NCSES SDR FY2010 DST 4

Table 4-2. Involuntarily out-of-field rate of doctoral scientists and engineers, by field of doctorate: 2010

Field	Involuntarily out-of-field rate
Field	Percent	SE
All fields	3.0	0.15
Science	3.1	0.15
Biological/ agricultural/ environmental life sciences	2.9	0.25
Agricultural/ food sciences	4.5	0.80
Biochemistry/ biophysics	4.1	0.70
Cell/ molecular biology	2.4	0.60
Environmental life sciences	2.7	0.90
Microbiology	1.6	0.65
Zoology	6.0	1.30
Other biological sciences	2.2	0.30
Computer/ information sciences	1.6	0.50
Mathematics/ statistics	4.4	0.75
Physical sciences	4.7	0.35
Astronomy/ astrophysics	2.1	1.15
Chemistry, except biochemistry	3.6	0.45
Earth/ atmospheric/ ocean sciences^a	3.1	0.65
Physics	7.8	0.75
Psychology	1.3	0.20
Social sciences	3.3	0.35
Economics	0.9	0.40
Political sciences	4.0	0.75
Sociology	3.4	0.75
Other social sciences	4.9	0.70
Engineering	3.0	0.30
Aerospace/ aeronautical/ astronautical engineering	3.9	1.75
Chemical engineering	3.8	0.95
Civil engineering	0.9	0.55
Electrical/ computer engineering	1.9	0.45
Materials/ metallurgical engineering	4.0	1.15
Mechanical engineering	3.3	0.80
Other engineering	3.4	0.65
Health	0.6	0.25

SE = standard error.
^a Includes other physical sciences.

NOTES: Labor force is defined as those employed (E) plus those unemployed and seeking work (U). Population (P) is defined as all science, engineering, or health doctorate holders under age 76, residing in the United States during the week of 1 October 2010, who earned doctorates from U.S. institutions. Involuntarily out-of-field rate is the percentage of employed individuals who reported, for their principal job, working in an area not related to the first doctoral degree at least partially because a job in their doctoral degree field was not available.

SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Doctorate Recipients, 2010.

Data from survey cycle 2010, as of August 21, 2013.