Employment of Scientists and Engineers Reaches 3.2 Million in 1995

Division of Science Resources Studies
DATA BRIEF	Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences

National Science Foundation
NSF 98-325, August 13, 1998

Employment of Scientists and Engineers Reaches 3.2 Million in 1995

by
R. Keith Wilkinson
Approximately 83 percent of the 3.2 million individuals in the S&E workforce in 1995 received their highest degree in an S&E field.

Almost 3.2 million people with a bachelor's degree or higher were employed in a science or engineering (S&E) occupation in 1995 (table 1). Engineers represented 42 percent (1.34 million) of the employed scientists and engineers, followed by computer and mathematical scientists with 30 percent (950,000) of the total. Physical scientists accounted for less than 10 percent of the S&E workforce in 1995. By subfield, electrical engineers made up about one-fourth (357,000) of all employed engineers while biological scientists accounted for a little over one-half (169,000) of the employment in the life sciences. In the physical and social science occupations, chemists (111,000) and psychologists (167,000) were the largest occupational subfields, respectively.

Table 1. Number of employed scientists and engineers by broad occupation and broad field of hghest degree: 1995

Many people trained in science and engineering routinely find S&E related employment in nontraditional S&E occupations.

Almost 58 percent of those working in S&E occupations in 1995 reported their highest degree type as a bachelor's degree, while 28 percent listed a master's degree and 13 percent a doctorate. Other professional degrees were reported as the highest degree type by about 1 percent of the S&E work-force. Almost half of those with bachelor's degrees were employed as engineers (table 2).

Table 2. Percentage distribution of employed scientists and engineers by broad occupation and highest degree received: 1995

Another 34 percent of bachelor's degree holders had jobs as computer and mathematical scientists. These occupations were also the most popular among those with master's degrees (40 and 30 percent, respectively). Most doctorate holders were employed as social scientists (27 percent), life scientists (25 percent), and physical scientists (19 percent).

Relationship between occupation and education
Approximately 83 percent (2.6 million) of the 3.2 million individuals in the S&E workforce in 1995 received their highest degree in an S&E field, with proportions varying by occupation. By broad occupation, almost 77 percent of engineers and 80 percent of social scientists were working in their highest degree field. Similar proportions were seen for physical scientists (73 percent) and life scientists (71 percent). By contrast, over 57 percent of computer and mathematical scientists reported that their highest degrees were in other fields. By degree level, about 85 percent of employed scientists and engineers at the bachelor's level had their degree in an S&E field, reflecting the large proportion of engineers with bachelor's degrees. By comparison, about 74 percent of those at the master's level and 94 percent of those with doctorates had their degrees in an S&E field.

A large number of persons trained in science and engineering routinely find S&E related employment in nontraditional S&E occupations. For example, there were approximately 4.7 million people employed in non-S&E occupations in 1995, whose highest degree was in an S&E field. About two-thirds of this group, however, reported that their work was at least somewhat related to their degree. Approximately four-fifths of both doctorate and master's S&E degree recipients who were employed in non-S&E occupations in 1995 reported that their job was closely related to their degree, compared to three-fifths of bachelor's degree holders.

Unemployment
Only 2.2 percent (70,600) of the scientists and engineers in the labor force in 1995 were unemployed. This compares with a 5.6-percent unemployment rate for the U.S. labor force as a whole in 1995 and 2.5 percent for all professional specialty workers. The highest unemployment rates were reported for physical scientists (2.7 percent) and the lowest for social scientists (1.2 percent). By degree level, only 2.1 percent of the scientists and engineers whose highest degree was a bachelor's degree and 1.8 percent of those with a doctorate were unemployed, compared to 2.5 percent of those with master's degrees (figure 1).

Figure 1. Unemployment rates of scientists and engineers, by broad occupation and highest degree received: 1995

For the S&E degree holders in nontraditional S&E occupations, the overall unemployment rate was 2.8 percent (136,000) in 1995. Unemployment rates ranged from 2.5 percent for those with life science degrees to 3.1 percent for physical science degree holders. By degree level, 3 percent of those with S&E bachelor's degrees were unemployed, versus 2.1 percent for those with a master's degree or doctorate.

Employment by Sector
The private for-profit sector is by far the largest employer of S&E workers. In 1995, 72 percent of scientists and engineers with bachelor's degrees and 59 percent of those with master's degrees were employed in a private, for-profit company. The academic sector was the largest sector of employment for those with doctorates (43 percent). Sectors employing smaller numbers of S&E workers include educational institutions other than 4-year colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, and state or local government agencies. Among S&E occupations, there is a wide variation in the proportions of scientists and engineers employed in private for-profit industry. While nearly three-fourths of both computer and mathematical scientists and engineers were employed in this sector, only one-fourth of life scientists and one-fifth of social scientists were similarly employed in 1995. Educational institutions employed the largest proportion of life scientists (49 percent) and social scientists (44 percent).

Salaries
In 1995, the median annual salary of bachelor's degree holders employed full-time in S&E occupations was $48,000; for master's recipients it was $53,000 and for doctorate holders $58,000 (figure 2). Engineers commanded the highest salaries at each degree level. The second highest salaries were earned by computer and mathematical scientists at the bachelor's and master's level, and physical scientists at the doctorate level.

Figure 2. Median annual salaries of employed scientists and engineers by broad occupation and highest degree received: 1995

Median salaries for scientists and engineers rise steadily with the years since the completion of their degree. For example, individuals who earned their bachelor's or master's degrees in the early 1990s earned about $15,000 less in 1995 than those who had received these degrees in the early 1980s. For doctorate holders, the difference is $18,000.

Information in this Data Brief is from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT), a unified database recording employment, education, and other characteristics of the nation's scientists and engineers. These data are collected from three component surveys [1] sponsored by the NSF and conducted biennially.

This Data Brief was prepared by:

R. Keith Wilkinson
Division of Science Resources Studies
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 965
Arlington, VA 22230
703-306-1773 Ext. 6921

Footnotes

[1] SESTAT is comprised of three surveys:

National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG)
National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG)
Survey of Doctorate Recipients (SDR).

SESTAT has as its target population: residents of the United States (U.S.) with a baccalaureate degree or higher who, as of the study's reference period, were noninstitutionalized, age 75 or less, and either trained as or working as a scientist or engineer. A baccalaureate-or-higher degree is a bachelor's, master's, doctorate, or professional degree.