Healthcare and Bioscience

MESA: A Strategic Location for Healthcare and Bioscience Companies

The City of Mesa holds a strong healthcare and bioscience position with a large number of medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, world-class specialty and general hospitals, higher education institutions focused on next generation healthcare and applied science, and secondary education programs training students in biotech and life sciences industries.

 

WORKFORCE: ABUNDANT, SKILLED, AFFORDABLE

The Phoenix-Mesa metro labor pool is abundant, affordable, highly educated, and technically skilled. The Phoenix-Mesa metro has access to a large pipeline of healthcare and bioscience talent. In 2025, more than 12,000 graduates in related degree programs came out of area higher learning institutions. Arizona is a right-to-work state with a unionization rate of 4.2%. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

Compared to other metro markets, Mesa offers a compelling value proposition for wage rates and payroll costs for many different technology occupations.

  Phx-Mesa
Metro		 Seattle
Metro		 Denver
Metro		 Austin
Metro		 San Jose
Metro
Labor Force (Age 16+)
 2,730,037
 2,341,717
 1,776,342
 1,533,003
 1,064,339
Average Wage (of all metro employment in all industries)
 $67,540
 $89,760
 ---
 $71,390
 $121,160
Biological Technicians
 $56,430
 $56,593
 $55,829
 $53,070
 $75,332
Chemists
 $82,950
 $93,620
 $104,596
 $87,681
 $125,590
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
 $67,165
 $76,378
 $73,154
 $61,002
 $93,285
Life Scientists
 $94,899
 $104,795
 $101,378
 $102,821
 $137,357
Biological Scientists
 $109,533
 $105,774
 $112,804
 $78,910
 $140,122
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lightcast 2025 Q2

 

2025 Program Completions at Colleges/Universities in Phoenix-Mesa Metro in Healthcare/Bioscience

Certificates Associate's Degrees Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees Doctoral Degrees Total
 5,315 1,918 3,369 673 794 12,069

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lightcast 2025 Q2

 

COMPETITIVE OPERATING COSTS

The Phoenix-Mesa metro area compares well to competitive technology markets.


 Phx-Mesa
Metro		 Los Angeles
Metro		 San Francisco
Metro		 San Jose
Metro
Employee Annual Payroll
  $11,245,254 $12,969,135
 $15,617,058
 $15,477,744
Annual Fringe & Mandated Benefits
  $1,789,505 $2,093,902
 $2,514,127
 $2,492,018
Utilities (electric, water, wastewater)
 Included in Lease
 Included in Lease
 Included in Lease
 Included in Lease
Building/Lease Payments
  $1,590,500 $2,190,000
 $3,554,000
 $2,892,000
Property Tax
 $2,259
 $58,000
 $91,000
 $60,550
Total Operating Cost
 $14,627,518
  $17,311,037 $21,776,185
 $20,922,312
Index
 100.0%
118.3%
148.9%
143.0%

Source: GPEC Metrocomp Tool Project assumptions are based on the creation of the 150 jobs, 50,000 sq. ft. of space, and $5,000,000 in capital investment. 2025 Q2

 

LARGE EDUCATION PIPELINE

  • AT Still University's Mesa campus offers healthcare education programs, including Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), and Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS).
  • Mesa Community College, the largest of the 10 community colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District, offers 300 degrees and certificates along with their Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that equip students with the knowledge and skills for today’s jobs.
  • Chandler-Gilbert Community College offers higher education at four locations in the Southeast Valley, including Mesa’s Williams Campus that specializes in Aviation and Applied Technology.
  • Benedictine University @ Mesa offers undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields, including business administration, education, health sciences, and psychology, among others.
  • Alverno College offers career-change options with their fast-track nursing program available to those with a bachelor degree in a non-nursing field. They offer both bachelor and master degrees in Nursing in as little as 18 months.
  • East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) provides various career and technical education programs for high school students and adults, including fields such as healthcare, automotive, culinary arts, welding, and computer programming
  • Arizona Advanced Manufacturing Institute (AzAMI) provides industry certifications; stackable credentials that are competency based with degree and certificate programs; flexible models of delivery; and portable labs for on-site training.
  • Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus is a nexus for studies in integrative sciences and arts, engineering, management, technology, and education. Industry partnerships are key to the campus’ distinctive course offerings, which provide opportunities for project-based learning within advanced laboratory spaces. Important technology assets include:
    • Innovation Zone, adjacent to the Polytechnic campus, specializes in hands-on exploration of innovative solutions in aviation, renewable energy, human-technology integration, comprehensive commercial printing and design services, on-demand digital manufacturing, and better health outcomes. It is an ideal co-location opportunity for companies with a focus on interdisciplinary sciences, engineering, management, technology, and education.
    • Innovation Hub, a 15,000-square-foot 3D printing research center, is the largest additive manufacturing facility in the southwestern U.S. Students have access to more than $2 million worth of plastic, polymer, and metal 3D printing technologies that support a wide range of research, material and process development, and educational training.

 

MESA'S HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

Mesa is one of the few cities in the Phoenix-Mesa metro area that offers the continuum of healthcare services, including specialty hospitals in heart health, orthopedics, and full-service pediatrics.

Hospital / Medical Facility
 Bed Count Specialties & Features
Adelante Healthcare
 N/A  Provides environmentally sustainable family and internal medicine, pediatrics, women’s health with OB/GYN care, family dental, and an in-house lab and pharmacy. 
Arizona General Hospital
 50 This fully equipped micro-hospital features an emergency room, operating and procedure rooms, imaging, and provides inpatient services.
Banner Baywood Medical Center 342  Banner Baywood is one of the nation’s premier orthopedic programs and is a nationally recognized Primary Stroke Center. 
Banner Desert Medical Center  549 As one of the largest and most comprehensive facilities in Arizona, Banner Desert serves as a tertiary referral center for the East Valley of metropolitan Phoenix and treats the highest levels of acuity. 
Banner Heart Hospital  111  Banner Heart Hospital opened its doors in 2000 and is one of the largest freestanding heart hospitals in the nation.
Banner Children's at Desert 206   This state-of-the-art facility was designed “Through the Eyes of a Child,” meaning it has all the comforts of home and does not feel institutional. Banner Health recently completed the new women’s tower adjacent to Banner Children’s that will provide state-of-the-art services for women and infants.
HonorHealth Mountain Vista Medical Center  178 Offers the most advanced technology in a resort-like setting with features that include all private rooms, electronic health records, valet parking, room service, and wireless internet access. 

 

AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES

LaunchPoint, Mesa’s Technology Incubator provides flexible space, business development assistance, networking, and training opportunities for entrepreneurs and small companies to launch and scale their businesses.

  • GT Medical Technologies - $150M+ capital raised, 93 employees
  • Nasus Medical - $2M capital raised, 5 employees
  • BMSEED - $4M capital raised, 5 employees
  • Volta Venom Labs - $1M capital raised, 3 employees
  • Arcadia Therapeutics - $50M capital raised, 12 employees
  • CCClean LLC

Mesa's Gateway District provides brand new speculative development in any size, with over 18 million square feet under construction or planned industrial buildings for companies to occupy. Shovel-ready sites are also available for complete customization with robust infrastructure running within or adjacent to sites.

Falcon Tech Center features 63 acres of city-owned land available for long-term leases. The site is intended for high-tech manufacturing and development, directly across the street from Falcon Field Airport.

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