Chapter 3: Science & Engineering Indicators 93

S&E Salaries

Examining trends in salaries paid to workers is an important way of assessing the demand for labor, because rising relative wages usually indicate a scarcity of available workers.(Click here for footnote 12.)

In general, scientists and engineers earn considerably more than most workers, and engineers earn more than scientists. In fact, engineering compensation is better than in most professions: Only lawyers, physicians, and pharmacists make more than engineers. (See appendix table 3-12, figure 3-10, and "Engineering Salaries.")

Besides being lower than the salaries of doctors and lawyers, scientists' and engineers' salaries have been increasing at a slower pace. Between 1987 and 1992, the median salaries of natural scientists and engineers increased about 20 percent. Salaries for mathematical and computer scientists increased somewhat faster (28 percent). These gains, however, did not match those for other occupations that require training beyond undergraduate school. Physicians' median annual salaries rose 44 percent and lawyers' increased 33 percent during the same time period.(Click here for footnote 13.)

Footnote 12:
A good example of this occurred in the 1980s when the United States first began to experience an acute shortage of nurses. Nurses' salaries have been increasing faster than those for almost all other professional occupations.

Footnote 13:
Two other occupations--psychology and registered nursing--also registered large (37 to 38 percent) median annual salary increases between 1987 and 1992.

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