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The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) encourages you to explore the resources to cast your vote on election day:July 2014
PE REPORT
Report Outlines Science and Engineering Workforce Trends
From 2008 through 2012, while overall US employment was contracting, science and engineering employment increased by 353,520 jobs, a compounded annual growth rate of 1.5%, according to the latest Congressional Research Service’s Science and Engineering Workforce report.
The report pegs the number of employed scientists and engineers in the US in 2012 at 6.2 million. S&E employment was concentrated in two occupational groups, computer occupations (56%) and engineers (25%); the rest were managers (9%), physical scientists (4%), life scientists (4%), and mathematical occupations (2%).
The mean annual wage for all scientists and engineers was $87,330 in 2012 while the mean annual wage for all occupations was $45,790.
The report notes that the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of S&E jobs will grow by more than 953,000 between 2012 and 2022. The BLS also projects that 1.3 million scientists and engineers will be needed to replace exiting workers. The S&E workforce needs 2.3 million in order to meet growth and replacement needs during this period, which includes more than 544,300 engineers.
How can the US foster development of the S&E workforce to meet future needs? The report recommends that federal policies focus on the following actions:
- Increasing the number of students pursuing S&E degrees;
- Increasing the number of foreign scientists and engineers admitted to the US;
- Growing the number and share of underrepresented minorities and women in science and engineering;
- Improving K–12 science, technology, math, and engineering education; and
- Improving career information and counseling for high school students.
S&E Occupations with the Largest Employment Growth, 2008–2012
- Software Developers, Applications—92,180
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators—22,470
- Mechanical Engineers—18,930
- Petroleum Engineers—15,530
- Aerospace Engineers—12,620
- Software Developers, Systems Software—9,870
- Operations Research Analysis—8,320
- Computer Hardware Engineers—6,210
- Electrical Engineers—5,890
- Industrial Engineers—5,550
Top 10: Mean Annual Wages of Engineers, 2012
- Petroleum Engineers—$147,470
- Nuclear Engineers—$107,140
- Aerospace Engineers—$104,810
- Computer Hardware Engineers—$103,980
- Chemical Engineers—$102,270
- Marine Engineers and Naval Architects—$96,140
- Electronics Engineers, except Computer—$95,250
- Engineers, All Others—$93,330
- Electrical Engineers—$91,810
- Mining and Geological Engineers, including Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors—$91,250
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