Burien enjoys a talented, multi-lingual workforce with expertise in health care, retail, restaurants, manufacturing, education, and aerospace. The City engages with high-performing partners to further education and workforce development programs, including the innovative Highline Public Schools, Highline College (winner of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award), the Puget Sound Skills Center, the Port of Seattle, and John F. Kennedy Catholic High School. Learn more about our local K-12 education programs.
Diverse
Burien’s population is getting younger and more diverse. A minority-majority city, 33 percent of Burien citizens can speak a language other than English, higher than the national average of 21 percent according to DATA USA. Students in Burien’s Highline Public School district speak more than 100 languages at home. Explore the global diversity of Burien’s workforce.
Enterprising
Affordable real estate and a workforce boasting a wide array of cultural experiences has created a rich and collaborative environment for creatives and entrepreneurs. This is the foundation of Burien’s foodie culture, but also sets the stage for innovation in other industries. Makers and small-scale manufacturers have found the extra space they need in Burien that allows them the room to experiment. When combined with a diverse, creative workforce and a location only minutes away from the fastest growing region and airport in the country, the sky is the limit.
Top 5 Industries in Burien:
- Health Care
- Retail Trade
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Accommodation and Food Services
- Construction
Source: City of Burien business license data.
Educated
Burien enjoys a talented workforce with expertise in health care, retail, food service, manufacturing, education, and aerospace.
Convenient educational opportunities
Continuing education and job training opportunities are convenient for Burien residents. Three publicly supported colleges are within a 15-minute drive, including: Highline College, Renton Technical College, and South Seattle College. Highline College educates more than 17,000 credit and non-credit students each year at its campus overlooking Puget Sound.
In addition, more than a dozen colleges and universities are less than an hour's commute from Burien, including:
- University of Washington in both Seattle and Tacoma
- Pacific Lutheran University
- University of Puget Sound
- Seattle Pacific University
- Seattle University
Learn more about educational opportunities in Burien.
Updated August 27, 2024