STEM careers get a lot of hype for being “good jobs,” and for good reason. Learn about the evolving definition of STEM occupations and about statistics ranging from salaries and U.S. jobs growth to minority representation, related salary differences and intersectionality in STEM.
STEM careers — or careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines — tend to get a lot of hype for being “good jobs,” which Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce categorizes as jobs in the upper third of median wages for a given occupation.1 Good jobs also tend to be full-time and are twice as likely to provide health insurance and retirement plans than middle-wage jobs, and STEM, healthcare and managerial roles have accounted for a majority of good jobs growth over the last decade or so.1
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS) defines the STEM field as a collection of 100 occupations extending from jobs in the four employment categories represented by the acronym to life and physical science, managerial and postsecondary teaching jobs related to these categories and sales jobs that require postsecondary-level scientific or technical knowledge.2 These STEM jobs accounted for 10.2 million, or 6.65%, of the 153.5 million jobs in the U.S. in 2020 and had a median annual salary of $95,420 in 2021 compared to $40,120 for non-STEM occupations.3 And in keeping with recent tradition, the USBLS projects that the number of STEM jobs will grow 10.5%, to 11.28 million or 6.82% of the projected 165.41 million U.S. jobs, by 2030 while non-STEM jobs are expected to grow 7.5%.3
| USBLS Occupation Category | 2020 Employment | 2020 Percent of U.S. Workforce | Projected 2030 Employment | Total Employment Change 2020–2030 | Percent Employment Change 2020–2030 | 2021 Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Jobs | 153,533,800 | 100.00% | 165,413,700 | 11,879,900 | 7.7% | $45,760 |
| STEM Jobs | 10,204,200 | 6.65% | 11,278,700 | 1,074,500 | 10.5% | $95,420 |
| Non-STEM Jobs | 143,329,500 | 93.35% | 154,135,000 | 10,805,500 | 7.5% | $40,120 |
The National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) definition of STEM occupations is more inclusive — and one could argue more representative and realistic — as it accounts for the traditionally recognized STEM jobs that require a bachelor’s degree or higher as well as the rapidly expanding range of skilled technical workforce (STW) jobs that aren’t typically categorized as STEM employment categories but require STEM skills.4 These STW jobs include construction, production, installation, maintenance and repair roles and are vital to deploying, adapting and maintaining the ever-expanding slate of advanced technologies and processes that are integral to America’s science and engineering (S&E) enterprise.4
This expanded definition accounts for all of the STEM workers contributing to improving U.S. living standards, economic growth and global competitiveness through innovation, research and development and “doubles the number of workers classified as part of the STEM workforce by including 16 million workers with at least a bachelor’s degree and 20 million without a bachelor’s degree.”4 And when employed by the NSF’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), the results are both astounding and encouraging.
| NSF Occupation Category | 2019 Employment | 2019 Percent of U.S. Workforce | 2019 Median Earnings | 2019 NSF U.S. Workforce Percentages Applied to 2020 USBLS Total Employment (Extrapolated Data) | 2019 NSF U.S. Workforce Percentages Applied to USBLS Projected 2030 Employment (Extrapolated Data) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Jobs | 158,600,0005 | 100.00% | —- | 153,533,8003 | 165,413,7003 |
| STEM Jobs | 36,000,0004 | 22.70% | $55,0004 | 34,852,1734 | 37,548,9104 |
| Non-STEM Jobs | 122,600,0004 | 77.30% | $33,0004 | 118,681,6274 | 127,864,7904 |
Here are some key takeaways from the NCSES’ August 2021 report, “The STEM Labor Force of Today: Scientists, Engineers, and Skilled Technical Workers,” which is primarily based on data from 2019.
- When STW jobs were tallied along with traditionally recognized STEM jobs, the STEM workforce represented a staggering almost 23% of the total U.S. workforce in 2019.
- A little over half of STEM workers didn’t have a bachelor’s degree in 2019. These workers were primarily employed in the health care (19%), construction (20%), production (14%) and installation, maintenance and repair (21%) industries.
- The STEM labor force exhibited just 2% unemployment in 2019 compared to 4% for non-STEM labor force, and this pattern persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In 2019, STEM workers had higher median earnings ($55,000) than non-STEM workers ($33,000).
- Women represented roughly 34% of STEM workers and accounted for 44% of STEM workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher and 26% of those without a bachelor’s degree.
- Although Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and American Indians or Alaska Natives represented 30% of the U.S. workforce in 2019, they only accounted for 23% of the STEM workforce and were especially underrepresented among STEM workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Foreign-born workers accounted for 19% of the STEM workforce and 45% of a specific subset of STEM workers — mathematical and computer scientists, physical scientists, life scientists, social scientists and engineers with doctoral degrees — in 2019.4
For more interesting insights into the STEM labor market, check out the short slide deck videos below.
References
- Carnevale, Anthony P., et al. “Good Jobs Are Back: College Graduates Are First in Line.” Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 7 May 2020, https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/goodjobsareback/.
- “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.” The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 Feb. 2021, https://www.bls.gov/oes/topics.htm#stem.
- “Employment Projections: Employment in STEM Occupations.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8 Sept. 2021, https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/stem-employment.htm
- Okrent, Abigail, and Amy Burke. “The STEM Labor Force of Today: Scientists, Engineers, and Skilled Technical Workers | NSF – National Science Foundation.” National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation, 31 Aug. 2021, https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20212/executive-summary.
- Edwards, Roxanna, and Sean M. Smith. “Job Market Remains Tight in 2019, as the Unemployment Rate Falls to Its Lowest Level Since 1969.” Monthly Labor Review, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 28 Apr. 2020, www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2020/article/job-market-remains-tight-in-2019-as-the-unemployment-rate-falls-to-its-lowest-level-since-1969.htm.
