S&E Workers in the Economy

To understand the economic and scientific contributions of scientists and engineers, it is important to know how they are distributed across the economy and what kind of work they perform. This section examines the characteristics of organizations that employ scientists and engineers, including sector and size of employing organizations. This section also describes the distribution of S&E workers within particular sectors. The data indicate that individuals trained in S&E fields or working in S&E occupations are found in all sectors, including for-profit businesses; non-profit organizations; public and private educational institutions; and local, state, and federal government. This section also examines self-employed scientists and engineers, as well as the concentration of S&E workers by industry sectors and by geography.

The S&E labor force is often seen as a major contributor to innovation. Work such as patenting activity, R&D activity, and work-related training are indicators of worker skill level, productivity, and innovative capacity. In addition to collecting information on formal education and employment, SESTAT gathers data on the degree to which workers engage in such activities. This section concludes with data on these activities.

Throughout this section, Data are provided for the broad SESTAT population of scientists and engineers, including those employed in S&E or S&E-related occupations as well as those with S&E or S&E-related bachelor?s or higher level degrees. Whenever possible, the data distinguish between individuals with S&E degrees and those working in S&E occupations.