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Table 12-3. U.S. residing employed doctoral scientists and engineers, by fine field of doctorate and sector of employment: 2015

Field All employed Educational institutiona Business/industryb Governmentc
Number SE Number SE Number SE Number SE
All fields 787,250 1,900 351,500 2,325 369,350 2,300 66,400 1,075
Science 597,050 1,975 288,600 2,125 256,900 2,000 51,500 925
Biological/agricultural/environmental life sciences 195,050 1,075 96,700 1,125 79,750 1,125 18,600 550
Agricultural/food sciences 18,050 400 8,100 325 8,050 325 1,850 175
Agriculture, general 150 25 50 25 50 25 * *
Agricultural and horticultural plant breeding/genetics 1,050 75 350 50 550 75 100 50
Agricultural animal breedingd 500 100 150 25 300 100 50 25
Agricultural science, other 850 75 450 75 300 50 100 25
Agronomy and crop science 2,400 200 950 150 1,250 200 150 75
Animal nutrition 1,700 100 600 100 1,000 100 100 50
Animal science, poultry (or avian) 300 25 150 25 150 25 * *
Animal science, other 1,850 75 950 100 800 100 100 50
Dairy science 150 25 50 25 50 25 D D
Food scienced 1,350 150 600 125 650 100 50 25
Food science and technology, other 1,750 125 550 100 950 100 300 100
Horticulture science 1,450 100 850 100 550 100 50 25
Plant pathology/phytophathology, agricultural sciences 1,650 125 850 125 600 100 200 75
Plant sciences, otherd 850 75 450 50 300 75 100 25
Soil chemistry/microbiology 500 25 250 25 100 25 100 25
Soil sciences, otherd 1,650 175 900 125 350 100 400 100
Biochemistry/biophysics 28,050 425 12,700 500 13,400 475 1,950 275
Biochemistry 23,500 400 10,350 450 11,500 450 1,650 275
Biophysics, biological sciences 4,500 150 2,350 175 1,850 150 300 100
Cell/molecular biology 23,300 350 11,000 450 10,650 450 1,650 225
Cell/cellular biology and histology 6,950 175 3,450 225 3,250 225 300 75
Molecular biology 16,350 300 7,550 375 7,400 425 1,400 200
Environmental life sciences 8,400 225 3,350 200 2,900 225 2,200 175
Environmental science 2,700 125 1,000 125 1,150 150 500 100
Fishing and fisheries sciences/managementd 1,150 100 350 75 350 75 450 75
Forest engineering * * * * * * D D
Forest sciences and biologyd 1,050 175 450 100 400 125 200 75
Forest/resources management 500 25 250 25 100 25 150 25
Forestry and related science, other 750 50 350 50 200 50 200 50
Natural resources/conservation 850 50 400 50 300 50 150 25
Wildlife/range managementd 1,150 100 450 75 250 50 500 75
Wood science and pulp/paper technology 300 25 100 25 200 25 50 25
Microbiology 12,950 350 5,900 300 5,650 375 1,350 200
Bacteriology 400 25 200 25 150 25 50 25
Microbiology, generald 12,000 350 5,400 300 5,300 375 1,250 200
Virology 550 25 300 25 200 25 50 25
Zoology 7,750 250 4,650 250 2,000 225 1,150 175
Entomology 3,500 175 1,900 175 900 150 700 125
Zoology, other 4,250 150 2,750 175 1,100 175 450 100
Other biological sciences 96,550 625 51,050 775 37,150 800 8,350 375
Biology/biomedical sciences, general 6,250 225 3,500 250 2,100 200 650 125
Anatomy 2,300 100 1,400 100 750 100 150 75
Bioinformatics 850 25 350 50 400 50 50 25
Biomedical sciences 3,650 100 1,850 150 1,550 150 250 100
Biometrics and biostatistics 2,550 75 1,300 100 1,050 100 200 50
Biotechnology 350 25 150 25 200 25 * *
Botany/plant biology 3,150 150 1,900 175 850 125 400 100
Cancer biology 1,850 50 900 75 800 75 100 50
Computational biology 300 25 100 25 150 25 * *
Developmental biology/embryology 2,650 100 1,650 125 900 100 100 50
Ecologyd 8,050 200 4,750 250 1,700 225 1,600 175
Endocrinology 600 25 350 25 200 25 50 25
Environmental toxicology, biological sciences 100 25 50 25 50 25 * *
Evolutionary biology 1,000 25 750 50 150 25 100 25
Genetics/genomics, human and animald 6,800 225 3,750 250 2,500 200 550 100
Immunology 7,650 175 3,500 275 3,800 300 350 100
Marine biology and biological oceanography 200 25 100 25 50 25 50 25
Neurosciences 12,750 225 7,400 325 4,750 300 600 125
Nutrition sciences 3,750 150 2,000 175 1,450 175 250 75
Parasitology 550 25 300 25 150 25 100 25
Pathology, human and animal 3,150 125 1,450 125 1,500 150 200 50
Pharmacology, human and animal 8,900 225 3,450 250 4,600 325 800 150
Physiology, human and animal 8,350 250 4,700 275 3,050 250 600 125
Plant genetics 850 50 450 50 300 50 100 25
Plant pathology/phytophathology, biological sciences 650 50 300 25 200 25 150 25
Plant physiology 1,350 75 750 75 500 75 150 50
Structural biology 200 25 100 25 100 25 * *
Toxicology 2,900 100 900 125 1,500 125 500 75
Biology/biomedical sciences, other 4,800 175 2,750 200 1,700 200 400 100
Computer/information sciences 24,600 325 9,250 350 14,400 375 950 150
Computer science 21,450 325 7,500 325 13,150 375 800 150
Information science/systems 2,000 100 1,150 100 750 100 100 50
Robotics 150 25 50 25 100 25 * *
Computer/information sciences, other 1,000 50 550 50 400 50 50 25
Mathematics/statistics 35,950 550 21,850 625 12,500 550 1,600 225
Mathematics/statistics, general 3,850 225 2,500 225 1,250 200 100 50
Algebra 2,750 150 1,950 150 650 125 150 75
Analysis and functional analysis 3,300 225 2,650 200 600 125 D D
Applied mathematics 6,550 250 3,800 300 2,500 300 200 100
Computing theory and practice 850 75 450 75 350 50 50 25
Geometry/geometric analysis 1,650 100 1,100 75 500 75 D D
Logic 600 50 450 50 150 25 D D
Number theory 1,050 75 750 75 250 50 50 25
Operations research, business 1,150 75 750 75 400 75 50 25
Operations research, engineering 1,950 100 800 100 1,050 100 50 50
Operations research, mathematics and statistics 700 50 300 50 350 50 50 25
Statistics, mathematics 6,350 225 2,950 300 2,950 250 450 150
Statistics, social sciences 1,100 100 500 75 450 75 100 50
Topology/foundations 2,000 100 1,450 125 500 100 100 50
Mathematics/statistics, other 2,050 100 1,450 125 450 100 150 50
Physical sciences 131,550 950 52,150 925 67,100 1,025 12,350 500
Astronomy/astrophysics 5,350 150 3,050 175 1,850 175 500 75
Astronomyd 2,200 100 1,250 100 800 100 200 75
Astronomy, other 50 25 * * * * D D
Astrophysics 3,150 125 1,800 150 1,050 125 300 75
Chemistry, except biochemistry 65,700 600 23,050 625 38,000 725 4,700 350
Chemistry, general 8,450 225 2,900 250 5,000 275 600 125
Analytical chemistry 9,850 200 3,250 225 5,650 275 950 200
Inorganic chemistry 8,450 200 3,400 250 4,500 250 550 125
Medicinal/pharmaceutical 2,100 100 550 75 1,400 125 150 50
Nuclear chemistry 300 25 100 25 150 25 50 25
Organic chemistry 18,000 375 6,250 375 11,000 450 800 150
Physical chemistry 10,450 300 4,050 275 5,450 300 950 175
Polymer chemistry 2,950 100 450 75 2,400 125 100 50
Theoretical chemistry 1,650 75 900 75 600 75 150 50
Chemistry, otherd 3,450 125 1,200 125 1,850 150 400 100
Earth/atmospheric/ocean sciences 21,050 250 10,150 300 7,700 300 3,200 175
Atmospheric chemistry and climatology 850 50 400 50 250 50 200 50
Atmospheric physics and dynamics 750 25 350 50 300 25 150 25
Atmospheric science/meteorology, general 750 25 350 25 250 50 150 25
Atmospheric science/meteorology, other 550 25 250 25 150 25 100 25
Geochemistry 1,550 75 750 75 550 75 250 50
Geological and earth sciences, general 650 50 300 50 300 50 50 25
Geological and earth sciences, otherd 1,050 75 550 50 400 100 100 50
Geology 3,650 125 1,850 175 1,500 150 350 100
Geomorphology and glacial geology 550 25 350 25 100 25 100 25
Geophysics and seismologyd 2,650 125 1,100 125 1,200 150 350 75
Hydrology and water resources 850 50 400 50 300 50 200 25
Marine sciences 1,000 25 550 50 250 50 250 50
Meteorology 650 50 250 50 200 25 150 25
Mineralogy and petrologyd 750 75 350 50 350 75 50 25
Ocean/marine, other 600 25 250 25 250 25 100 25
Oceanography, chemical and physical 2,600 100 1,250 125 850 100 500 100
Paleontology 850 50 550 50 200 25 50 25
Stratigraphy and sedimentation 700 50 350 50 300 50 50 25
Physics 39,450 550 15,950 550 19,550 575 4,000 325
Physics, general 6,250 250 2,700 250 2,750 275 800 200
Acoustics 500 25 150 25 300 25 50 25
Applied physics 1,100 50 400 50 600 50 100 25
Atomic/molecular/chemical physicsd 3,100 125 1,150 125 1,600 150 400 100
Biophysics, physics 950 25 500 50 350 50 50 25
Condensed matter/low temperature physics 9,350 350 3,800 350 4,750 400 750 150
Fluids 350 25 100 25 200 25 50 25
Medical physics/radiological science 300 25 150 25 150 25 * *
Nuclear physics 2,900 150 1,250 125 1,250 150 450 100
Optics/phototonics 2,950 100 600 100 2,050 150 300 75
Particle (elementary) physicsd 5,050 225 2,150 200 2,400 225 500 150
Plasma/fusion physicsd 1,950 100 650 75 1,100 100 200 50
Polymer physics 500 25 150 25 350 25 50 25
Physics, other 4,300 200 2,200 225 1,750 200 350 125
Psychology 114,200 750 45,200 875 58,750 1,000 10,250 475
Psychology, general 7,700 225 2,650 225 4,200 300 850 175
Behavioral analysis 100 25 50 25 * * * *
Clinical psychology 40,850 525 9,700 550 25,800 625 5,350 375
Cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics 3,300 75 2,100 125 1,050 100 150 50
Comparative psychology 300 25 200 25 100 25 * *
Counseling 13,350 300 4,550 325 7,750 375 1,050 175
Developmental and child psychology 5,950 175 3,450 175 2,200 200 300 75
Educational psychology 2,750 125 1,350 125 1,200 125 200 50
Educational psychology, research and administration 8,150 275 4,950 300 2,950 300 200 75
Experimental psychology 5,450 225 2,750 250 2,300 200 350 100
Family psychology 750 25 300 50 350 50 50 25
Health and medical psychology 100 25 50 25 50 25 * *
Human development and family studies 2,400 75 1,600 100 700 100 50 25
Industrial and organizational 4,700 150 1,400 150 3,000 200 350 100
Personality psychology 900 50 450 50 400 50 100 50
Physiological/psychobiology psychology 3,050 100 1,950 125 900 100 250 50
Psychometrics 250 25 100 25 100 25 * *
Psychometrics and quantitative psychology 500 25 250 25 200 25 50 25
School psychology 3,400 125 1,750 150 1,450 150 200 100
Social psychology 5,850 150 3,650 175 1,850 175 350 100
Psychology, other 4,450 175 1,900 175 2,200 175 350 100
Social sciences 95,650 950 63,500 975 24,400 650 7,750 400
Economics 25,900 500 13,900 450 9,200 475 2,800 300
Agricultural economics 3,050 175 1,400 125 1,200 150 450 75
Econometrics 650 50 300 50 300 50 50 25
Economics 22,100 450 12,150 450 7,700 425 2,250 275
Natural resource/environmental economics, agricultural 50 25 * * * * * *
Natural resource/environmental economics, social sciences 100 25 50 25 * * * *
Political sciences 21,750 450 15,150 500 5,000 350 1,600 250
International relations/affairs 2,050 150 1,400 125 500 100 150 50
Political science and governmentd 16,600 425 12,150 475 3,450 325 1,000 225
Public policy analysis 3,100 125 1,600 125 1,050 125 450 100
Sociology 14,950 300 11,050 350 3,050 225 800 150
Other social sciences 33,100 500 23,350 500 7,150 400 2,550 225
Social sciences, general 700 50 400 50 250 50 50 25
American/U.S. studies 2,200 100 1,850 125 300 75 50 25
Anthropology 10,650 275 7,950 275 1,800 200 900 150
Archaeology 1,000 50 700 50 250 50 50 25
Area/ethnic/cultural/gender studies 1,000 50 650 50 250 50 100 25
Criminology 1,450 50 1,100 50 150 50 200 50
Demography/population studies 400 25 150 25 150 25 100 25
Geography 4,300 175 3,100 175 650 125 550 125
Gerontology, social sciences 100 25 50 25 * * * *
History, science and technology and society 1,000 50 750 50 250 50 50 25
Linguistics 5,100 225 3,850 250 1,100 200 150 75
Urban affairs/studies 1,550 100 700 75 700 100 150 50
Social sciences, other 3,650 150 2,150 200 1,250 175 250 75
Engineering 151,900 925 41,650 925 99,450 1,025 10,800 450
Aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering 6,400 175 1,450 175 4,150 250 750 150
Chemical engineering 17,500 375 3,600 300 12,950 450 950 175
Civil engineering 13,550 350 5,300 350 6,700 325 1,550 200
Civil engineering 13,150 350 5,150 350 6,450 325 1,500 200
Geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering 50 25 50 25 50 25 * *
Structural engineering 200 25 50 25 150 25 * *
Transportation and highway engineering 150 25 50 25 50 25 * *
Electrical/computer engineering 44,100 500 10,700 500 31,200 525 2,200 275
Communications engineering 650 25 150 25 450 50 50 25
Computer engineering 5,600 150 1,600 150 3,800 175 200 75
Electrical, electronics and communications engineeringd 36,300 475 8,450 475 26,050 475 1,850 250
Systems engineering 1,550 75 500 75 900 75 150 50
Materials and metallurgical engineering 15,300 275 2,900 250 11,600 325 750 125
Ceramic sciences engineering 700 50 150 25 500 50 50 25
Materials science engineering 11,700 275 2,250 250 8,900 325 500 125
Metallurgical engineering 1,850 125 400 75 1,350 125 100 50
Polymer and plastics engineering 1,050 50 150 50 850 50 100 50
Mechanical engineering 22,150 450 6,150 400 14,500 525 1,500 225
Other engineering 32,900 400 11,450 350 18,350 475 3,100 225
Engineering, general 1,200 75 450 75 650 75 150 50
Agricultural engineering 1,800 75 900 100 650 100 250 75
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 9,750 200 3,650 250 5,350 275 750 150
Engineering management and administration 200 25 50 25 100 25 50 25
Engineering mechanics 2,750 150 750 100 1,650 150 300 75
Engineering physics 750 50 250 50 450 50 100 25
Engineering science 1,000 50 300 50 600 50 100 25
Environmental health engineering 2,550 100 900 100 1,200 100 450 75
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 4,550 200 1,900 175 2,500 200 150 50
Mining and mineral engineering 400 25 100 25 300 25 50 25
Nuclear engineering 2,950 125 750 100 1,800 150 400 75
Ocean engineering 500 25 150 25 300 25 50 25
Petroleum engineering 1,050 50 150 50 900 75 D D
Engineering, otherd 3,450 150 1,200 150 1,950 175 350 100
Health 38,350 475 21,250 475 13,000 525 4,100 275
Health sciences, general 950 50 450 50 450 50 100 25
Environmental health 1,300 75 450 50 500 75 350 50
Environmental toxicology, health sciences 200 25 100 25 50 25 50 25
Epidemiology 4,600 150 2,200 200 1,250 150 1,150 175
Gerontology, health sciences 50 25 * * * * D D
Health policy analysis 100 25 50 25 50 25 * *
Health systems/service administrationd 2,050 200 850 125 1,000 200 200 100
Kinesiology/exercise science 2,650 100 2,050 100 500 100 100 50
Medicinal/pharmaceutical sciencesd 4,900 175 1,250 175 3,250 225 400 125
Nursing science 8,500 275 6,450 325 1,500 225 550 150
Oral biology/oral pathology 50 25 50 25 * * D D
Public health 4,350 175 2,450 200 1,450 175 500 125
Rehabilitation/therapeutic services 1,000 50 700 50 250 50 100 50
Speech-language pathology and audiology 3,100 150 1,900 150 1,000 150 200 75
Veterinary sciences 1,350 75 650 75 600 100 100 25
Health sciences, other 3,200 150 1,750 150 1,150 175 350 75
Codes used in data tables: * = suppressed when population estimate < 25. D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information. S = suppressed for reliability; coefficient of variation exceeds publication standards.
SE = standard error.
a Educational institution includes 4-year colleges or universities, medical schools (including university-affiliated hospitals or medical centers), university-affiliated research institutes, 2-year colleges, community colleges, technical institutes, precollege institutions, and other educational institutions.
b Business/industry includes private for-profit, private not for-profit, self-employed or business owners in incorporated or nonincorporated business, non-U.S. governments, and employers not broken out separately.
c Government includes U.S. federal, state, and local government.
d This field includes results for more than one field. See Table A-1 in the Technical Notes for aggregation detail.
NOTES: Numbers are rounded to the nearest 50. Standard errors are rounded up to the nearest 25. Detail may not add to total because of rounding. Residence location is based on reported living location on 1 February 2015.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Doctorate Recipients, 2015.