Science and engineering graduates earn more per year when they are employed in STEM occupations. Among science and engineering graduates that worked full-time, year-round, men earned $85,000 per year compared with $58,800 among women. The gender earnings gap narrows when comparing science and engineering graduates employed in a STEM occupation, indicating that STEM employment boosts earnings among women more than among men. Women employed in STEM earn about $16,300 more per year compared with women trained in science and engineering but not employed in STEM. While Asians earned the most in the total workforce ($80,700), and among the most in the STEM workforce ($89,500), STEM employment provides a larger earnings gain among Blacks, Hispanics, and those who report Some Other Race, increasing their earnings by $17,000,$18,300, and $22,500 per year, respectively.
Women’s representation in STEM occupations has increased since the 1970s, but they remain significantly underrepresented in engineering and computer occupations, occupations that make up more than 80 percent of all STEM employment. Women’s representation in computer occupations has declined since the 1990s.
Among science and engineering graduates, men are employed in a STEM occupation at twice the rate of women: 31 percent compared with 15 percent. Nearly 1 in 5 female science and engineering graduates are out of the labor force, compared with less than 1 in 10 male science and engineering graduates.
The most recent decades show less growth in STEM employment among younger women. Most of the growth in women’s share of STEM employment among those under the age of 40 occurred between 1970 and 1990.
About 41 percent of Asians with a science or engineering degree are currently employed in a STEM occupation, followed by individuals who self-identify as Two or More Races (24 percent) and non-Hispanic White (23 percent).
Blacks and Hispanics have been consistently underrepresented in STEM employment. In 2011, 11 percent of the workforce was Black, while 6 percent of STEM workers were Black (up from 2 percent in 1970). Although the Hispanic share of the workforce has increased significantly from 3 percent in 1970 to 15 percent in 2011, Hispanics were 7 percent of the STEM workforce in 2011.
Occupations
Although women make up nearly half of the working population, they remain underrepresented in STEM occupations. In 2011, 26 percent of STEM workers were women and 74 percent were men. There has been uneven growth in women’s representation in STEM occupations since the 1970s. In 1970, women were 3 percent of engineers, 14 percent of life and physical scientists, 15 percent of mathematical and computer workers, and 17 percent of social scientists.
By 2011, women’s representation had grown in all STEM occupation groups. However, they remained significantly underrepresented in engineering and computer occupations, occupations that make up more than 80 percent of all STEM employment. In fact, women’s representation in computer occupations has declined since the 1990s. This mirrors the decline in women’s share of bachelor’s degrees in computer science awarded since the 1980s.
Women’s underrepresentation in STEM is a result of their significant underrepresentation in engineering and computer occupations, rather than math and science occupations. While women’s representation has continued to grow in math and science occupations since the 1970s, growth has tapered off in engineering since 1990. In 2011, women were 13 percent of engineers, 27 percent of computer professionals, 41 percent of life and physical scientists, 47 percent of mathematical workers, and 61 percent of social scientists.
STEM Employment by Race and Hispanic Origin
The non-Hispanic White and Asian populations were overrepresented among STEM workers in 2011. About 67 percent of the total workforce was non-Hispanic White, but they held 71 percent of STEM jobs. Asians held 15 percent of the STEM jobs compared with 6 percent of all jobs.
Blacks, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and those of Some Other Race were underrepresented in STEM. Blacks held 6 percent of STEM jobs, American Indians and Alaska Natives held 0.4 percent of STEM jobs, and those of Some Other Race held 1 percent of STEM jobs. Hispanics were also underrepresented in STEM occupations. Although they made up about 15 percent of the workforce, they held 7 percent of STEM jobs. The estimates for Black and Hispanic employment in STEM occupations are not statistically different.
Racial and ethnic representation differs by detailed STEM occupation. Although the average racial and ethnic distribution of the STEM workforce is 71 percent non-Hispanic White, 15 percent Asian, 6 percent Black, and 7 percent Hispanic, the distribution varies in any given STEM occupation.
Using software developer, the largest STEM occupation, as an example, Asian workers are overrepresented, while non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics are underrepresented. About 30 percent of software developers are Asian, while Asians make up 15 percent of STEM occupations. About 59 percent of software developers are non-Hispanic White, 5 percent are Black, and 4 percent are Hispanic.
Asian and Hispanic employment in STEM occupations has been growing since 1970, as has their overall workforce share. While the percentage of STEM workers who are non-Hispanic White declined from 94 percent in 1970 to 71 percent in 2011, the share has mirrored the decline in the non-Hispanic White share of the workforce.
Blacks and Hispanics have been consistently underrepresented in STEM occupations since 1970. In 2011, 11 percent of the workforce was Black, but their workforce share of STEM occupations was 6 percent (up from 2 percent in 1970). Although the Hispanic share of the workforce has increased significantly, from 3 percent in 1970 to 15 percent in 2011, Hispanics made up 7 percent of the STEM workforce. The Hispanic share of STEM occupations has not kept pace with the increase in the Hispanic share of the workforce.
Asians have been consistently overrepresented in STEM occupations. In 1970, Asians were 1 percent of the workforce, but 2 percent of the STEM workforce. In 2011, Asians remained significantly overrepresented, accounting for 15 percent of STEM workers and 6 percent of the total workforce.
Women and Black and Hispanic workers are underrepresented in STEM occupations. One explanation out of many is that these workers are less likely to have a science or engineering background that would facilitate STEM employment. Although women are 53 percent of college graduates, they are 41 percent of science and engineering graduates. Of science and engineering fields of study, women are most likely to be found in multidisciplinary science studies (71 percent).
Based on first listed field of bachelor’s degree: About 71 percent of science and engineering graduates are non-Hispanic White, 14 percent are Asian, 7 percent are Black, and 7 percent are Hispanic.
Relative to their share of college graduates, Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites are underrepresented, Asians are overrepresented, and Hispanics are about equally represented among science and engineering majors. The estimates for Blacks (7.1 percent) and Hispanics (6.8 percent) round to 7 percent but are statistically different. The estimates for Hispanic bachelor’s degree holders and science and engineering graduates are not statistically different.
From this point forward, to be considered a science and engineering graduate, a person must have listed at least one science and engineering major for field of bachelor’s degree, but it does not have to be the first listed major.
The majority of workers with a science or engineering degree are not currently employed in a STEM occupation. Only 1 in 4 science and engineering graduates are currently employed in a STEM occupation. Younger workers are more likely to be employed in a STEM occupation than older workers. About 27 percent of workers under the age of 45 with a science or engineering degree are employed in a STEM occupation.
Employment in STEM occupations among science and engineering graduates also varies by race and Hispanic origin. Among science and engineering graduates, Asians are the most likely to be in a STEM occupation. About 41 percent of Asians with a science and engineering degree are currently employed in a STEM field, followed by individuals who self identify as Two or More Races (24 percent) and non-Hispanic White (23 percent).
Men make up the majority of science and engineering graduates. About 61 percent of science and engineering graduates were men. Of these, 31 percent were employed in a STEM occupation and made up 76 percent of the STEM workforce. In contrast, women made up 39 percent of science and engineering graduates and 15 percent were employed in a STEM occupation, accounting for 24 percent of the STEM workforce.
Even among science and engineering graduates, men were employed in a STEM occupation at about twice the rate of women. The estimates for Two or More Races and non-Hispanic White are not statistically different.