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Table 1-1. U.S. residing doctoral scientists and engineers, by fine field of doctorate and employment status: 2017

Field of study Total Employed Unemployeda Retired Not employed or not seeking workb
Total Full time Part time
Number SE Number SE Number SE Number SE Number SE Number SE Number SE
All fields 967,500 1,225 815,100 1,400 721,950 1,925 93,150 1,575 17,100 625 113,450 1,250 21,850 750
Science 736,700 1,250 612,450 1,500 533,800 1,875 78,700 1,425 12,800 575 93,550 1,050 17,900 700
Biological, agricultural, and environmental life sciences 246,850 725 206,900 925 188,650 1,100 18,250 625 5,150 350 28,100 750 6,700 400
Agricultural and food sciences 20,800 300 16,350 275 15,050 300 1,300 150 200 75 3,700 275 500 100
Agricultural sciences 1,400 75 1,000 75 800 75 200 75 * * 400 75 * *
Animal sciences 5,200 125 4,400 150 4,000 150 350 75 S S 650 125 100 50
Food sciences and technology 4,200 150 3,550 175 3,350 175 200 75 50 25 500 125 150 75
Plant sciences 7,150 200 5,300 200 5,000 200 300 75 S S 1,600 150 200 75
Soil sciences 2,850 100 2,150 125 1,950 125 200 75 * * 600 150 100 50
Biochemistry and biophysics 34,500 300 28,250 425 25,750 450 2,500 200 750 150 4,500 300 1,000 175
Biochemistry 28,900 300 23,400 425 21,100 425 2,250 200 650 150 3,950 300 900 175
Biophysics 5,600 100 4,850 150 4,650 150 250 75 100 50 550 100 100 50
Cell, cellular biology, and molecular biology 33,550 275 29,850 375 27,250 425 2,550 275 700 150 2,150 200 900 175
Microbiological sciences and immunology 26,250 250 22,200 350 20,450 350 1,750 225 800 150 2,550 275 700 150
Immunology 9,250 125 8,150 200 7,350 225 800 150 150 75 650 125 350 100
Microbiological sciences 17,000 200 14,100 300 13,150 325 950 175 650 150 1,900 250 350 100
Natural resources and conservation 10,900 150 8,550 225 7,800 225 800 125 200 75 1,850 225 300 100
Fish, fisheries, wildlife and wildlands science and management 2,800 75 2,250 125 2,050 125 200 50 D D 500 125 50 25
Forestry 3,550 75 2,600 150 2,350 150 300 75 100 25 800 125 50 25
Natural resource conservation, research, management, and policy 4,550 100 3,700 150 3,400 125 300 75 100 50 550 100 200 100
Zoology 10,350 175 7,450 250 6,500 250 950 125 150 75 2,550 200 200 75
Other biological sciences 110,450 450 94,200 625 85,800 750 8,400 425 2,350 225 10,800 475 3,100 275
Biomathematics, bioinformatics, and computational biology 4,700 75 4,400 75 4,100 100 300 75 S S 200 50 50 25
Botany and plant biology 8,900 175 6,450 200 5,750 225 700 125 250 75 2,000 175 150 50
Epidemiology, ecology, and population biology 17,050 200 14,800 275 13,250 300 1,550 175 200 75 1,600 200 500 125
Genetics 9,200 150 8,200 225 7,500 225 700 150 150 75 650 150 150 75
Neurobiology and neuroscience 15,550 175 14,600 225 13,800 250 800 150 400 125 150 75 400 100
Nutrition sciences 4,600 100 3,800 150 3,200 150 550 100 100 50 500 125 150 50
Pharmacology and toxicology 14,200 150 12,200 250 11,200 325 1,050 175 350 100 1,200 150 450 125
Physiology, pathology, and related sciences 17,300 200 14,200 300 12,800 300 1,400 150 400 100 2,250 200 450 125
Biological and biomedical sciences, general 13,000 150 10,950 250 10,100 275 850 150 300 100 1,400 200 400 100
Biological and biomedical sciences, other 5,950 125 4,600 175 4,050 175 500 100 200 75 800 125 350 100
Computer and information sciences 30,150 300 27,550 300 25,950 350 1,550 200 500 125 1,450 175 650 125
Computer science 26,100 275 24,050 300 22,700 350 1,350 175 400 100 1,100 150 600 125
Information science, studies 2,600 100 2,150 125 2,000 125 150 50 S S 350 100 S S
Computer and information sciences, other 1,450 50 1,350 50 1,300 50 100 25 50 25 50 25 * *
Mathematics and statistics 42,500 425 35,200 500 31,700 475 3,500 300 600 125 5,750 325 950 150
Applied mathematics 8,400 225 7,700 250 7,200 275 500 125 D D 550 150 D D
Mathematics 21,300 275 16,450 275 14,700 275 1,750 175 350 100 3,900 225 600 125
Statistics 8,000 200 7,000 225 6,150 225 900 175 D D 750 150 150 75
Mathematics and statistics, other 4,750 125 4,100 150 3,700 150 400 100 100 50 500 100 50 50
Physical sciences, geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 159,250 600 130,000 800 118,050 800 11,950 550 3,550 300 22,700 550 3,000 300
Astronomy and astrophysics 6,450 100 5,600 125 5,200 125 400 75 100 50 600 100 150 50
Chemistry, except biochemistry 78,950 400 63,550 525 57,300 525 6,200 375 1,750 200 12,100 425 1,550 200
Inorganic chemistry 10,250 175 8,450 200 7,600 225 850 150 200 100 1,500 175 50 50
Organic chemistry 22,750 275 17,150 375 15,250 350 1,900 225 450 125 4,750 300 350 125
Chemistry, other, except biochemistry 46,000 325 37,950 400 34,500 425 3,450 275 1,100 175 5,800 275 1,150 175
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 25,350 200 21,000 250 18,850 300 2,150 175 700 125 3,250 175 400 75
Atmospheric sciences and meteorology 4,250 50 3,750 75 3,400 75 300 50 50 25 350 50 50 50
Geological and earth sciences, geosciences 15,950 175 12,900 225 11,500 250 1,350 125 550 125 2,300 175 250 75
Ocean sciences and marine sciences 2,200 50 1,900 75 1,750 75 200 50 50 25 150 50 50 25
Oceanography, chemical and physical 3,000 100 2,450 125 2,200 125 250 75 D D 450 100 S S
Physics 48,500 400 39,850 500 36,700 500 3,150 275 1,000 175 6,750 325 900 175
Psychology 136,900 525 113,950 750 84,400 850 29,550 750 1,300 175 17,600 575 4,050 350
Clinical psychology 46,500 325 40,800 500 28,400 600 12,450 500 300 100 3,800 325 1,600 250
Counseling and applied psychology 17,000 175 15,200 250 11,000 300 4,200 300 150 75 1,300 175 350 100
Educational and school psychology 18,050 225 13,650 300 9,350 300 4,300 300 100 50 3,850 225 450 125
Industrial and organizational psychology 5,750 75 4,950 150 4,100 200 900 150 S S 500 100 150 75
Research and experimental psychology 34,650 225 27,500 325 22,550 350 4,950 275 300 75 5,750 300 1,050 150
Psychology, general 9,200 175 7,400 250 5,500 250 1,900 200 200 100 1,350 225 250 100
Psychology, other 5,750 100 4,450 175 3,500 150 950 125 150 50 1,050 125 150 75
Social sciences 121,050 700 98,850 775 85,000 850 13,850 500 1,750 225 17,900 500 2,500 250
Economics 32,000 425 26,600 425 23,550 425 3,050 275 250 100 4,650 275 500 100
Political science and government 24,150 350 19,950 425 17,300 450 2,650 300 350 100 3,450 325 400 125
Political science and government 19,850 350 16,150 400 14,100 425 2,100 275 300 100 3,100 300 300 100
Public policy analysis 4,350 75 3,750 125 3,200 150 550 125 50 25 350 75 150 75
Sociology, demography, and population studies 19,450 275 15,150 325 12,700 350 2,400 225 250 75 3,600 250 500 150
Other social sciences 45,450 375 37,200 450 31,450 475 5,750 300 950 150 6,200 325 1,100 150
Anthropology 13,950 225 11,550 250 9,600 325 1,950 225 300 100 1,850 200 250 75
Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies 4,100 125 3,450 125 2,900 125 550 100 100 50 400 75 100 50
Geography and cartography 5,600 125 4,600 150 4,000 175 550 125 S S 800 125 150 50
International relations and national security studies 2,600 125 2,000 150 1,650 150 350 100 S S 500 100 S S
Linguistics 6,100 175 5,050 225 4,300 225 750 125 S S 650 100 300 100
Urban studies, affairs 2,050 100 1,500 100 1,250 100 250 50 S S 450 75 D D
Social sciences, other 11,050 175 9,100 200 7,750 225 1,350 175 200 50 1,550 150 250 75
Engineering 186,700 775 164,650 850 154,450 900 10,200 525 3,550 325 15,250 550 3,250 275
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 7,350 175 6,500 175 6,200 175 350 100 50 50 650 125 100 50
Chemical engineering 23,200 325 20,250 350 19,000 375 1,200 175 250 100 2,200 225 500 150
Civil engineering 20,000 325 17,900 350 16,600 350 1,250 175 300 100 1,550 175 300 75
Electrical and computer engineering 50,950 425 45,850 475 43,050 500 2,800 350 950 175 3,350 300 800 150
Computer engineering 6,500 150 6,000 175 5,850 175 150 50 100 75 250 75 100 50
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 44,450 400 39,800 450 37,200 475 2,650 350 800 150 3,100 300 700 150
Mechanical engineering 26,700 325 23,700 375 22,600 375 1,100 150 550 150 1,900 225 500 125
Metallurgical and materials engineering 17,950 225 15,400 275 14,550 300 850 125 550 125 1,700 200 300 75
Other engineering 40,550 350 35,050 400 32,450 400 2,650 225 850 150 3,950 250 650 100
Agricultural engineering 1,900 100 1,550 125 1,450 125 100 50 D D 300 75 D D
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 12,450 150 11,600 175 10,950 200 650 150 200 75 350 100 300 75
Engineering mechanics, physics, and science 5,350 125 4,150 175 3,850 150 300 75 100 50 1,000 150 100 50
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 9,950 225 8,700 225 7,950 225 750 125 150 75 950 125 150 75
Nuclear engineering 3,400 125 2,750 125 2,500 125 200 50 D D 600 100 D D
Engineering, other 7,450 150 6,300 200 5,700 200 600 100 250 100 750 100 100 50
Health 44,100 325 37,950 425 33,700 475 4,250 350 750 150 4,650 350 750 125
Communication disorders sciences and services 4,100 75 3,400 125 2,700 175 750 150 D D 550 125 100 50
Hospital and medical administration services 2,300 100 1,700 125 1,550 125 150 75 S S 450 125 D D
Pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, and administration 8,200 150 7,400 175 6,850 200 600 125 100 50 600 150 100 50
Public health 8,050 150 7,100 175 6,500 225 600 125 150 75 450 100 300 100
Registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research 10,750 200 8,900 275 7,650 300 1,200 225 D D 1,650 225 D D
Health sciences, other 10,700 175 9,450 200 8,500 225 900 100 250 75 900 125 150 50
Codes used in data tables: * = suppressed when population estimate < 25. D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information. na = not applicable. S = suppressed for reliability; coefficient of variation exceeds publication standards.
SE = standard error.
a Unemployed includes individuals who were not working during the survey reference week but had been seeking work in the prior 4 weeks or who were on layoff from their job.
b Not employed or not seeking work includes individuals who were not working during the survey reference week and had not been seeking work in the prior 4 weeks because of family responsibilities, chronic illness, or other reasons.
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. Designation of full-time and part-time employment status is based on principal job only, not on all jobs held in labor force. For example, an individual could work part time in his or her principal job but full time in the labor force. Residence location is based on reported living location on 1 February 2017.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Doctorate Recipients: 2017.