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Table 12-3. U.S. residing employed doctoral scientists and engineers, by fine field of doctorate and sector of employment: 2017

Field of study All employed Educational institutiona Business or industryb Governmentc
Number SE Number SE Number SE Number SE
All fields 815,100 1,400 349,200 2,725 396,400 2,925 69,500 1,100
Science 612,450 1,500 285,650 2,350 273,050 2,375 53,750 900
Biological, agricultural, and environmental life sciences 206,900 925 97,750 1,300 87,900 1,125 21,250 600
Agricultural and food sciences 16,350 275 6,900 300 7,650 300 1,800 175
Agricultural sciences 1,000 75 450 75 400 75 150 75
Animal sciences 4,400 150 1,950 150 2,150 150 300 75
Food sciences and technology 3,550 175 1,050 150 2,200 200 350 100
Plant sciences 5,300 200 2,550 175 2,300 175 450 75
Soil sciences 2,150 125 950 100 600 100 600 100
Biochemistry and biophysics 28,250 425 12,050 425 14,400 500 1,800 200
Biochemistry 23,400 425 9,950 400 11,950 450 1,500 200
Biophysics 4,850 150 2,100 175 2,450 200 300 75
Cell, cellular biology, and molecular biology 29,850 375 14,300 500 13,150 475 2,400 275
Microbiological sciences and immunology 22,200 350 9,250 400 11,000 375 2,000 225
Immunology 8,150 200 3,150 225 4,500 250 500 100
Microbiological sciences 14,100 300 6,100 325 6,500 350 1,500 200
Natural resources and conservation 8,550 225 3,500 200 2,650 200 2,400 175
Fish, fisheries, wildlife and wildlands science and management 2,250 125 800 100 600 100 850 100
Forestry 2,600 150 1,150 125 950 125 500 75
Natural resource conservation, research, management, and policy 3,700 150 1,550 125 1,150 125 1,000 125
Zoology 7,450 250 3,850 225 2,450 250 1,150 150
Other biological sciences 94,200 625 47,850 850 36,600 675 9,750 425
Biomathematics, bioinformatics, and computational biology 4,400 75 1,850 125 2,250 150 300 50
Botany and plant biology 6,450 200 3,450 200 2,150 175 800 125
Epidemiology, ecology, and population biology 14,800 275 8,050 325 3,700 275 3,050 250
Genetics 8,200 225 4,300 250 3,350 250 550 100
Neurobiology and neuroscience 14,600 225 8,450 375 5,100 300 1,000 150
Nutrition sciences 3,800 150 1,900 150 1,700 150 200 75
Pharmacology and toxicology 12,200 250 4,500 275 6,100 300 1,600 175
Physiology, pathology, and related sciences 14,200 300 6,950 300 6,300 275 950 125
Biological and biomedical sciences, general 10,950 250 5,950 275 4,100 275 850 150
Biological and biomedical sciences, other 4,600 175 2,400 200 1,800 175 400 75
Computer and information sciences 27,550 300 9,100 425 17,600 475 850 150
Computer science 24,050 300 7,450 400 15,950 475 650 125
Information science, studies 2,150 125 1,150 100 900 125 150 50
Computer and information sciences, other 1,350 50 550 50 750 75 50 50
Mathematics and statistics 35,200 500 20,650 500 13,250 550 1,300 200
Applied mathematics 7,700 250 4,250 300 3,050 275 350 125
Mathematics 16,450 275 10,900 325 5,150 300 400 100
Statistics 7,000 225 2,950 250 3,700 275 350 125
Mathematics and statistics, other 4,100 150 2,500 150 1,350 125 200 75
Physical sciences, geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 130,000 800 50,150 950 67,950 1,075 11,900 450
Astronomy and astrophysics 5,600 125 2,950 150 2,050 150 600 100
Chemistry, except biochemistry 63,550 525 21,900 650 37,350 700 4,300 325
Inorganic chemistry 8,450 200 3,250 200 4,750 275 450 100
Organic chemistry 17,150 375 5,750 400 10,700 425 750 150
Chemistry, other, except biochemistry 37,950 400 12,900 450 21,900 525 3,100 275
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 21,000 250 9,950 300 7,550 275 3,500 175
Atmospheric sciences and meteorology 3,750 75 1,550 75 1,300 100 900 75
Geological and earth sciences, geosciences 12,900 225 6,300 225 4,900 250 1,650 150
Ocean sciences and marine sciences 1,900 75 900 50 550 50 450 50
Oceanography, chemical and physical 2,450 125 1,200 125 700 100 500 100
Physics 39,850 500 15,350 525 21,050 600 3,450 300
Psychology 113,950 750 44,050 800 59,400 975 10,500 550
Clinical psychology 40,800 500 9,950 525 25,150 600 5,700 400
Counseling and applied psychology 15,200 250 4,700 300 9,100 375 1,400 200
Educational and school psychology 13,650 300 7,350 275 5,800 325 500 100
Industrial and organizational psychology 4,950 150 1,650 175 3,000 200 300 75
Research and experimental psychology 27,500 325 16,100 375 10,000 350 1,450 150
Psychology, general 7,400 250 2,550 225 4,050 250 800 150
Psychology, other 4,450 175 1,750 150 2,350 175 350 100
Social sciences 98,850 775 63,950 900 26,950 650 7,950 375
Economics 26,600 425 13,150 475 10,500 475 2,950 250
Political science and government 19,950 425 13,850 425 4,600 325 1,450 200
Political science and government 16,150 400 12,150 425 3,150 325 850 175
Public policy analysis 3,750 125 1,700 125 1,450 150 600 100
Sociology, demography, and population studies 15,150 325 10,900 350 3,450 250 750 125
Other social sciences 37,200 450 26,050 450 8,400 375 2,750 200
Anthropology 11,550 250 7,900 275 2,600 250 1,050 175
Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies 3,450 125 2,750 125 500 75 200 50
Geography and cartography 4,600 150 3,300 200 850 125 450 100
International relations and national security studies 2,000 150 1,300 150 550 125 150 50
Linguistics 5,050 225 3,950 225 1,000 175 100 75
Urban studies, affairs 1,500 100 850 100 500 75 150 50
Social sciences, other 9,100 200 6,050 200 2,400 175 700 100
Engineering 164,650 850 42,700 975 109,500 1,225 12,500 525
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 6,500 175 1,700 200 4,000 225 800 125
Chemical engineering 20,250 350 3,800 300 15,050 425 1,350 200
Civil engineering 17,900 350 6,400 375 9,150 425 2,350 250
Electrical and computer engineering 45,850 475 10,200 450 33,350 525 2,300 250
Computer engineering 6,000 175 1,400 150 4,350 175 250 75
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 39,800 450 8,800 425 29,000 525 2,050 225
Mechanical engineering 23,700 375 5,750 350 16,300 500 1,650 225
Metallurgical and materials engineering 15,400 275 2,850 225 11,350 325 1,200 175
Other engineering 35,050 400 11,950 400 20,250 475 2,850 225
Agricultural engineering 1,550 125 700 100 550 100 300 75
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 11,600 175 4,600 275 6,450 275 600 125
Engineering mechanics, physics, and science 4,150 175 1,200 150 2,550 150 400 75
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 8,700 225 3,050 225 5,250 275 450 100
Nuclear engineering 2,750 125 600 100 1,600 150 550 100
Engineering, other 6,300 200 1,800 150 3,900 225 600 100
Health 37,950 425 20,900 575 13,850 450 3,250 275
Communication disorders sciences and services 3,400 125 2,100 175 1,100 150 200 75
Hospital and medical administration services 1,700 125 900 100 550 100 250 100
Pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, and administration 7,400 175 1,950 200 4,800 225 650 150
Public health 7,100 175 3,550 225 2,500 175 1,050 150
Registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research 8,900 275 6,400 350 2,000 275 550 150
Health sciences, other 9,450 200 6,000 225 2,850 200 600 100
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 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 or 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.
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 2017.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Doctorate Recipients: 2017.