Back to Data Tables
Excel icon Download to excel

Table 15-3. Non-U.S. residing employed doctoral scientists and engineers, by fine field of doctorate and primary work activity: 2017

Field of study All employed Primary work activitya
Any R&D Other
Number SE Number SE Number SE
All fields 123,150 650 60,500 950 62,650 975
Science 86,350 825 44,150 850 42,200 800
Biological, agricultural, and environmental life sciences 25,200 575 13,900 500 11,300 475
Agricultural and food sciences 5,400 250 2,700 225 2,700 175
Agricultural sciences 250 50 100 25 150 50
Animal sciences 1,350 125 550 100 750 100
Food sciences and technology 1,100 150 550 125 550 100
Plant sciences 2,150 175 1,200 150 950 125
Soil sciences 550 75 300 50 300 50
Biochemistry and biophysics 2,700 250 1,700 200 1,000 150
Biochemistry 2,200 225 1,350 200 850 150
Biophysics 500 75 350 75 150 50
Cell, cellular biology, and molecular biology 2,200 200 1,450 175 750 150
Microbiological sciences and immunology 1,850 175 1,050 150 800 125
Immunology 450 100 300 75 150 50
Microbiological sciences 1,400 125 750 125 650 100
Natural resources and conservation 1,700 125 850 100 800 100
Fish, fisheries, wildlife and wildlands science and management 450 75 250 50 200 50
Forestry 650 75 300 50 350 50
Natural resource conservation, research, management, and policy 600 75 300 75 300 50
Zoology 1,050 125 600 125 450 100
Other biological sciences 10,300 400 5,600 350 4,700 300
Biomathematics, bioinformatics, and computational biology 400 75 300 50 100 25
Botany and plant biology 1,350 125 800 125 500 75
Epidemiology, ecology, and population biology 2,000 175 1,200 150 750 125
Genetics 950 125 500 100 500 100
Neurobiology and neuroscience 1,250 150 800 125 400 100
Nutrition sciences 450 100 200 75 250 75
Pharmacology and toxicology 700 100 200 75 450 100
Physiology, pathology, and related sciences 1,600 175 700 100 900 175
Biological and biomedical sciences, general 1,000 125 550 100 450 100
Biological and biomedical sciences, other 650 125 300 100 350 75
Computer and information sciences 4,300 275 2,050 225 2,250 200
Computer science 3,650 250 1,850 225 1,800 200
Information science, studies 500 75 150 50 350 75
Computer and information sciences, other 150 50 50 25 100 50
Mathematics and statistics 6,800 350 3,650 275 3,150 225
Applied mathematics 1,000 175 550 125 450 100
Mathematics 3,750 225 2,150 175 1,600 200
Statistics 1,100 175 600 125 550 125
Mathematics and statistics, other 900 100 350 75 500 75
Physical sciences, geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 19,050 450 11,250 425 7,750 375
Astronomy and astrophysics 850 100 600 100 200 50
Chemistry, except biochemistry 7,200 325 4,150 275 3,050 250
Inorganic chemistry 1,150 125 550 125 600 125
Organic chemistry 2,000 225 1,050 175 950 150
Chemistry, other, except biochemistry 4,050 275 2,550 225 1,500 175
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 3,650 175 2,100 125 1,550 125
Atmospheric sciences and meteorology 650 50 400 50 250 50
Geological and earth sciences, geosciences 2,250 150 1,150 100 1,050 125
Ocean sciences and marine sciences 300 50 150 25 150 50
Oceanography, chemical and physical 500 75 400 75 100 50
Physics 7,350 325 4,400 300 2,900 250
Psychology 5,150 275 1,850 200 3,300 250
Clinical psychology 950 150 100 50 800 150
Counseling and applied psychology 300 100 50 25 250 100
Educational and school psychology 950 150 350 100 600 125
Industrial and organizational psychology 150 50 50 50 100 50
Research and experimental psychology 2,050 150 1,000 125 1,000 125
Psychology, general 400 100 150 50 250 75
Psychology, other 350 75 100 50 200 75
Social sciences 25,900 625 11,400 425 14,500 550
Economics 11,750 400 5,600 275 6,200 400
Political science and government 3,700 250 1,450 175 2,250 225
Political science and government 3,250 250 1,300 175 1,950 225
Public policy analysis 450 75 150 50 300 75
Sociology, demography, and population studies 2,450 200 1,200 150 1,250 175
Other social sciences 8,000 325 3,200 200 4,800 300
Anthropology 1,650 150 750 125 900 125
Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies 300 75 50 25 250 75
Geography and cartography 850 125 400 100 450 75
International relations and national security studies 950 125 400 100 550 100
Linguistics 2,100 150 800 125 1,350 150
Urban studies, affairs 500 100 200 75 300 50
Social sciences, other 1,700 150 600 75 1,100 150
Engineering 32,400 650 14,950 575 17,450 550
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 1,300 175 750 125 550 125
Chemical engineering 3,750 275 1,950 250 1,750 225
Civil engineering 5,200 300 2,100 200 3,150 275
Electrical and computer engineering 8,150 400 3,700 275 4,450 325
Computer engineering 1,400 150 550 100 900 125
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 6,750 350 3,200 275 3,550 300
Mechanical engineering 4,300 250 2,000 225 2,300 200
Metallurgical and materials engineering 2,550 200 1,550 150 1,000 150
Other engineering 7,200 275 2,900 200 4,300 250
Agricultural engineering 650 100 300 75 350 100
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 1,000 150 400 100 600 125
Engineering mechanics, physics, and science 800 100 500 100 300 75
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 2,450 175 800 125 1,650 175
Nuclear engineering 700 100 300 75 400 100
Engineering, other 1,600 150 650 100 950 125
Health 4,400 300 1,400 175 2,950 275
Communication disorders sciences and services 100 50 D D 50 25
Hospital and medical administration services 200 75 50 25 150 75
Pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, and administration 800 125 300 75 500 125
Public health 950 150 350 100 600 125
Registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research 950 175 D D 750 175
Health sciences, other 1,400 150 450 100 950 150
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 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.
NOTES: Numbers are rounded to the nearest 50. Standard errors are rounded up to the nearest 25. Detail may exceed total due to multiple responses. Primary and secondary work activities were self-defined by respondent in response to the question: "On which two activities...did you work the most hours during a typical week on this job?" 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.