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Table 15-4. U.S. residing employed doctoral scientists and engineers, by fine field of doctorate and primary work activity: 2015

Field All employed Primary work activitya
R&D Other
Number SE Number SE Number SE
All fields 787,250 1,900 326,350 2,150 460,900 2,300
Science 597,050 1,975 229,550 1,925 367,500 1,900
Biological/agricultural/environmental life sciences 195,050 1,075 92,850 1,100 102,250 1,125
Agricultural/food sciences 18,050 400 8,950 350 9,100 350
Agriculture, general 150 25 50 25 50 25
Agricultural and horticultural plant breeding/genetics 1,050 75 550 75 500 75
Agricultural animal breedingb 500 100 150 25 400 100
Agricultural science, other 850 75 400 75 450 75
Agronomy and crop science 2,400 200 1,150 200 1,250 200
Animal nutrition 1,700 100 550 100 1,100 100
Animal science, poultry (or avian) 300 25 100 25 150 25
Animal science, other 1,850 75 800 100 1,050 100
Dairy science 150 25 50 25 100 25
Food scienceb 1,350 150 900 150 450 100
Food science and technology, other 1,750 125 950 125 800 100
Horticulture science 1,450 100 650 125 800 100
Plant pathology/phytophathology, agricultural sciences 1,650 125 1,050 125 600 100
Plant sciences, otherb 850 75 500 100 350 50
Soil chemistry/microbiology 500 25 250 25 250 25
Soil sciences, otherb 1,650 175 800 125 850 150
Biochemistry/biophysics 28,050 425 13,800 450 14,250 550
Biochemistry 23,500 400 11,300 475 12,200 525
Biophysics, biological sciences 4,500 150 2,500 175 2,000 175
Cell/molecular biology 23,300 350 11,300 500 12,000 500
Cell/cellular biology and histology 6,950 175 3,400 225 3,600 225
Molecular biology 16,350 300 7,900 425 8,450 425
Environmental life sciences 8,400 225 3,500 175 4,950 225
Environmental science 2,700 125 950 125 1,750 150
Fishing and fisheries sciences/managementb 1,150 100 600 75 500 75
Forest engineering * * * * * *
Forest sciences and biologyb 1,050 175 350 75 700 150
Forest/resources management 500 25 200 25 300 25
Forestry and related science, other 750 50 350 50 400 50
Natural resources/conservation 850 50 350 50 500 50
Wildlife/range managementb 1,150 100 500 100 650 75
Wood science and pulp/paper technology 300 25 150 25 150 25
Microbiology 12,950 350 6,000 300 6,950 325
Bacteriology 400 25 200 25 200 25
Microbiology, generalb 12,000 350 5,450 300 6,500 325
Virology 550 25 350 25 200 25
Zoology 7,750 250 2,650 225 5,100 250
Entomology 3,500 175 1,300 150 2,200 175
Zoology, other 4,250 150 1,350 150 2,900 150
Other biological sciences 96,550 625 46,650 775 49,900 725
Biology/biomedical sciences, general 6,250 225 2,850 250 3,400 225
Anatomy 2,300 100 600 100 1,700 100
Bioinformatics 850 25 500 50 350 50
Biomedical sciences 3,650 100 2,250 150 1,400 125
Biometrics and biostatistics 2,550 75 1,700 100 850 100
Biotechnology 350 25 250 25 100 25
Botany/plant biology 3,150 150 1,150 125 2,000 150
Cancer biology 1,850 50 950 75 900 75
Computational biology 300 25 200 25 100 25
Developmental biology/embryology 2,650 100 1,350 125 1,350 125
Ecologyb 8,050 200 3,300 225 4,750 275
Endocrinology 600 25 250 25 350 25
Environmental toxicology, biological sciences 100 25 50 25 50 25
Evolutionary biology 1,000 25 550 50 450 50
Genetics/genomics, human and animalb 6,800 225 3,550 250 3,250 250
Immunology 7,650 175 4,200 250 3,450 250
Marine biology and biological oceanography 200 25 100 25 50 25
Neurosciences 12,750 225 6,900 325 5,850 350
Nutrition sciences 3,750 150 1,650 175 2,100 175
Parasitology 550 25 200 25 350 25
Pathology, human and animal 3,150 125 1,300 150 1,850 150
Pharmacology, human and animal 8,900 225 4,500 250 4,400 250
Physiology, human and animal 8,350 250 3,300 275 5,050 275
Plant genetics 850 50 450 50 400 50
Plant pathology/phytophathology, biological sciences 650 50 350 50 300 50
Plant physiology 1,350 75 500 75 850 75
Structural biology 200 25 150 25 50 25
Toxicology 2,900 100 1,450 125 1,450 125
Biology/biomedical sciences, other 4,800 175 2,050 200 2,800 200
Computer/information sciences 24,600 325 9,500 425 15,100 475
Computer science 21,450 325 8,450 425 13,000 475
Information science/systems 2,000 100 600 75 1,350 100
Robotics 150 25 50 25 100 25
Computer/information sciences, other 1,000 50 350 50 650 50
Mathematics/statistics 35,950 550 12,900 475 23,050 600
Mathematics/statistics, general 3,850 225 1,150 175 2,700 225
Algebra 2,750 150 750 125 2,000 150
Analysis and functional analysis 3,300 225 900 150 2,450 225
Applied mathematics 6,550 250 2,050 250 4,450 300
Computing theory and practice 850 75 250 50 600 75
Geometry/geometric analysis 1,650 100 650 100 1,000 75
Logic 600 50 200 25 400 50
Number theory 1,050 75 350 50 750 75
Operations research, business 1,150 75 400 50 750 75
Operations research, engineering 1,950 100 900 125 1,050 100
Operations research, mathematics and statistics 700 50 300 50 400 50
Statistics, mathematics 6,350 225 3,350 275 3,000 250
Statistics, social sciences 1,100 100 600 100 450 75
Topology/foundations 2,000 100 500 100 1,500 100
Mathematics/statistics, other 2,050 100 550 100 1,450 100
Physical sciences 131,550 950 63,200 1,050 68,400 1,025
Astronomy/astrophysics 5,350 150 2,700 175 2,700 175
Astronomyb 2,200 100 1,150 125 1,050 100
Astronomy, other 50 25 * * * *
Astrophysics 3,150 125 1,500 150 1,650 125
Chemistry, except biochemistry 65,700 600 30,650 725 35,050 675
Chemistry, general 8,450 225 3,950 275 4,500 250
Analytical chemistry 9,850 200 4,700 300 5,200 275
Inorganic chemistry 8,450 200 3,400 250 5,000 250
Medicinal/pharmaceutical 2,100 100 900 100 1,150 100
Nuclear chemistry 300 25 150 25 200 25
Organic chemistry 18,000 375 8,650 425 9,350 400
Physical chemistry 10,450 300 4,450 300 6,000 300
Polymer chemistry 2,950 100 2,000 125 1,000 125
Theoretical chemistry 1,650 75 850 75 800 75
Chemistry, otherb 3,450 125 1,600 150 1,850 150
Earth/atmospheric/ocean sciences 21,050 250 10,550 300 10,500 275
Atmospheric chemistry and climatology 850 50 500 50 350 50
Atmospheric physics and dynamics 750 25 450 50 250 50
Atmospheric science/meteorology, general 750 25 450 50 350 50
Atmospheric science/meteorology, other 550 25 300 25 250 25
Geochemistry 1,550 75 750 75 750 75
Geological and earth sciences, general 650 50 300 50 350 50
Geological and earth sciences, otherb 1,050 75 550 100 500 50
Geology 3,650 125 1,650 175 2,050 150
Geomorphology and glacial geology 550 25 200 25 300 25
Geophysics and seismologyb 2,650 125 1,500 125 1,200 150
Hydrology and water resources 850 50 450 50 400 50
Marine sciences 1,000 25 400 50 600 50
Meteorology 650 50 350 50 300 50
Mineralogy and petrologyb 750 75 350 75 400 50
Ocean/marine, other 600 25 350 25 250 25
Oceanography, chemical and physical 2,600 100 1,400 125 1,200 125
Paleontology 850 50 300 50 550 50
Stratigraphy and sedimentation 700 50 350 50 350 50
Physics 39,450 550 19,300 600 20,150 625
Physics, general 6,250 250 2,750 300 3,500 300
Acoustics 500 25 300 25 200 25
Applied physics 1,100 50 600 50 450 50
Atomic/molecular/chemical physicsb 3,100 125 1,600 150 1,500 125
Biophysics, physics 950 25 550 50 350 50
Condensed matter/low temperature physics 9,350 350 4,550 400 4,800 425
Fluids 350 25 150 25 200 25
Medical physics/radiological science 300 25 100 25 200 25
Nuclear physics 2,900 150 1,250 125 1,650 150
Optics/phototonics 2,950 100 1,850 150 1,100 125
Particle (elementary) physicsb 5,050 225 2,150 225 2,850 225
Plasma/fusion physicsb 1,950 100 1,050 100 900 100
Polymer physics 500 25 300 25 200 25
Physics, other 4,300 200 2,100 200 2,200 225
Psychology 114,200 750 20,800 575 93,400 925
Psychology, general 7,700 225 1,450 200 6,250 275
Behavioral analysis 100 25 50 25 50 25
Clinical psychology 40,850 525 4,000 350 36,850 650
Cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics 3,300 75 1,650 125 1,650 125
Comparative psychology 300 25 50 25 200 25
Counseling 13,350 300 700 125 12,650 300
Developmental and child psychology 5,950 175 1,650 150 4,350 200
Educational psychology 2,750 125 350 75 2,350 125
Educational psychology, research and administration 8,150 275 1,700 225 6,400 325
Experimental psychology 5,450 225 1,900 175 3,550 225
Family psychology 750 25 50 25 650 25
Health and medical psychology 100 25 * * 100 25
Human development and family studies 2,400 75 700 100 1,700 100
Industrial and organizational 4,700 150 1,000 150 3,700 150
Personality psychology 900 50 200 50 650 50
Physiological/psychobiology psychology 3,050 100 1,300 100 1,750 125
Psychometrics 250 25 100 25 150 25
Psychometrics and quantitative psychology 500 25 350 25 200 25
School psychology 3,400 125 250 75 3,100 125
Social psychology 5,850 150 2,200 150 3,700 200
Psychology, other 4,450 175 1,100 125 3,350 225
Social sciences 95,650 950 30,350 725 65,300 1,000
Economics 25,900 500 11,600 475 14,250 450
Agricultural economics 3,050 175 1,300 150 1,750 150
Econometrics 650 50 400 50 250 50
Economics 22,100 450 9,900 475 12,200 425
Natural resource/environmental economics, agricultural 50 25 * * * *
Natural resource/environmental economics, social sciences 100 25 50 25 50 25
Political sciences 21,750 450 5,950 375 15,800 525
International relations/affairs 2,050 150 450 100 1,600 150
Political science and governmentb 16,600 425 4,400 325 12,200 475
Public policy analysis 3,100 125 1,050 125 2,000 125
Sociology 14,950 300 4,350 275 10,600 350
Other social sciences 33,100 500 8,450 375 24,650 525
Social sciences, general 700 50 200 50 500 50
American/U.S. studies 2,200 100 250 50 1,950 100
Anthropology 10,650 275 3,100 225 7,500 325
Archaeology 1,000 50 200 50 800 50
Area/ethnic/cultural/gender studies 1,000 50 200 50 800 75
Criminology 1,450 50 400 50 1,050 50
Demography/population studies 400 25 250 25 200 25
Geography 4,300 175 1,250 150 3,050 175
Gerontology, social sciences 100 25 50 25 50 25
History, science and technology and society 1,000 50 200 50 800 50
Linguistics 5,100 225 1,150 150 4,000 225
Urban affairs/studies 1,550 100 400 75 1,150 100
Social sciences, other 3,650 150 800 125 2,800 175
Engineering 151,900 925 82,200 1,050 69,700 1,150
Aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering 6,400 175 3,550 200 2,850 200
Chemical engineering 17,500 375 8,950 400 8,550 425
Civil engineering 13,550 350 6,300 350 7,300 400
Geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering 50 25 50 25 50 25
Structural engineering 200 25 150 25 50 25
Transportation and highway engineering 150 25 50 25 50 25
Electrical/computer engineering 44,100 500 25,300 625 18,800 650
Communications engineering 650 25 400 50 200 25
Computer engineering 5,600 150 2,600 175 3,000 175
Electrical, electronics and communications engineeringb 36,300 475 21,600 600 14,700 575
Systems engineering 1,550 75 700 75 850 75
Materials and metallurgical engineering 15,300 275 9,000 350 6,300 325
Ceramic sciences engineering 700 50 350 50 350 50
Materials science engineering 11,700 275 7,050 325 4,650 325
Metallurgical engineering 1,850 125 950 100 900 125
Polymer and plastics engineering 1,050 50 650 50 400 75
Mechanical engineering 22,150 450 12,950 525 9,200 425
Other engineering 32,900 400 16,200 425 16,700 475
Engineering, general 1,200 75 550 75 650 75
Agricultural engineering 1,800 75 850 100 950 100
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 9,750 200 5,550 275 4,200 300
Engineering management and administration 200 25 50 25 150 25
Engineering mechanics 2,750 150 1,500 150 1,250 125
Engineering physics 750 50 350 50 400 50
Engineering science 1,000 50 600 50 400 50
Environmental health engineering 2,550 100 1,200 125 1,350 100
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 4,550 200 1,650 175 2,900 200
Mining and mineral engineering 400 25 150 25 250 25
Nuclear engineering 2,950 125 1,450 150 1,450 125
Ocean engineering 500 25 250 25 250 25
Petroleum engineering 1,050 50 600 75 450 75
Engineering, otherb 3,450 150 1,450 150 2,050 150
Health 38,350 475 14,600 425 23,700 575
Health sciences, general 950 50 300 50 650 50
Environmental health 1,300 75 650 75 650 75
Environmental toxicology, health sciences 200 25 100 25 100 25
Epidemiology 4,600 150 3,050 200 1,550 175
Gerontology, health sciences 50 25 * * 50 25
Health policy analysis 100 25 50 25 50 25
Health systems/service administrationb 2,050 200 850 150 1,150 175
Kinesiology/exercise science 2,650 100 700 100 1,900 125
Medicinal/pharmaceutical sciencesb 4,900 175 2,750 250 2,150 225
Nursing science 8,500 275 1,300 225 7,200 350
Oral biology/oral pathology 50 25 * * * *
Public health 4,350 175 2,100 200 2,250 200
Rehabilitation/therapeutic services 1,000 50 250 50 750 50
Speech-language pathology and audiology 3,100 150 700 125 2,400 150
Veterinary sciences 1,350 75 600 75 750 75
Health sciences, other 3,200 150 1,150 150 2,050 175
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 Primary work activity on principal job. R&D is defined as basic research, applied research, design, and development. Other work activity includes all non-R&D activities.
b 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.