Table 15-4. Employed U.S. residing doctoral scientists and engineers, by fine field of doctorate and primary work activity: 2017

Field of study All employed Primary work activity
Any R&D Othera
Number SE Number SE Number SE
All fields 815,100 1,400 338,500 2,150 476,600 2,375
Science 612,450 1,500 236,700 1,750 375,800 1,925
Biological, agricultural, and environmental life sciences 206,900 925 99,150 1,100 107,750 1,125
Agricultural and food sciences 16,350 275 7,600 325 8,750 325
Agricultural sciences 1,000 75 400 75 600 100
Animal sciences 4,400 150 1,900 150 2,500 150
Food sciences and technology 3,550 175 1,900 150 1,650 175
Plant sciences 5,300 200 2,500 200 2,800 200
Soil sciences 2,150 125 950 100 1,200 125
Biochemistry and biophysics 28,250 425 14,450 475 13,800 475
Biochemistry 23,400 425 11,750 450 11,650 450
Biophysics 4,850 150 2,700 175 2,200 175
Cell, cellular biology, and molecular biology 29,850 375 13,900 475 15,950 525
Microbiological sciences and immunology 22,200 350 10,750 425 11,500 450
Immunology 8,150 200 4,200 275 3,900 275
Microbiological sciences 14,100 300 6,500 325 7,550 325
Natural resources and conservation 8,550 225 3,700 225 4,850 225
Fish, fisheries, wildlife and wildlands science and management 2,250 125 1,100 100 1,150 125
Forestry 2,600 150 1,200 125 1,450 125
Natural resource conservation, research, management, and policy 3,700 150 1,450 150 2,250 150
Zoology 7,450 250 2,950 250 4,500 250
Other biological sciences 94,200 625 45,800 775 48,400 700
Biomathematics, bioinformatics, and computational biology 4,400 75 3,050 125 1,400 125
Botany and plant biology 6,450 200 2,650 175 3,850 175
Epidemiology, ecology, and population biology 14,800 275 7,550 300 7,200 300
Genetics 8,200 225 4,300 250 3,900 225
Neurobiology and neuroscience 14,600 225 7,650 300 6,950 300
Nutrition sciences 3,800 150 1,750 175 2,050 150
Pharmacology and toxicology 12,200 250 5,700 275 6,500 275
Physiology, pathology, and related sciences 14,200 300 6,100 300 8,150 300
Biological and biomedical sciences, general 10,950 250 5,050 300 5,900 300
Biological and biomedical sciences, other 4,600 175 2,050 175 2,500 175
Computer and information sciences 27,550 300 10,900 425 16,650 400
Computer science 24,050 300 9,600 425 14,450 425
Information science, studies 2,150 125 800 100 1,350 125
Computer and information sciences, other 1,350 50 500 50 850 50
Mathematics and statistics 35,200 500 11,600 425 23,600 550
Applied mathematics 7,700 250 2,650 250 5,000 275
Mathematics 16,450 275 4,750 275 11,700 325
Statistics 7,000 225 3,000 225 4,000 250
Mathematics and statistics, other 4,100 150 1,200 100 2,900 150
Physical sciences, geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 130,000 800 62,500 975 67,500 950
Astronomy and astrophysics 5,600 125 2,450 150 3,200 175
Chemistry, except biochemistry 63,550 525 30,000 750 33,550 700
Inorganic chemistry 8,450 200 3,300 250 5,150 275
Organic chemistry 17,150 375 8,650 400 8,500 400
Chemistry, other, except biochemistry 37,950 400 18,050 525 19,900 525
Geosciences, atmospheric, and ocean sciences 21,000 250 10,200 300 10,800 275
Atmospheric sciences and meteorology 3,750 75 2,100 100 1,650 75
Geological and earth sciences, geosciences 12,900 225 5,950 250 6,950 225
Ocean sciences and marine sciences 1,900 75 850 50 1,100 75
Oceanography, chemical and physical 2,450 125 1,300 125 1,150 125
Physics 39,850 500 19,900 500 19,950 550
Psychology 113,950 750 21,250 575 92,700 925
Clinical psychology 40,800 500 4,100 350 36,700 625
Counseling and applied psychology 15,200 250 800 150 14,400 275
Educational and school psychology 13,650 300 2,550 250 11,100 325
Industrial and organizational psychology 4,950 150 1,200 150 3,750 175
Research and experimental psychology 27,500 325 10,050 350 17,500 400
Psychology, general 7,400 250 1,450 175 5,950 275
Psychology, other 4,450 175 1,150 150 3,300 200
Social sciences 98,850 775 31,350 800 67,550 925
Economics 26,600 425 11,550 475 15,050 500
Political science and government 19,950 425 5,850 375 14,100 450
Political science and government 16,150 400 4,600 350 11,600 425
Public policy analysis 3,750 125 1,250 100 2,500 125
Sociology, demography, and population studies 15,150 325 4,800 300 10,350 325
Other social sciences 37,200 450 9,150 375 28,100 500
Anthropology 11,550 250 2,950 225 8,600 325
Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies 3,450 125 500 75 2,950 125
Geography and cartography 4,600 150 1,350 150 3,250 200
International relations and national security studies 2,000 150 300 75 1,750 150
Linguistics 5,050 225 1,150 175 3,900 200
Urban studies, affairs 1,500 100 400 75 1,100 100
Social sciences, other 9,100 200 2,500 175 6,550 225
Engineering 164,650 850 88,800 1,150 75,850 1,050
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 6,500 175 3,900 225 2,600 200
Chemical engineering 20,250 350 10,750 400 9,500 425
Civil engineering 17,900 350 8,750 350 9,150 325
Electrical and computer engineering 45,850 475 26,000 600 19,850 600
Computer engineering 6,000 175 2,700 200 3,300 200
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 39,800 450 23,300 525 16,550 550
Mechanical engineering 23,700 375 13,850 500 9,850 425
Metallurgical and materials engineering 15,400 275 8,750 350 6,650 325
Other engineering 35,050 400 16,750 500 18,300 475
Agricultural engineering 1,550 125 850 100 700 100
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 11,600 175 6,100 300 5,550 325
Engineering mechanics, physics, and science 4,150 175 2,150 150 2,000 175
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 8,700 225 3,250 225 5,450 250
Nuclear engineering 2,750 125 1,550 150 1,150 125
Engineering, other 6,300 200 2,900 225 3,400 225
Health 37,950 425 13,000 450 24,950 575
Communication disorders sciences and services 3,400 125 650 125 2,800 175
Hospital and medical administration services 1,700 125 650 100 1,050 125
Pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, and administration 7,400 175 3,800 250 3,600 225
Public health 7,100 175 3,350 200 3,750 225
Registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research 8,900 275 1,350 225 7,550 350
Health sciences, other 9,450 200 3,200 175 6,250 200