in the top 15% of all county systems statewide.
There are 9 nonpublic schools in the county, such as the Wye River Upper School, a college preparatory school for students with learning differences, and The Gunston School, an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school that draws students from six Maryland counties and Delaware.
Colleges & Universities
Chesapeake College, located in Wye Mills, offers a large selection of credits and classes designed to help students prepare for upper-level institutions, or immediate entry into a career while enhancing work-related skills.
Based at Chesapeake College is the Eastern Shore Higher Education Center. The Center offers baccalaureate and graduate degrees from four-year institutions such as Salisbury University, and LaSalle University.
Educational institutions within commuting distance of Queen Anne’s County include:
- Washington College
- St. Johns College
- University of Maryland Baltimore County
- University of Maryland College Park
- The Baltimore School of Law
- Johns Hopkins University
- Wilmington University
- University of Delaware