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Table 4-5. Labor force participation rate among U.S. residing doctoral scientists and engineers, by fine field of doctorate: 2015

Field Labor force participation rate
Percent SE
All fields 87.1 0.15
Science 86.3 0.20
Biological/agricultural/environmental life sciences 87.2 0.35
Agricultural/food sciences 80.2 1.15
Agriculture, general 82.5 2.70
Agricultural and horticultural plant breeding/genetics 95.8 1.95
Agricultural animal breedinga 59.3 9.45
Agricultural science, other 69.3 4.25
Agronomy and crop science 71.2 3.95
Animal nutrition 79.9 3.40
Animal science, poultry (or avian) 97.9 0.80
Animal science, other 96.8 1.40
Dairy science 96.6 1.15
Food sciencea 67.9 5.65
Food science and technology, other 95.0 2.40
Horticulture science 79.6 3.65
Plant pathology/phytophathology, agricultural sciences 78.4 3.95
Plant sciences, othera 95.7 1.30
Soil chemistry/microbiology 92.2 3.20
Soil sciences, othera 74.4 5.85
Biochemistry/biophysics 86.9 1.00
Biochemistry 86.3 1.10
Biophysics, biological sciences 90.1 1.65
Cell/molecular biology 93.0 0.95
Cell/cellular biology and histology 91.4 1.75
Molecular biology 93.8 1.15
Environmental life sciences 85.6 1.75
Environmental science 89.2 2.15
Fishing and fisheries sciences/managementa 79.0 6.20
Forest engineering D D
Forest sciences and biologya 62.0 7.40
Forest/resources management 95.8 1.15
Forestry and related science, other 93.6 1.60
Natural resources/conservation 96.0 1.30
Wildlife/range managementa 96.4 1.60
Wood science and pulp/paper technology 97.1 0.85
Microbiology 85.2 1.65
Bacteriology 92.9 1.10
Microbiology, generala 84.5 1.75
Virology 97.0 0.80
Zoology 75.1 1.75
Entomology 80.1 2.55
Zoology, other 71.3 2.15
Other biological sciences 88.9 0.40
Biology/biomedical sciences, general 84.0 2.10
Anatomy 82.9 2.05
Bioinformatics 98.5 0.80
Biomedical sciences 94.7 1.50
Biometrics and biostatistics 93.5 1.35
Biotechnology 97.1 0.90
Botany/plant biology 75.2 2.85
Cancer biology 96.5 1.10
Computational biology 96.5 0.55
Developmental biology/embryology 91.1 1.75
Ecologya 89.2 1.40
Endocrinology 93.9 1.30
Environmental toxicology, biological sciences 96.3 1.00
Evolutionary biology 97.5 0.65
Genetics/genomics, human and animala 88.0 2.05
Immunology 92.1 1.55
Marine biology and biological oceanography 96.3 0.55
Neurosciences 95.9 0.80
Nutrition sciences 90.6 1.90
Parasitology 87.5 2.50
Pathology, human and animal 86.9 2.15
Pharmacology, human and animal 87.9 1.50
Physiology, human and animal 81.8 1.80
Plant genetics 95.9 1.45
Plant pathology/phytophathology, biological sciences 95.0 1.65
Plant physiology 79.2 2.85
Structural biology 98.4 0.50
Toxicology 92.3 2.20
Biology/biomedical sciences, other 86.5 2.05
Computer/information sciences 95.2 0.60
Computer science 96.1 0.65
Information science/systems 87.0 2.10
Robotics 98.4 0.60
Computer/information sciences, other 94.7 1.45
Mathematics/statistics 84.3 0.80
Mathematics/statistics, general 86.6 2.90
Algebra 77.7 2.85
Analysis and functional analysis 75.0 3.20
Applied mathematics 89.8 1.75
Computing theory and practice 60.4 3.30
Geometry/geometric analysis 93.1 1.95
Logic 78.7 2.45
Number theory 88.8 2.35
Operations research, business 95.0 1.45
Operations research, engineering 85.7 2.50
Operations research, mathematics and statistics 85.2 2.40
Statistics, mathematics 86.7 2.25
Statistics, social sciences 83.8 3.45
Topology/foundations 81.5 2.35
Mathematics/statistics, other 85.4 2.40
Physical sciences 85.5 0.45
Astronomy/astrophysics 89.9 1.35
Astronomya 86.2 2.40
Astronomy, other D D
Astrophysics 92.6 1.45
Chemistry, except biochemistry 84.7 0.60
Chemistry, general 93.2 1.15
Analytical chemistry 87.9 1.35
Inorganic chemistry 86.3 1.30
Medicinal/pharmaceutical 89.4 1.70
Nuclear chemistry 67.4 2.40
Organic chemistry 80.4 1.30
Physical chemistry 79.8 1.70
Polymer chemistry 92.5 1.55
Theoretical chemistry 83.2 1.90
Chemistry, othera 85.7 2.40
Earth/atmospheric/ocean sciencesa 87.5 0.70
Atmospheric chemistry and climatology 94.2 1.15
Atmospheric physics and dynamics 92.4 1.55
Atmospheric science/meteorology, general 97.7 0.90
Atmospheric science/meteorology, other 87.0 1.75
Geochemistry 85.7 2.50
Geological and earth sciences, general 80.9 2.55
Geological and earth sciences, othera 87.3 3.25
Geology 95.4 1.55
Geomorphology and glacial geology 83.6 1.75
Geophysics and seismologya 82.0 3.10
Hydrology and water resources 90.4 2.20
Marine sciences 96.5 1.35
Meteorology 79.4 2.40
Mineralogy and petrologya 77.2 2.70
Ocean/marine, other 89.7 1.85
Oceanography, chemical and physical 86.9 2.30
Paleontology 82.8 2.15
Stratigraphy and sedimentation 77.3 3.25
Physics 85.3 0.75
Physics, general 91.2 1.90
Acoustics 86.9 2.15
Applied physics 98.9 0.50
Atomic/molecular/chemical physicsa 81.7 2.40
Biophysics, physics 95.5 1.15
Condensed matter/low temperature physics 82.5 2.05
Fluids 68.9 2.40
Medical physics/radiological science 98.5 0.40
Nuclear physics 80.5 2.45
Optics/phototonics 93.2 1.85
Particle (elementary) physicsa 83.1 2.40
Plasma/fusion physicsa 82.2 2.55
Polymer physics 95.6 1.55
Physics, other 83.4 2.65
Psychology 86.2 0.45
Psychology, general 86.7 1.90
Behavioral analysis 97.6 0.65
Clinical psychology 90.1 0.85
Cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics 95.9 0.85
Comparative psychology 75.8 2.10
Counseling 89.1 1.40
Developmental and child psychology 84.1 1.80
Educational psychology 82.8 2.35
Educational psychology, research and administration 75.4 2.25
Experimental psychology 72.5 2.35
Family psychology 94.5 1.40
Health and medical psychology 97.5 0.80
Human development and family studies 92.4 1.80
Industrial and organizational 91.0 1.70
Personality psychology 83.3 2.30
Physiological/psychobiology psychology 85.0 1.90
Psychometrics 67.2 2.60
Psychometrics and quantitative psychology 97.0 0.70
School psychology 83.7 2.45
Social psychology 84.7 1.70
Psychology, other 80.3 2.70
Social sciences 84.5 0.45
Economics 84.6 0.90
Agricultural economics 83.2 2.20
Econometrics 84.7 2.35
Economics 84.7 1.05
Natural resource/environmental economics, agricultural D D
Natural resource/environmental economics, social sciences 98.3 0.75
Political sciences 86.1 1.10
International relations/affairs 79.1 3.70
Political science and governmenta 86.3 1.30
Public policy analysis 90.0 2.35
Sociology 81.2 1.25
Other social sciences 85.0 0.80
Social sciences, general 81.6 3.10
American/U.S. studies 88.3 2.25
Anthropology 83.0 1.65
Archaeology 87.1 2.30
Area/ethnic/cultural/gender studies 87.2 2.50
Criminology 91.0 1.85
Demography/population studies 90.3 1.75
Geography 83.6 1.95
Gerontology, social sciences 93.6 1.35
History, science and technology and society 88.3 1.75
Linguistics 89.0 1.75
Urban affairs/studies 80.5 3.40
Social sciences, other 82.9 2.40
Engineering 90.2 0.30
Aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering 89.5 1.45
Chemical engineering 85.7 1.20
Civil engineering 92.8 1.10
Civil engineering 92.6 1.15
Geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering D D
Structural engineering 97.9 0.50
Transportation and highway engineering D D
Electrical/computer engineering 90.8 0.70
Communications engineering 98.0 0.90
Computer engineering 96.3 0.75
Electrical, electronics and communications engineeringa 90.2 0.85
Systems engineering 84.5 2.30
Materials and metallurgical engineering 90.0 1.00
Ceramic sciences engineering 81.0 2.40
Materials science engineering 94.5 1.00
Metallurgical engineering 70.5 3.90
Polymer and plastics engineering 92.4 2.35
Mechanical engineering 90.9 1.15
Other engineering 90.5 0.65
Engineering, general 90.0 2.00
Agricultural engineering 90.3 1.70
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 96.9 0.80
Engineering management and administration 96.4 1.25
Engineering mechanics 78.8 2.30
Engineering physics 82.4 2.20
Engineering science 94.3 1.65
Environmental health engineering 90.3 1.55
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 91.6 1.75
Mining and mineral engineering 92.3 1.45
Nuclear engineering 86.0 2.10
Ocean engineering 98.5 0.65
Petroleum engineering 95.5 1.70
Engineering, othera 85.1 2.50
Health 88.7 0.80
Health sciences, general 90.3 2.20
Environmental health 88.7 2.30
Environmental toxicology, health sciences 94.8 1.15
Epidemiology 92.8 1.60
Gerontology, health sciences 94.1 1.90
Health policy analysis 93.0 1.35
Health systems/service administrationa 78.2 3.85
Kinesiology/exercise science 96.1 1.80
Medicinal/pharmaceutical sciencesa 94.1 1.80
Nursing science 86.2 2.15
Oral biology/oral pathology 88.3 3.45
Public health 90.2 2.55
Rehabilitation/therapeutic services 95.4 1.50
Speech-language pathology and audiology 79.2 3.35
Veterinary sciences 90.8 3.05
Health sciences, other 88.3 2.30
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 This field includes results for more than one field. See Table A-1 in the Technical Notes for aggregation detail.
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, who were residing in the United States during the week of 1 February 2015, and who earned doctorates from U.S. institutions. Labor force participation rate (RLF) = (E+U)/P. 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.