

The gap in STEM workforce representation is especially large for Hispanic adults. STEM occupations continue to rank higher on the pay scale, with the typical STEM worker earning more than those in other occupations. These findings come amid longstanding efforts to increase diversity in STEM and as the growth in STEM jobs is expected to outpace that of non-STEM jobs in the coming years. Thus, caution is warranted in direct comparisons with other studies. While there is often considerable overlap across definitions, there is no commonly agreed definition of the STEM workforce or STEM education fields.
#Highest paying stem majors professional#
In 2018, 424 bachelor’s, 427 master’s, 336 research doctorate and 44 professional doctorate programs were classified as STEM using the six-digit Classification of Instructional Programs scheme from the National Center for Education Statistics. This analysis of STEM degree recipients relies on a broad-based definition of STEM degrees including degrees in life sciences, agriculture and environmental sciences physical and earth sciences engineering and architecture computer and information sciences math and statistics and health-related fields.

See the Appendix for specific occupations in each job cluster. STEM jobs are defined solely based on occupation and include any of 74 standard occupations in life sciences, physical and Earth sciences, engineering and architecture, computer and math occupations as well as health-related occupations including healthcare providers and technicians. This analysis of the STEM workforce relies on a broad-based definition of those working in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Degree programs were classified using the NCES’s Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) scheme.īlack and Hispanic workers remain underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce compared with their share of all workers, including in computing jobs, which have seen considerable growth in recent years. Postsecondary institutions participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs are required to report. The analysis was done using the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Interactive Data Tool.

Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Completions survey. A 2018 Center report used the same occupation classifications to analyze the STEM workforce from 1990 to 2016.Īnalysis of STEM degrees awarded is based on data from the U.S.
#Highest paying stem majors series#
decennial censuses and aggregated 19 American Community survey data provided through Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) from the University of Minnesota. Analysis of the STEM workforce is based solely on occupation, using data from the U.S. For this report, we analyzed federal government data to look at gender, racial and ethnic diversity among those employed in and earning degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
