Postdoctoral scholar demographics and statistics in the US
Postdoctoral scholar demographics research summary. Zippia estimates postdoctoral scholar demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our postdoctoral scholar estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about postdoctoral scholars after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 5,087 postdoctoral scholars currently employed in the United States.
- 47.0% of all postdoctoral scholars are women, while 53.0% are men.
- The average postdoctoral scholar age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of postdoctoral scholars is White (53.2%), followed by Asian (26.3%), Hispanic or Latino (9.7%) and Black or African American (6.5%).
- Postdoctoral scholars are most in-demand in Parkesburg, PA.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $71,444, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women postdoctoral scholars earned 100% of what men earned.
- New Jersey is the best state for postdoctoral scholars to live.
- Postdoctoral scholars are 75% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
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Postdoctoral scholar demographics by:
Postdoctoral scholar gender statistics
47.0% of postdoctoral scholars are women and 53.0% of postdoctoral scholars are men.
- Male, 53.0%
- Female, 47.0%
Postdoctoral scholar gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 53.0% |
| Female | 47.0% |
Postdoctoral scholar gender pay gap
Women earn $1.00 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$56,349
Female income
$56,564
Postdoctoral scholar gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in postdoctoral scholar positions over time. Currently, 47.0% of postdoctoral scholars are female.
Postdoctoral scholar gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 57.42% | 42.58% |
| 2011 | 53.80% | 46.20% |
| 2012 | 60.09% | 39.91% |
| 2013 | 55.37% | 44.63% |
| 2014 | 56.41% | 43.59% |
| 2015 | 57.29% | 42.71% |
| 2016 | 52.69% | 47.31% |
| 2017 | 55.07% | 44.93% |
| 2018 | 53.70% | 46.30% |
| 2019 | 51.93% | 48.07% |
| 2020 | 51.73% | 48.27% |
| 2021 | 53.01% | 46.99% |
Postdoctoral scholar related jobs gender ratio
We compared postdoctoral scholars 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% |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | 53% | 47% |
| Forestry Consultant | 93% | 7% |
| Field Agronomist | 94% | 6% |
| Procurement Forester | 95% | 5% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Postdoctoral scholar demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among postdoctoral scholars is White, which makes up 53.2% of all postdoctoral scholars. Comparatively, 26.3% of postdoctoral scholars are Asian and 9.7% of postdoctoral scholars are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 53.2%
- Asian, 26.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.7%
- Black or African American, 6.5%
- Unknown, 4.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Postdoctoral scholar race
| Postdoctoral scholar race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 53.2% |
| Asian | 26.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.7% |
| Black or African American | 6.5% |
| Unknown | 4.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Postdoctoral scholar race and ethnicity over time
See how postdoctoral scholar racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Postdoctoral scholar race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 56.46% | 5.32% | 28.85% | 6.79% |
| 2011 | 55.21% | 5.74% | 29.32% | 7.44% |
| 2012 | 56.03% | 5.54% | 28.49% | 7.19% |
| 2013 | 56.61% | 5.63% | 27.10% | 7.93% |
| 2014 | 56.30% | 5.97% | 27.70% | 6.95% |
| 2015 | 56.42% | 5.42% | 28.49% | 6.90% |
| 2016 | 55.78% | 5.21% | 27.29% | 9.09% |
| 2017 | 55.91% | 6.07% | 26.79% | 8.01% |
| 2018 | 55.02% | 5.83% | 27.64% | 8.14% |
| 2019 | 56.41% | 5.48% | 26.85% | 8.52% |
| 2020 | 54.54% | 5.09% | 27.13% | 9.42% |
| 2021 | 53.22% | 6.47% | 26.29% | 9.73% |
Postdoctoral scholar wage gap by race
According to our data, white postdoctoral scholars have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino postdoctoral scholars have the lowest average salary at $55,049.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $56,157 |
| White | $57,214 |
| Black or African American | $56,360 |
| Asian | $56,993 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $55,049 |
Average postdoctoral scholar age
See how the average age of postdoctoral scholars varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Postdoctoral scholar 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 |
Postdoctoral scholar age breakdown
The average age of postdoctoral scholars is 40+ years years old, representing 47% of the postdoctoral scholar population.
Postdoctoral scholar age breakdown
| Postdoctoral Scholar Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 47% |
| 30-40 years | 39% |
| 20-30 years | 14% |
Postdoctoral scholar educational attainment
The most common degree for postdoctoral scholars is bachelor's degree, with 50% of postdoctoral scholars earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 24% and doctoral degree degree at 21%.
- Bachelor's, 50%
- Doctorate, 24%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Postdoctoral scholars by degree level
| Postdoctoral scholar degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 50% |
| Doctorate | 24% |
| Master's | 21% |
| Associate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Postdoctoral scholar jobs you might like
Postdoctoral scholar wage gap by degree level
According to the data, postdoctoral scholars with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $58,538 annually. With a Master's degree, postdoctoral scholars earn a median annual income of $56,050 compared to $55,077 for postdoctoral scholars with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,050 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,077 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,538 |
Postdoctoral scholar employment statistics
Most postdoctoral scholars work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where postdoctoral scholars work
Below, you can see the size of companies where postdoctoral scholars work.
Postdoctoral scholar jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 15% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 4% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 45% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
Postdoctoral scholar jobs by company type
Employees with the postdoctoral scholar job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most postdoctoral scholars prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Postdoctoral scholar jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 75% |
| Public | 3% |
| Private | 18% |
| Government | 3% |
Postdoctoral scholar jobs by industry
The most common industries for postdoctoral scholars are education, health care and professional.
Postdoctoral scholar industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 63% |
| Health Care | 9% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Technology | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Government | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Postdoctoral scholar turnover and employment statistics
Postdoctoral scholar unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for postdoctoral scholars between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Postdoctoral scholar unemployment rate by year
| Year | Postdoctoral scholar 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 postdoctoral scholar tenure
The average postdoctoral scholar stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 4,305 postdoctoral scholars resumes in Zippia's database.
Postdoctoral scholar tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 39% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 11% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Postdoctoral scholar LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of postdoctoral scholars 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Resource Manager | 8.40% | 8,641 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | 8.45% | - |
| Zoologist | 9.74% | 1,334 |
| Senior Food Scientist | 19.06% | 92,996 |
Similar postdoctoral scholar jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Resource Manager | 8.40% | 8,641 |
| Zoologist | 9.74% | 1,334 |
| Senior Food Scientist | 19.06% | 92,996 |
Foreign languages spoken by postdoctoral scholars
The most common foreign language among postdoctoral scholars is Spanish at 30.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.6% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 10.2%.
- Spanish, 30.5%
- French, 14.6%
- Chinese, 10.2%
- German, 6.6%
- Mandarin, 5.7%
- Other, 32.4%
Postdoctoral scholar languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 30.5% |
| French | 14.6% |
| Chinese | 10.2% |
| German | 6.6% |
| Mandarin | 5.7% |
| Other | 32.4% |
