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1 Apr 2014
Brief

The Nonacademic Careers of STEM Ph.D. Holders

Lori Turk-Bicakci, Andrea Berger, and Clarisse Haxton

Most students enter into science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) Ph.D. programs planning to work in academia, but many STEM Ph.D. holders eventually seek nonacademic positions. There are many reasons for this decision, including changing research interests or the appeal of nonacademic work settings, location or job benefits. This issue brief explores gender and racial differences of STEM Ph.D. holders in nonacademic careers. The primary research questions are as follows:

  1. How do nonacademic career choices and work activities differ by gender and race/ethnicity?
  2. How does the proportion of nonacademic STEM Ph.D. holders working outside of STEM fields differ by gender and race/ethnicity?

Key findings include the following: —

  • Approximately half of Black, Hispanic, and White female STEM Ph.D. holders and Black and Hispanic male STEM Ph.D. holders were in nonacademic careers, whereas two thirds of Asian female STEM Ph.D. holders and almost three fourths of Asian male STEM Ph.D. holders were in nonacademic careers.
  • Black, Hispanic, and White female STEM Ph.D. holders were more likely to work in government and less likely to work in private, for-profit organizations compared with Asian females and males of all racial/ethnic groups.
  • Black, Hispanic, and White female STEM Ph.D. holders were more likely to work outside of STEM compared with other groups.
PDF icon The Nonacademic Careers of STEM Ph.D Holders

Related Work

1 Apr 2014
News Release

Sixty-One Percent of STEM Ph.D.’s Pursue Nonacademic Careers, but Job Duties Differ Widely by Race and Gender

A new analysis by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) shows 61 percent of those with a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) doctorate have careers outside of academia. Although most STEM Ph.D. programs require rigorous research training, 43 percent of graduates in non-academic careers say research and development is not their primary work activity.

Further Reading

  • Sixty-One Percent of STEM Ph.D.’s Pursue Nonacademic Careers, but Job Duties Differ Widely by Race and Gender
  • Leaving STEM: STEM Ph.D. Holders in Non-STEM Careers
  • Women, Blacks Most Likely to Leave STEM Careers, New Research by AIR Finds
  • Broadening Participation in STEM
  • Broadening Participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
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Related News

7 Apr 2014

For Those With Ph.D.s in STEM Fields, Blacks More Likely to Work in Academia Than Whites

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