Contract scientist demographics and statistics in the US
Contract scientist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates contract scientist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our contract scientist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about contract scientists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 10,816 contract scientists currently employed in the United States.
- 44.9% of all contract scientists are women, while 55.1% are men.
- The average contract scientist age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of contract scientists is White (53.1%), followed by Asian (26.2%), Hispanic or Latino (9.8%) and Black or African American (6.6%).
- In 2022, women earned 100% of what men earned.
- 8% of all contract scientists are LGBT.
- Contract scientists are 64% more likely to work at public companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Contract scientist demographics by:
Contract scientist gender statistics
44.9% of contract scientists are women and 55.1% of contract scientists are men.
- Male, 55.1%
- Female, 44.9%
Contract scientist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 55.1% |
| Female | 44.9% |
Contract scientist gender pay gap
Women earn $1.00 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$96,050
Female income
$96,471
Contract scientist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in contract scientist positions over time. Currently, 44.9% of contract scientists are female.
Contract scientist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 59.47% | 40.53% |
| 2011 | 55.89% | 44.11% |
| 2012 | 62.09% | 37.91% |
| 2013 | 57.44% | 42.56% |
| 2014 | 58.47% | 41.53% |
| 2015 | 59.33% | 40.67% |
| 2016 | 54.79% | 45.21% |
| 2017 | 57.15% | 42.85% |
| 2018 | 55.79% | 44.21% |
| 2019 | 54.03% | 45.97% |
| 2020 | 53.83% | 46.17% |
| 2021 | 55.10% | 44.90% |
Contract scientist related jobs gender ratio
We compared contract scientists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, procurement forester and field agronomist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Behaviorist | 18% | 82% |
| Chronic Disease Epidemiologist | 25% | 75% |
| Collector Of Aquarium Specimens | 27% | 73% |
| Contract Scientist | 55% | 45% |
| Forestry Consultant | 93% | 7% |
| Field Agronomist | 94% | 6% |
| Procurement Forester | 95% | 5% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Contract scientist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among contract scientists is White, which makes up 53.1% of all contract scientists. Comparatively, 26.2% of contract scientists are Asian and 9.8% of contract scientists are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 53.1%
- Asian, 26.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.8%
- Black or African American, 6.6%
- Unknown, 4.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Contract scientist race
| Contract scientist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 53.1% |
| Asian | 26.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.8% |
| Black or African American | 6.6% |
| Unknown | 4.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Contract scientist race and ethnicity over time
See how contract scientist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Contract scientist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 56.32% | 5.40% | 28.78% | 6.90% |
| 2011 | 55.07% | 5.83% | 29.25% | 7.55% |
| 2012 | 55.89% | 5.62% | 28.41% | 7.30% |
| 2013 | 56.47% | 5.72% | 27.02% | 8.04% |
| 2014 | 56.15% | 6.06% | 27.62% | 7.06% |
| 2015 | 56.28% | 5.50% | 28.41% | 7.01% |
| 2016 | 55.64% | 5.29% | 27.21% | 9.20% |
| 2017 | 55.77% | 6.16% | 26.71% | 8.12% |
| 2018 | 54.88% | 5.91% | 27.57% | 8.24% |
| 2019 | 56.27% | 5.56% | 26.78% | 8.62% |
| 2020 | 54.40% | 5.17% | 27.06% | 9.53% |
| 2021 | 53.08% | 6.56% | 26.22% | 9.84% |
Contract scientist wage gap by race
According to our data, white contract scientists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino contract scientists have the lowest average salary at $93,502.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $95,673 |
| White | $97,750 |
| Black or African American | $96,071 |
| Asian | $97,314 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $93,502 |
Average contract scientist age
See how the average age of contract scientists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Contract scientist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 40 | 34 |
| White | 39 | 39 |
| Black or African American | 38.5 | 40 |
| Asian | 40 | 38 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 37 | 36 |
Contract scientist age breakdown
The average age of contract scientists is 40+ years years old, representing 47% of the contract scientist population.
Contract scientist age breakdown
| Contract Scientist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 47% |
| 30-40 years | 39% |
| 20-30 years | 14% |
Contract scientist educational attainment
The most common degree for contract scientists is bachelor's degree, with 69% of contract scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 13% and doctoral degree degree at 11%.
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Doctorate, 13%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 7%
- Other Degrees, 0%
Contract scientists by degree level
| Contract scientist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 69% |
| Doctorate | 13% |
| Master's | 11% |
| Associate | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 0% |
Contract scientist jobs you might like
Contract scientist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, contract scientists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $100,359 annually. With a Master's degree, contract scientists earn a median annual income of $95,462 compared to $93,557 for contract scientists with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $95,462 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,557 |
| Doctorate Degree | $100,359 |
Contract scientist employment statistics
Most contract scientists work for a public in the pharmaceutical industry.
Company size where contract scientists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where contract scientists work.
Contract scientist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 6% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 4% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 46% |
Contract scientist jobs by company type
Employees with the contract scientist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most contract scientists prefer to work at public companies over private companies.
Contract scientist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 64% |
| Private | 31% |
| Government | 2% |
Contract scientist jobs by industry
The most common industries for contract scientists are pharmaceutical, health care and manufacturing.
Contract scientist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical | 26% |
| Fortune 500 | 19% |
| Health Care | 15% |
| Manufacturing | 13% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Contract scientist turnover and employment statistics
Contract scientist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for contract scientists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Contract scientist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Contract scientist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.36% |
| 2011 | 2.60% |
| 2012 | 3.20% |
| 2013 | 2.82% |
| 2014 | 2.34% |
| 2015 | 2.18% |
| 2016 | 2.71% |
| 2017 | 2.30% |
| 2018 | 2.40% |
| 2019 | 1.58% |
| 2020 | 2.14% |
| 2021 | 1.42% |
Average contract scientist tenure
The average contract scientist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 229 contract scientists resumes in Zippia's database.
Contract scientist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 34% |
| 1-2 years | 38% |
| 3-4 years | 7% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 4% |
Contract scientist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of contract scientists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Park Ranger | 8.40% | 2,380 |
| Contract Scientist | 8.45% | - |
| Mammalogist | 9.74% | 44 |
| Swine Nutritionist | 19.06% | 304 |
Similar contract scientist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Park Ranger | 8.40% | 2,380 |
| Mammalogist | 9.74% | 44 |
| Swine Nutritionist | 19.06% | 304 |
Foreign languages spoken by contract scientists
- Russian, 50.0%
- Spanish, 50.0%
Contract scientist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Russian | 50.0% |
| Spanish | 50.0% |
