Research engineer demographics and statistics in the US
Research engineer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates research engineer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our research 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 engineers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 4,011 research engineers currently employed in the United States.
- 18.3% of all research engineers are women, while 81.7% are men.
- The average research engineer age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of research engineers is White (67.6%), followed by Asian (16.9%), Hispanic or Latino (7.8%) and Unknown (4.5%).
- Research engineers are most in-demand in San Antonio, TX.
- Menlo Park, CA pays an annual average wage of $133,556, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women research engineers earned 103% of what men earned.
- California is the best state for research engineers to live.
- Research engineers are 41% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Research engineer demographics by:
Research engineer gender statistics
18.3% of research engineers are women and 81.7% of research engineers are men.
- Male, 81.7%
- Female, 18.3%
Research engineer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 81.7% |
| Female | 18.3% |
Research engineer gender pay gap
Women earn $1.03 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$93,901
Female income
$96,783
Research engineer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in research engineer positions over time. Currently, 18.3% of research engineers are female.
Research engineer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 84.47% | 15.53% |
| 2011 | 88.83% | 11.17% |
| 2012 | 85.83% | 14.17% |
| 2013 | 86.60% | 13.40% |
| 2014 | 85.06% | 14.94% |
| 2015 | 83.91% | 16.09% |
| 2016 | 85.57% | 14.43% |
| 2017 | 82.89% | 17.11% |
| 2018 | 83.73% | 16.27% |
| 2019 | 83.56% | 16.44% |
| 2020 | 80.23% | 19.77% |
| 2021 | 81.68% | 18.32% |
Research engineer related jobs gender ratio
We compared research 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 Engineer | 82% | 18% |
| 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 engineer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among research engineers is White, which makes up 67.6% of all research engineers. Comparatively, 16.9% of research engineers are Asian and 7.8% of research engineers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 67.6%
- Asian, 16.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.8%
- Unknown, 4.5%
- Black or African American, 3.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Research engineer race
| Research engineer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.6% |
| Asian | 16.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.8% |
| Unknown | 4.5% |
| Black or African American | 3.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Research engineer race and ethnicity over time
See how research engineer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Research engineer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.82% | 3.16% | 14.73% | 5.49% |
| 2011 | 74.89% | 3.16% | 14.51% | 5.79% |
| 2012 | 75.32% | 3.39% | 13.67% | 6.12% |
| 2013 | 74.89% | 2.64% | 15.17% | 5.54% |
| 2014 | 72.92% | 2.74% | 16.28% | 6.54% |
| 2015 | 73.40% | 2.98% | 14.90% | 7.13% |
| 2016 | 71.42% | 3.18% | 15.99% | 7.73% |
| 2017 | 72.14% | 2.46% | 15.71% | 7.65% |
| 2018 | 72.92% | 2.77% | 15.34% | 6.88% |
| 2019 | 71.38% | 3.02% | 15.85% | 7.16% |
| 2020 | 67.87% | 2.73% | 17.35% | 8.52% |
| 2021 | 67.61% | 3.07% | 16.85% | 7.84% |
Research engineer wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino research engineers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american research engineers have the lowest average salary at $88,574.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $94,039 |
| White | $95,283 |
| Black or African American | $88,574 |
| Asian | $94,485 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $97,357 |
Average research engineer age
See how the average age of research engineers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Research 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 engineer age breakdown
The average age of research engineers is 40+ years years old, representing 49% of the research engineer population.
Research engineer age breakdown
| Research Engineer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 49% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 20% |
Research engineer educational attainment
The most common degree for research engineers is bachelor's degree, with 65% of research engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 9%.
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Master's, 23%
- Doctorate, 9%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Research engineers by degree level
| Research engineer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 65% |
| Master's | 23% |
| Doctorate | 9% |
| Associate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Research engineer jobs you might like
Research engineer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, research engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $120,432 annually. With a Master's degree, research engineers earn a median annual income of $110,069 compared to $95,824 for research engineers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $110,069 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $95,824 |
| Doctorate Degree | $120,432 |
Research engineer employment statistics
Most research engineers work for a private in the education industry.
Company size where research engineers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where research engineers work.
Research engineer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 9% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 33% |
| > 10,000 employees | 34% |
Research engineer jobs by company type
Employees with the research engineer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most research engineers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Research engineer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 26% |
| Public | 31% |
| Private | 41% |
| Government | 1% |
Research engineer jobs by industry
The most common industries for research engineers are education, technology and manufacturing.
Research engineer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 21% |
| Technology | 18% |
| Manufacturing | 13% |
| Fortune 500 | 12% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Internet | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Energy | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Automotive | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
Research engineer turnover and employment statistics
Research engineer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for research engineers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Research engineer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Research 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 engineer tenure
The average research engineer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 6,303 research engineers resumes in Zippia's database.
Research engineer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 20% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Research engineer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of research 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation Engineer | 3.67% | 25,545 |
| Research Engineer | 4.55% | - |
| Energy Engineer | 5.25% | 16,765 |
| Electrical Technical Specialist | 6.39% | 96,841 |
| Test Facility Engineer | 7.54% | 29,673 |
| Fuels Engineer | 8.92% | 43,863 |
| Smelting Engineer | 10.43% | 3,371 |
Similar research engineer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation Engineer | 3.67% | 25,545 |
| Energy Engineer | 5.25% | 16,765 |
| Electrical Technical Specialist | 6.39% | 96,841 |
| Test Facility Engineer | 7.54% | 29,673 |
| Fuels Engineer | 8.92% | 43,863 |
| Smelting Engineer | 10.43% | 3,371 |
Foreign languages spoken by research engineers
The most common foreign language among research engineers is Spanish at 25.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 13.4% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 10.8%.
- Spanish, 25.6%
- French, 13.4%
- Chinese, 10.8%
- German, 8.0%
- Mandarin, 7.3%
- Other, 34.9%
Research engineer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 25.6% |
| French | 13.4% |
| Chinese | 10.8% |
| German | 8.0% |
| Mandarin | 7.3% |
| Other | 34.9% |
