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Post-doctoral scientist demographics and statistics in the US

Post-doctoral scientist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates post-doctoral scientist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our post-doctoral 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 post-doctoral scientists after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 13,495 post-doctoral scientists currently employed in the United States.
  • 37.1% of all post-doctoral scientists are women, while 62.9% are men.
  • The average post-doctoral scientist age is 40 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of post-doctoral scientists is White (46.5%), followed by Asian (33.1%), Hispanic or Latino (9.7%) and Black or African American (6.4%).
  • Post-doctoral scientists are most in-demand in Columbus, OH.
  • Newark, NJ pays an annual average wage of $77,508, the highest in the US.
  • In 2022, women post-doctoral scientists earned 100% of what men earned.
  • New Jersey is the best state for post-doctoral scientists to live.
  • Post-doctoral scientists are 49% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
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Post-doctoral scientist demographics by:

Post-doctoral scientist gender statistics

37.1% of post-doctoral scientists are women and 62.9% of post-doctoral scientists are men.
  • Male, 62.9%
  • Female, 37.1%

Post-doctoral scientist gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male62.9%
Female37.1%

Post-doctoral scientist gender pay gap

Women earn $1.00 for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$57,312
female-income
Female income
$57,516

Post-doctoral scientist gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in post-doctoral scientist positions over time. Currently, 37.1% of post-doctoral scientists are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Post-doctoral scientist gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201066.92%33.08%
201163.60%36.40%
201269.31%30.69%
201365.05%34.95%
201466.00%34.00%
201566.80%33.20%
201662.56%37.44%
201764.78%35.22%
201863.50%36.50%
201961.85%38.15%
202061.66%38.34%
202162.86%37.14%

Post-doctoral scientist related jobs gender ratio

We compared post-doctoral 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 titleMaleFemale
Animal Behaviorist18%82%
Chronic Disease Epidemiologist25%75%
Collector Of Aquarium Specimens27%73%
Post-Doctoral Scientist63%37%
Forestry Consultant93%7%
Field Agronomist94%6%
Procurement Forester95%5%

Post-doctoral scientist demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among post-doctoral scientists is White, which makes up 46.5% of all post-doctoral scientists. Comparatively, 33.1% of post-doctoral scientists are Asian and 9.7% of post-doctoral scientists are Hispanic or Latino.
  • White, 46.5%
  • Asian, 33.1%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 9.7%
  • Black or African American, 6.4%
  • Unknown, 4.1%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%

Post-doctoral scientist race

Post-doctoral scientist racePercentages
White46.5%
Asian33.1%
Hispanic or Latino9.7%
Black or African American6.4%
Unknown4.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%

Post-doctoral scientist race and ethnicity over time

See how post-doctoral scientist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Post-doctoral scientist race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201049.76%5.26%35.69%6.72%
201148.51%5.68%36.17%7.37%
201249.33%5.48%35.33%7.12%
201349.92%5.58%33.94%7.86%
201449.60%5.92%34.54%6.88%
201549.72%5.36%35.33%6.83%
201649.08%5.15%34.13%9.02%
201749.22%6.01%33.63%7.94%
201848.33%5.77%34.49%8.07%
201949.71%5.42%33.70%8.45%
202047.85%5.03%33.98%9.35%
202146.52%6.41%33.14%9.66%

Post-doctoral scientist wage gap by race

According to our data, white post-doctoral scientists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino post-doctoral scientists have the lowest average salary at $56,072.
$60,000
$59,000
$58,000
$57,000
$56,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$57,129
White$58,135
Black or African American$57,322
Asian$57,924
Hispanic or Latino$56,072

Average post-doctoral scientist age

See how the average age of post-doctoral scientists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Post-doctoral scientist age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Unknown4034
White3939
Black or African American38.540
Asian4038
Hispanic or Latino3736

Post-doctoral scientist age breakdown

The average age of post-doctoral scientists is 40+ years years old, representing 47% of the post-doctoral scientist population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Post-doctoral scientist age breakdown

Post-Doctoral Scientist YearsPercentages
40+ years47%
30-40 years39%
20-30 years14%

Post-doctoral scientist educational attainment

The most common degree for post-doctoral scientists is doctoral degree, with 46% of post-doctoral scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 40% and bachelor's degree degree at 12%.
  • Doctorate, 46%
  • Bachelor's, 40%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Diploma, 0%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

Post-doctoral scientists by degree level

Post-doctoral scientist degreePercentages
Doctorate46%
Bachelor's40%
Master's12%
Diploma0%
Other Degrees2%

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Post-doctoral scientist wage gap by degree level

According to the data, post-doctoral scientists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $59,394 annually. With a Master's degree, post-doctoral scientists earn a median annual income of $57,026 compared to $56,099 for post-doctoral scientists with an Bachelor's degree.
$61,000
$60,000
$59,000
$58,000
$57,000
$56,000
Master's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Doctorate Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$57,026
Bachelor's Degree$56,099
Doctorate Degree$59,394

Post-doctoral scientist employment statistics

Most post-doctoral scientists work for a education in the education industry.

Company size where post-doctoral scientists work

Below, you can see the size of companies where post-doctoral scientists work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Post-doctoral scientist jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees3%
50 - 100 employees10%
100 - 500 employees18%
500 - 1,000 employees8%
1,000 - 10,000 employees36%
> 10,000 employees25%

Post-doctoral scientist jobs by company type

Employees with the post-doctoral scientist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most post-doctoral scientists prefer to work at education companies over private companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Post-doctoral scientist jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education49%
Public18%
Private28%
Government5%

Post-doctoral scientist jobs by industry

The most common industries for post-doctoral scientists are education, health care and technology.

Education

Health Care

Technology

Fortune 500

Pharmaceutical

Post-doctoral scientist industry statistics

Post-doctoral scientist turnover and employment statistics

Post-doctoral scientist unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for post-doctoral scientists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Post-doctoral scientist unemployment rate by year

YearPost-doctoral scientist unemployment rate
20102.36%
20112.60%
20123.20%
20132.82%
20142.34%
20152.18%
20162.71%
20172.30%
20182.40%
20191.58%
20202.14%
20211.42%

Average post-doctoral scientist tenure

The average post-doctoral scientist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 676 post-doctoral scientists resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Post-doctoral scientist tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year9%
1-2 years40%
3-4 years22%
5-7 years15%
8-10 years7%
11+ years8%

Post-doctoral scientist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of post-doctoral scientists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Urban Forester8.40%583
Post-Doctoral Scientist8.45%-
Fish And Wildlife Biologist9.74%7,349
Viticulturist19.06%205

Similar post-doctoral scientist jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Urban Forester8.40%583
Fish And Wildlife Biologist9.74%7,349
Viticulturist19.06%205

Foreign languages spoken by post-doctoral scientists

The most common foreign language among post-doctoral scientists is German at 17.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.8% and Spanish is the third-most popular at 7.7%.
  • German, 17.9%
  • French, 12.8%
  • Spanish, 7.7%
  • Chinese, 7.7%
  • Croatian, 5.1%
  • Other, 48.8%

Post-doctoral scientist languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
German17.9%
French12.8%
Spanish7.7%
Chinese7.7%
Croatian5.1%
Other48.8%

Post-doctoral scientist jobs

Post-doctoral scientist location demographics

Where do post-doctoral scientists earn the most?

Post-doctoral scientists earn the most in New Jersey, where the average post-doctoral scientist salary is $77,146. The map here shows where post-doctoral scientists earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Which city has the most Post-Doctoral Scientists?

By looking through more than 676 resumes, we found that the most popular places for post-doctoral scientists are New York, NY and Washington, DC.
Number of Post-Doctoral Scientists

Post-doctoral scientist jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1California3,880$70,407
2Massachusetts2,471$68,761
3New York2,111$57,648
4Texas1,489$43,560
5New Jersey1,388$77,146
6Pennsylvania1,226$58,747
7Virginia1,224$49,129
8Illinois1,164$50,363
9North Carolina1,076$58,393
10Maryland1,052$59,882
11Washington1,016$52,287
12Florida982$40,418
13Georgia667$37,113
14Ohio635$48,680
15Colorado617$59,482
16Minnesota598$57,274
17Missouri539$42,874
18Oregon488$56,722
19Michigan458$56,538
20Wisconsin434$55,879
21Tennessee408$59,234
22Arizona372$64,915
23Indiana339$68,130
24Connecticut338$69,428
25South Carolina289$36,424
26Utah278$36,964
27Iowa225$50,403
28New Mexico200$47,299
29Louisiana197$35,984
30Kansas190$47,283
31Alabama179$45,145
32Kentucky174$47,964
33Delaware165$66,954
34New Hampshire160$52,241
35District of Columbia159$52,608
36Nebraska150$42,873
37Idaho144$47,778
38Nevada125$56,629
39Montana121$68,627
40South Dakota118$50,407
41Maine117$67,980
42Rhode Island114$73,088
43West Virginia109$44,654
44Oklahoma106$51,140
45Arkansas96$50,103
46North Dakota93$45,080
47Alaska82$63,165
48Mississippi80$37,536
49Vermont79$55,650
50Hawaii75$72,006
51Wyoming59$54,354

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