Data displayed in table 1 for individuals in science occupations were incorrect. Table 1 has been replaced with a corrected version, and the percentage reported in the text for women who are psychologists has been corrected from 70% to 67%.
by John Finamore, Daniel J. Foley, Flora Lan, Lynn M. Milan, Steven L. Proudfoot, Emilda B. Rivers, and Lance Selfa[1]
Nearly 22 million persons classified as scientists and engineers were employed in the United States as of October 2010: about 5.4 million in science and engineering (S&E) occupations, 7 million in S&E-related occupations, and 9.5 million in occupations other than S&E (non-S&E) (table 1). These estimates are from the National Science Foundation's Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT).
TABLE 1. Employed scientists and engineers, by occupation, sex, ethnicity, and race: 2010 (corrected January 2013)
Not Hispanic
Occupation
All employed
Female
Male
Hispanic
White
Asian
Black
American Indian or
Alaska Native
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Multiple race
All occupations
21,903,000
9,765,000
12,138,000
1,468,000
16,155,000
2,542,000
1,318,000
58,000
69,000
294,000
S&E occupations
5,398,000
1,487,000
3,911,000
282,000
3,772,000
997,000
246,000
10,000
12,000
78,000
Scientista
3,829,000
1,287,000
2,542,000
183,000
2,649,000
735,000
191,000
6,000
7,000
59,000
Biological/life scientist
597,000
288,000
309,000
29,000
423,000
116,000
16,000
1,000
S
9,000
Computer/information scientist
2,204,000
517,000
1,687,000
102,000
1,427,000
505,000
131,000
2,000
3,000
34,000
Mathematical scientist
190,000
85,000
105,000
7,000
135,000
37,000
8,000
*
D
2,000
Physical scientist
320,000
96,000
225,000
15,000
244,000
44,000
11,000
1,000
1,000
5,000
Psychologist
209,000
141,000
69,000
14,000
173,000
7,000
10,000
*
S
4,000
Social scientist
309,000
161,000
148,000
16,000
247,000
26,000
14,000
1,000
*
6,000
Engineerb
1,569,000
200,000
1,369,000
99,000
1,123,000
262,000
56,000
5,000
5,000
19,000
Aerospace engineer
91,000
10,000
81,000
8,000
68,000
9,000
3,000
D
S
3,000
Chemical engineer
69,000
13,000
55,000
4,000
48,000
14,000
2,000
*
D
1,000
Civil engineer
228,000
34,000
193,000
18,000
169,000
26,000
9,000
1,000
1,000
3,000
Electrical engineer
385,000
46,000
340,000
20,000
240,000
100,000
17,000
D
2,000
5,000
Industrial engineer
74,000
13,000
61,000
6,000
53,000
11,000
3,000
D
D
*
Mechanical engineer
299,000
22,000
277,000
17,000
235,000
33,000
9,000
1,000
*
3,000
Other engineers
380,000
56,000
324,000
24,000
285,000
54,000
11,000
S
1,000
4,000
S&E-related occupations
6,957,000
3,898,000
3,059,000
447,000
5,193,000
788,000
393,000
21,000
29,000
85,000
Health-related occupation
4,325,000
2,953,000
1,373,000
295,000
3,168,000
508,000
263,000
14,000
21,000
57,000
S&E manager
861,000
260,000
601,000
43,000
679,000
84,000
37,000
S
3,000
10,000
S&E precollege teacher
917,000
480,000
437,000
55,000
769,000
45,000
40,000
1,000
1,000
7,000
S&E technician/technologist
654,000
157,000
497,000
45,000
430,000
130,000
37,000
D
4,000
7,000
Other
199,000
48,000
150,000
10,000
147,000
21,000
S
D
D
S
Non-S&E occupations
9,549,000
4,380,000
5,169,000
739,000
7,190,000
756,000
678,000
27,000
28,000
130,000
* = estimate less than 500. D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information. S = suppressed for reliability; coefficient of variation exceeds publication standards.
S&E = science and engineering.
a Data for postsecondary teachers in science fields are collected by field and are included in individual science field totals. b Data for postsecondary teachers in engineering fields are not collected by field and are included in engineering total only.
NOTES: Numbers are rounded to nearest 1,000. Detail may not add to total because of rounding and suppression. The term scientists and engineers refers to all persons with bachelor's or higher degree in S&E or S&E-related fields, plus persons holding a non-S&E bachelor's or higher degree who were employed in an S&E or S&E-related occupation in 2010.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT), 2010.
Data available through SESTAT are collected by three surveys: the National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG), the National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG), and the Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR). SESTAT integrates these data, and combined, the data provide a profile of scientists and engineers in the United States. (See "Definitions" for a full description of how scientists and engineers are classified.) This InfoBrief presents data from all four sources.
Scientists and Engineers in the United States
Data from SESTAT show that as of October 2010, scientists are about 17% of the S&E workforce, with computer and information scientists constituting the largest group. Engineers are about 7% of the S&E workforce. A majority of engineers work in three fields: electrical engineering (25%), mechanical engineering (19%), and civil engineering (15%). Nearly one-third of individuals in the S&E workforce have S&E-related occupations, with the largest concentration being in health-related professions (62%).
Other detailed data from SESTAT show that 44% of individuals who were trained as scientists (especially in the social sciences) or engineers work in non-S&E occupations. Thirty percent of these individuals work in other non-S&E occupations, a category that encompasses a wide variety of jobs.
Women are 45% of the overall S&E workforce and hold 28% of S&E jobs. Female scientists and engineers constitute 68% of individuals who work in health-related occupations. In science occupations, 67% of psychologists are women. Of individuals in engineering occupations, 87% are men.
Nearly three-quarters of employed scientists and engineers are white, and most (70%) scientists and engineers in S&E occupations are white. Asian scientists and engineers are the next largest group, constituting 18% of employment in S&E occupations.
NSCG
The NSCG is the core of SESTAT, providing data collected over time that detail the characteristics of the entire college-educated population in the United States. Its population of college graduates includes scientists and engineers who hold at least a bachelor's degree. The NSCG provides information on individuals educated or employed in S&E fields and non-S&E fields.
Of the nearly 52 million college-educated persons represented by the 2010 NSCG, 59% reported their highest degree to be in a non-S&E degree field. Another 12% reported their highest degree to be in an S&E-related degree field, predominately health fields. About 28% reported S&E fields, with social or related sciences (11%) being the most commonly reported S&E field (table 2).
TABLE 2. Citizenship status of the college-educated population, by field of highest degree: 2010
Foreign-born
Field of highest degree
Total
Native-born U.S. citizen
All foreign-born
U.S citizen, naturalized
Non-U.S. citizen, permanent resident
Non-U.S. citizen, temporary resident
All degree fields
51,567,000
44,320,000
7,248,000
4,415,000
1,827,000
1,006,000
Biological, agricultural, and environmental life sciences
2,256,000
1,832,000
423,000
230,000
128,000
65,000
Computer and mathematical sciences
2,329,000
1,630,000
700,000
376,000
193,000
131,000
Physical and related sciences
881,000
648,000
233,000
142,000
56,000
35,000
Social and related sciences
5,758,000
5,064,000
695,000
439,000
181,000
75,000
Engineering
3,236,000
2,214,000
1,022,000
554,000
267,000
201,000
S&E-related fields
6,425,000
5,201,000
1,224,000
786,000
303,000
135,000
Non-S&E fields
30,682,000
27,731,000
2,951,000
1,888,000
699,000
364,000
S&E = science and engineering.
NOTES: Numbers are rounded to nearest 1,000. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. College-educated population in this table refers to individuals residing in United States as of 1 October 2010 with at least a bachelor's degree earned by 1 January 2009.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation/National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Survey of College Graduates, 2010.
The degree fields chosen by native-born and foreign-born college graduates differ significantly. Native-born U.S. citizens comprise 86% of the college-educated population residing in the United States. Given the large size of the native-born population, the distribution of fields in which their highest degree was earned is very similar to that of the overall college-educated population.
Foreign-born college graduates (including naturalized U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens) are more likely to hold S&E and S&E-related degrees. Among the 7.2 million college-educated persons who are foreign-born, 42% hold S&E degrees and another 17% hold S&E-related degrees as their highest degree.
NSRCG
Whereas NSCG data in SESTAT cover the general college-educated population, the NSRCG adds the influx of recent college graduates at the bachelor's and master's degree level. The 2010 NSRCG data represent almost 1.5 million recent bachelor's and master's graduates in science, engineering, and health (SEH) fields from academic years 2008 and 2009 (about 1.1 million bachelor's graduates and 340,000 master's graduates).
As of October 2010, 82% of recent SEH graduates were employed. The unemployment rate for this group was 6.8%, which compares favorably against the 9.5% civilian unemployment rate in October 2010.[2]
The vast majority of recent graduates employed in 2010 were working full time, ranging from 70% of those with degrees in social and related sciences to 89% of engineering graduates (table 3).
TABLE 3. Full- and part-time employment status of recent college graduates in science, engineering, and health fields, by level and field of degree: 2010
All employed
Employed full time
Employed part time
Degree level and field
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
All degrees, all fields
1,224,000
100.0
953,000
77.9
270,000
22.1
Biological, agricultural, and environmental life sciences
138,000
100.0
98,000
71.0
40,000
29.0
Computer and mathematical sciences
127,000
100.0
109,000
85.8
18,000
14.2
Physical and related sciences
45,000
100.0
36,000
80.0
9,000
20.0
Social and related sciences
433,000
100.0
303,000
70.0
129,000
29.8
Engineering
169,000
100.0
151,000
89.3
18,000
10.7
Health
313,000
100.0
257,000
82.1
56,000
17.9
Bachelor's, all fields
922,000
100.0
699,000
75.8
223,000
24.2
Biological, agricultural, and environmental life sciences
120,000
100.0
83,000
69.2
37,000
30.8
Computer and mathematical sciences
88,000
100.0
74,000
84.1
13,000
14.8
Physical and related sciences
35,000
100.0
28,000
80.0
8,000
22.9
Social and related sciences
361,000
100.0
251,000
69.5
110,000
30.5
Engineering
113,000
100.0
100,000
88.5
13,000
11.5
Health
205,000
100.0
164,000
80.0
41,000
20.0
Master's, all fields
302,000
100.0
255,000
84.4
47,000
15.6
Biological, agricultural, and environmental life sciences
18,000
100.0
15,000
83.3
3,000
16.7
Computer and mathematical sciences
39,000
100.0
35,000
89.7
4,000
10.3
Physical and related sciences
9,000
100.0
8,000
88.9
1,000
11.1
Social and related sciences
72,000
100.0
52,000
72.2
19,000
26.4
Engineering
57,000
100.0
52,000
91.2
5,000
8.8
Health
107,000
100.0
93,000
86.9
15,000
14.0
NOTES: Numbers are rounded to nearest 1,000. Recent science, engineering, and health graduates are those who earned bachelor's or master's degrees in these fields from U.S. postsecondary institutions between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2009. Employed graduates who worked 35 or more hours per week on principal job during a typical week are classified as full time; all other employed graduates are classified as part time. Detail may not add to total because of rounding.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation/National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Survey of Recent College Graduates, 2010.
Other detailed data from the NSRCG show that part-time employment was more common among bachelor's graduates (24%) than among master's graduates (16%). Being a student was the most commonly cited reason given by recent bachelor's and master's graduates alike for working part-time. Bachelor's graduates provided "Full-time job not available" as the second most-mentioned reason for part-time employment, and master's graduates provided "Did not need or want to work more hours" as their second most-mentioned reason.
SDR
The SDR data further supplement the NSCG and the NSRCG data in SESTAT with doctoral scientists and engineers who earned their SEH doctorates from U.S. academic institutions.
The unemployment rate for SEH doctorate recipients as of October 2010 was 2.4%. The median annual salaries among those working full time varied across employment sector, with engineers reporting median salaries ($115,000) that were higher than those reported by doctorate recipients in the science and health fields ($95,000 and $93,000, respectively) (table 4).
TABLE 4. Median annual salaries of doctoral scientists and engineers employed full time, by employment sector, years since doctorate, and broad field of doctorate: 2010 (Dollars)
Employment sector and years since doctorate
Science
Engineering
Health
All full-time employed
95,000
115,000
93,000
<10
70,000
95,000
82,000
≥10
106,000
130,000
104,000
4-year educational institutiona
80,000
97,000
85,000
<10
58,000
75,000
76,000
≥10
93,000
116,000
96,000
Private, for-profitb
120,000
120,000
129,000
<10
100,000
100,000
109,000
≥10
130,000
135,000
144,000
Private, non-profit
101,000
121,000
105,000
<10
71,000
94,000
92,000
≥10
122,000
142,000
125,000
Federal government
110,000
119,000
110,000
<10
87,000
100,000
90,000
≥10
124,000
132,000
125,000
State/local government
84,000
87,000
79,000
<10
71,000
79,000
90,000
≥10
87,000
89,000
71,000
Self-employedc
90,000
70,000
96,000
<10
79,000
S
D
≥10
93,000
77,000
98,000
Otherd
71,000
66,000
73,000
<10
65,000
51,000
58,000
≥10
75,000
74,000
79,000
D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information. S = suppressed for reliability; coefficient of variation exceeds publication standards.
a Includes 4-year colleges or universities, medical schools (including university-affiliated hospitals or medical centers), and university-affiliated research institutes. b Includes those self-employed in an incorporated business. c Self-employed or owner of nonincorporated business. d Includes 2-year colleges, community colleges, or technical institutes, and other precollege educational institutions, as well as employees not elsewhere classified.
NOTE: Median annual salaries are for principal job and are rounded to nearest $1,000.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation/National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Doctorate Recipients, 2010.
Across the three broad fields of degree, doctorate recipients working in the private, for-profit sector reported median annual salaries higher than those reported by doctorate recipients working in 4-year educational institutions. Individuals who had earned a doctorate in a science field and were employed in the federal government reported median salaries of $110,000: lower than those reported by individuals employed in the private, for-profit sector ($120,000) but higher than those reported by their counterparts working in the private, nonprofit sector ($101,000).
In general, earnings rose with experience. In the science fields, doctorate recipients who earned their doctorates before 2001 had a median salary 51% higher than that of more recent doctorate recipients ($106,000 versus $70,000). Among engineers, this difference was 37% ($130,000 versus $95,000). For those holding a doctoral degree in a health field, the difference was 27% ($104,000 versus $82,000).
Definitions
Non-S&E degree fields. Management and administration, education (except science and math teacher education), social service and related fields, sales and marketing, arts and humanities. Other non-S&E fields include communications, journalism, criminal justice, law, and library sciences.
Non-S&E occupations. Non-S&E managers and management-related occupations, non-S&E teachers, social services and related occupations, sales and marketing, and arts and humanities-related occupations. Other non-S&E occupations include bookkeepers, secretaries, lawyers, librarians, protective services, and construction and repair occupations.
Race and ethnicity. All graduates, both U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens, are included in the race and ethnicity data presented in this report. American Indians or Alaska Natives, Asians, blacks or African Americans, Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders, whites, and persons reporting more than one race refer to individuals who are not of Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
S&E degree fields. Biological/agricultural/environmental life sciences, computer and information sciences, mathematics and statistics, physical sciences, psychology, social sciences, and engineering. S&E-related fields include health, science and mathematics teacher education, technology and technical fields, and other S&E-related fields, such as architecture/ environmental design and actuarial science.
S&E occupations. Computer and mathematical scientists; biological, agricultural, and other life scientists; physical and related scientists; social and related scientists; and engineers. S&E-related occupations include health-related occupations, S&E managers, S&E precollege teachers, S&E technicians and technologists, and other S&E-related occupations, such as architects and actuaries.
S&E workforce. See scientists and engineers.
Scientists and engineers. Persons residing in the United States on 1 October 2010 who had ever received a bachelor's or higher degree in an S&E or S&E-related field or who held a non-S&E bachelor's or higher degree and were employed on 1 October in an S&E or S&E-related occupation.
Data Sources
Data presented here are from the 2010 Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT), which comprises three large demographic and workforce surveys of individuals conducted by the National Science Foundation: the National Survey of College Graduates, the National Survey of Recent College Graduates, and the Survey of Doctorate Recipients. The 2010 SESTAT included people who were trained in S&E or S&E-related fields or were working in S&E or S&E-related occupations. The 2010 SESTAT surveys had a reference week of 1 October 2010, with an eligible population of persons under age 76 residing in the United States. All demographic, employment, and education data on scientists and engineers represent the status of these individuals during the reference week. For information, please contact the SESTAT project officer, Steven L. Proudfoot (sproudfo@nsf.gov).
National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG). —Data from the 2010 NSCG were collected from the college-educated population residing in the United States as of 1 October 2010 with at least one degree earned before 1 January 2009. The NSCG data are collected through a dual-frame design that includes a returning sample from the 2008 NSCG and a newly selected sample derived from the 2009 American Community Survey. For survey information, please contact the NSCG project officer, John Finamore (jfinamor@nsf.gov).
National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG).—Data from the 2010 NSRCG were collected from bachelor's and master's graduates who received SEH degrees from a U.S. academic institution between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2009. For survey information, please contact the NSRCG project officer, Flora Lan (flan@nsf.gov).
Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR).—Data from the 2010 SDR (sponsored by the NSF and the National Institutes of Health) were collected from doctoral graduates who received SEH research degrees from a U.S. academic institution before 1 July 2009. For survey information, please contact the SDR project officer, Lynn Milan (lmilan@nsf.gov).
Data Availability
Data presented in this report are now available through SESTAT at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/sestat/. Data from these sources are also included in reports such as Science and Engineering Indicators and Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, and in data tools, such as Science and Engineering State Profiles. SESTAT public use data files are available at http://sestat.nsf.gov/datadownload/.
Forthcoming individual reports from each of the three component SESTAT surveys will provide the results of each survey in greater detail. For more information on this report, or on SESTAT, please contact Steven L. Proudfoot. For specific information on the NCSG, NSRCG, or SDR, please contact the respective project officer.
Notes
[1] John Finamore (jfinamor@nsf.gov; 703-292-2258), Daniel J. Foley (dfoley@nsf.gov; 703-292-7811), Flora Lan (flan@nsf.gov; 703-292-4758), Lynn M. Milan (lmilan@nsf.gov; 703-292-2275), Steven L. Proudfoot (sproudfo@nsf.gov; 703-292-4434), and Emilda B. Rivers (erivers@nsf.gov; 703-292-7773), Human Resources Statistics Program, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 965, Arlington VA 22230; Lance Selfa, NORC at the University of Chicago, 55 E. Monroe, Chicago, IL 60603.
National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Employment and Educational Characteristics of Scientists and Engineers
Arlington, VA (NSF 13-311) [January 2013]
