Research and development engineer demographics and statistics in the US
Research and development engineer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates research and development engineer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our research and development engineer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about research and development engineers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 22,050 research and development engineers currently employed in the United States.
- 14.8% of all research and development engineers are women, while 85.2% are men.
- The average research and development engineer age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of research and development engineers is White (67.8%), followed by Asian (16.7%), Hispanic or Latino (7.8%) and Unknown (4.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 103% of what men earned.
- 5% of all research and development engineers are LGBT.
- Research and development engineers are 50% more likely to work at public companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Research and development engineer demographics by:
Research and development engineer gender statistics
14.8% of research and development engineers are women and 85.2% of research and development engineers are men.
- Male, 85.2%
- Female, 14.8%
Research and development engineer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 85.2% |
| Female | 14.8% |
Research and development engineer gender pay gap
Women earn $1.03 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$97,485
Female income
$100,026
Research and development engineer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in research and development engineer positions over time. Currently, 14.8% of research and development engineers are female.
Research and development engineer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87.57% | 12.43% |
| 2011 | 91.16% | 8.84% |
| 2012 | 88.70% | 11.30% |
| 2013 | 89.33% | 10.67% |
| 2014 | 88.06% | 11.94% |
| 2015 | 87.11% | 12.89% |
| 2016 | 88.48% | 11.52% |
| 2017 | 86.26% | 13.74% |
| 2018 | 86.95% | 13.05% |
| 2019 | 86.82% | 13.18% |
| 2020 | 84.02% | 15.98% |
| 2021 | 85.24% | 14.76% |
Research and development engineer related jobs gender ratio
We compared research and development engineers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, senior electronics design engineer and refrigeration engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Engineer | 11% | 89% |
| Research And Development Engineer | 85% | 15% |
| Machine Tool Designer | 99% | 1% |
| Refrigeration Engineer | 99% | 1% |
| Senior Electronics Design Engineer | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Research and development engineer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among research and development engineers is White, which makes up 67.8% of all research and development engineers. Comparatively, 16.7% of research and development engineers are Asian and 7.8% of research and development engineers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 67.8%
- Asian, 16.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.8%
- Unknown, 4.5%
- Black or African American, 3.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Research and development engineer race
| Research and development engineer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.8% |
| Asian | 16.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.8% |
| Unknown | 4.5% |
| Black or African American | 3.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Research and development engineer race and ethnicity over time
See how research and development engineer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Research and development engineer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.04% | 3.15% | 14.56% | 5.45% |
| 2011 | 75.11% | 3.15% | 14.34% | 5.75% |
| 2012 | 75.54% | 3.38% | 13.50% | 6.08% |
| 2013 | 75.11% | 2.63% | 15.00% | 5.50% |
| 2014 | 73.14% | 2.73% | 16.11% | 6.50% |
| 2015 | 73.62% | 2.98% | 14.73% | 7.09% |
| 2016 | 71.64% | 3.17% | 15.82% | 7.69% |
| 2017 | 72.36% | 2.46% | 15.54% | 7.61% |
| 2018 | 73.14% | 2.77% | 15.17% | 6.84% |
| 2019 | 71.60% | 3.01% | 15.68% | 7.12% |
| 2020 | 68.09% | 2.72% | 17.18% | 8.48% |
| 2021 | 67.84% | 3.07% | 16.68% | 7.80% |
Research and development engineer wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino research and development engineers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american research and development engineers have the lowest average salary at $92,755.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $97,606 |
| White | $98,705 |
| Black or African American | $92,755 |
| Asian | $98,000 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $100,532 |
Average research and development engineer age
See how the average age of research and development engineers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Research and development engineer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 39 | 36 |
| White | 40 | 33 |
| Black or African American | 40 | 48 |
| Asian | 38.5 | 34 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 26 |
Research and development engineer age breakdown
The average age of research and development engineers is 40+ years years old, representing 49% of the research and development engineer population.
Research and development engineer age breakdown
| Research And Development Engineer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 49% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 20% |
Research and development engineer educational attainment
The most common degree for research and development engineers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of research and development engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 6%.
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Research and development engineers by degree level
| Research and development engineer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 70% |
| Master's | 18% |
| Associate | 6% |
| Doctorate | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Research and development engineer jobs you might like
Research and development engineer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, research and development engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $120,493 annually. With a Master's degree, research and development engineers earn a median annual income of $111,606 compared to $99,182 for research and development engineers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $111,606 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $99,182 |
| Doctorate Degree | $120,493 |
Research and development engineer employment statistics
Most research and development engineers work for a public in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where research and development engineers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where research and development engineers work.
Research and development engineer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 6% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 15% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 41% |
Research and development engineer jobs by company type
Employees with the research and development engineer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most research and development engineers prefer to work at public companies over private companies.
Research and development engineer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 3% |
| Public | 50% |
| Private | 46% |
| Government | 1% |
Research and development engineer jobs by industry
The most common industries for research and development engineers are manufacturing, technology and health care.
Research and development engineer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 21% |
| Technology | 18% |
| Fortune 500 | 16% |
| Health Care | 12% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Automotive | 4% |
| Energy | 4% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
Research and development engineer turnover and employment statistics
Research and development engineer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for research and development engineers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Research and development engineer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Research and development engineer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.09% |
| 2011 | 4.26% |
| 2012 | 2.86% |
| 2013 | 1.99% |
| 2014 | 1.63% |
| 2015 | 1.74% |
| 2016 | 1.46% |
| 2017 | 1.74% |
| 2018 | 1.20% |
| 2019 | 1.42% |
| 2020 | 2.46% |
| 2021 | 2.18% |
Average research and development engineer tenure
The average research and development engineer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 8,400 research and development engineers resumes in Zippia's database.
Research and development engineer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 19% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Research and development engineer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of research and development engineers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Lead Project Engineer | 3.67% | 128,828 |
| Research And Development Engineer | 4.55% | - |
| Oil Exploration Engineer | 5.25% | 2,322 |
| Cost Engineer | 6.39% | 65,278 |
| Aircraft Engineer | 7.54% | 5,718 |
| Refinery Process Engineer | 8.92% | 24,593 |
| Smelting Engineer | 10.43% | 3,371 |
Similar research and development engineer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Lead Project Engineer | 3.67% | 128,828 |
| Oil Exploration Engineer | 5.25% | 2,322 |
| Cost Engineer | 6.39% | 65,278 |
| Aircraft Engineer | 7.54% | 5,718 |
| Refinery Process Engineer | 8.92% | 24,593 |
| Smelting Engineer | 10.43% | 3,371 |
Foreign languages spoken by research and development engineers
The most common foreign language among research and development engineers is Spanish at 22.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 15.4% and Mandarin is the third-most popular at 13.1%.
- Spanish, 22.5%
- Chinese, 15.4%
- Mandarin, 13.1%
- French, 10.8%
- Japanese, 8.3%
- Other, 29.9%
Research and development engineer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 22.5% |
| Chinese | 15.4% |
| Mandarin | 13.1% |
| French | 10.8% |
| Japanese | 8.3% |
| Other | 29.9% |
