Table 32. Postdoctoral appointees in science, engineering, and health in all institutions, by detailed field: 2010–15

Field 2010a 2011a 2012 2013 2014oldb 2014newb 2015
All surveyed fields 63,439 62,639 62,851 61,942 62,379 63,593 63,861
Science and engineering 44,320 44,121 43,841 43,395 43,476 44,623 45,295
Science 37,351 37,335 36,738 36,289 36,184 37,316 37,639
Agricultural sciences 1,190 1,256 1,290 1,319 1,395 1,402 1,525
Biological sciences 21,726 21,107 20,086 19,330 18,749 19,554 19,304
Anatomy 413 374 287 258 235 235 202
Biochemistry 2,523 2,314 2,232 2,097 1,885 1,885 1,874
Biology 2,533 2,341 2,268 2,141 2,209 2,392 2,131
Biometry and epidemiology 566 523 536 638 652 652 649
Biophysics 263 194 185 164 156 156 144
Botany and plant biology 559 561 596 614 626 626 640
Cell and molecular biology 2,780 2,653 2,574 2,387 2,141 2,270 2,380
Ecology 216 200 205 107 102 102 137
Entomology and parasitology 233 261 266 258 279 279 289
Genetics 1,348 1,460 1,407 1,394 1,385 1,385 1,410
Microbiology, immunology, and virology 2,566 2,574 2,437 2,188 2,120 2,187 2,206
Nutrition 245 247 224 214 236 236 250
Pathology 1,811 1,673 1,582 1,505 1,469 1,469 1,407
Pharmacology and toxicology 1,652 1,554 1,383 1,284 1,185 1,226 1,253
Physiology 1,461 1,527 1,399 1,412 1,298 1,380 1,350
Zoology 76 85 87 94 75 75 51
Biosciences nec 2,481 2,566 2,418 2,575 2,696 2,999 2,931
Communication 62 67 58 76 75 75 83
Computer sciences 763 759 760 765 833 834 888
Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 1,740 1,774 1,956 2,032 2,059 2,061 2,129
Atmospheric sciences 189 167 209 209 212 212 180
Geosciences 601 578 637 730 725 725 744
Ocean sciences 332 408 446 423 421 423 457
Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences nec 618 621 664 670 701 701 748
Family and consumer sciences and human sciences 30 52 58 90 93 114 103
Mathematics and statistics 791 830 902 932 956 959 1,011
Mathematics and applied mathematics 715 733 782 787 837 840 873
Statistics 76 97 120 145 119 119 138
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies 785 704 742 891 1,045 1,045 972
Neurobiology and neuroscience 838 1,398 1,525 1,696 1,778 1,878 1,957
Physical sciences 7,583 7,490 7,430 7,197 7,089 7,277 7,358
Astronomy and astrophysics 532 524 509 407 390 390 418
Chemistry 4,179 4,005 4,016 3,850 3,708 3,891 3,840
Physics 2,608 2,694 2,651 2,682 2,733 2,738 2,779
Physical sciences nec 264 267 254 258 258 258 321
Psychology 1,132 1,124 1,132 1,023 1,062 1,066 1,130
Clinical psychology 135 94 104 104 85 85 93
Psychology, general 664 639 613 568 582 584 634
Psychology nec 333 391 415 351 395 397 403
Social sciences 711 774 799 938 1,050 1,051 1,179
Agricultural economics 44 47 60 61 65 65 61
Anthropology 86 82 96 118 142 142 174
Economics (except agricultural) 60 38 50 62 86 86 95
Geography 62 58 69 89 104 104 96
History and philosophy of science 17 9 14 14 9 9 12
Linguistics 27 31 31 33 36 36 47
Political science and government 93 220 176 239 258 258 313
Sociology 83 91 97 93 91 91 104
Sociology and anthropology 0 2 2 3 3 3 2
Social sciences nec 239 196 204 226 256 257 275
Engineering 6,969 6,786 7,103 7,106 7,292 7,307 7,656
Aerospace engineering 212 202 170 202 220 220 217
Agricultural engineering 119 129 133 152 146 150 221
Architecture 10 16 6 17 14 14 17
Biomedical engineering 1,023 1,069 1,161 1,103 1,196 1,198 1,201
Chemical engineering 1,077 1,137 1,098 1,230 1,244 1,244 1,283
Civil engineering 571 551 590 587 629 629 670
Electrical engineering 1,095 1,035 1,152 1,180 1,177 1,179 1,160
Engineering science, mechanics, and physics 236 281 292 240 270 270 251
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 151 121 127 133 131 131 142
Mechanical engineering 1,021 889 985 1,034 1,055 1,058 1,161
Metallurgical and materials engineering 841 860 854 809 776 780 911
Mining engineering 4 4 5 7 15 15 15
Nuclear engineering 107 111 120 105 112 112 107
Petroleum engineering 44 35 53 49 66 66 73
Engineering nec 458 346 357 258 241 241 227
Health 19,119 18,518 19,010 18,547 18,903 18,970 18,566
Clinical medicine 16,515 16,165 16,361 15,831 16,164 16,216 15,850
Anesthesiology 497 407 436 439 434 434 433
Cardiovascular science 624 687 787 777 742 742 825
Endocrinology 456 439 473 441 435 435 414
Gastroenterology 303 343 319 317 318 318 299
Hematology 347 364 367 348 378 378 356
Neurology 1,305 1,029 952 941 1,124 1,124 1,035
Obstetrics and gynecology 349 324 307 301 325 325 287
Oncology and cancer research 1,919 1,867 1,923 1,859 1,840 1,840 1,788
Ophthalmology 466 461 518 528 574 574 568
Otorhinolaryngology 142 158 144 160 164 164 169
Pediatrics 1,311 1,441 1,583 1,584 1,512 1,512 1,309
Preventive medicine and community health 630 654 730 703 658 658 704
Psychiatry 959 979 1,089 1,008 1,095 1,095 1,084
Pulmonary disease 285 294 279 288 287 287 305
Radiology 1,032 987 979 921 990 990 1,012
Surgery 1,267 1,241 1,373 1,297 1,360 1,360 1,267
Clinical medicine nec 4,623 4,490 4,102 3,919 3,928 3,980 3,995
Other health 2,604 2,353 2,649 2,716 2,739 2,754 2,716
Communication disorders sciences 55 48 59 49 61 61 77
Dental sciences 353 346 343 303 327 328 307
Nursing science 55 79 76 77 82 82 75
Pharmaceutical sciences 1,070 1,009 982 995 1,004 1,016 999
Veterinary sciences 468 450 534 564 512 513 541
Other health nec 603 421 655 728 753 754 717