Scientist demographics and statistics in the US
Scientist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates scientist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our 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 scientists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 42,871 scientists currently employed in the United States.
- 43.1% of all scientists are women, while 56.9% are men.
- The average scientist age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of scientists is White (53.2%), followed by Asian (26.3%), Hispanic or Latino (9.8%) and Black or African American (6.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 100% of what men earned.
- 8% of all scientists are LGBT.
- Scientists are 49% more likely to work at public companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Scientist demographics by:
Scientist gender statistics
43.1% of scientists are women and 56.9% of scientists are men.
- Male, 56.9%
- Female, 43.1%
Scientist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 56.9% |
| Female | 43.1% |
Scientist gender pay gap
Women earn $1.00 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$94,912
Female income
$95,332
Scientist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in scientist positions over time. Currently, 43.1% of scientists are female.
Scientist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 61.25% | 38.75% |
| 2011 | 57.71% | 42.29% |
| 2012 | 63.83% | 36.17% |
| 2013 | 59.25% | 40.75% |
| 2014 | 60.26% | 39.74% |
| 2015 | 61.12% | 38.88% |
| 2016 | 56.62% | 43.38% |
| 2017 | 58.96% | 41.04% |
| 2018 | 57.62% | 42.38% |
| 2019 | 55.88% | 44.12% |
| 2020 | 55.68% | 44.32% |
| 2021 | 56.94% | 43.06% |
Scientist related jobs gender ratio
We compared 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% |
| Scientist | 57% | 43% |
| Forestry Consultant | 93% | 7% |
| Field Agronomist | 94% | 6% |
| Procurement Forester | 95% | 5% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Scientist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among scientists is White, which makes up 53.2% of all scientists. Comparatively, 26.3% of scientists are Asian and 9.8% of scientists are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 53.2%
- Asian, 26.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.8%
- Black or African American, 6.5%
- Unknown, 4.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Scientist race
| Scientist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 53.2% |
| Asian | 26.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.8% |
| Black or African American | 6.5% |
| Unknown | 4.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Scientist race and ethnicity over time
See how scientist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Scientist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 56.40% | 5.36% | 28.82% | 6.84% |
| 2011 | 55.15% | 5.78% | 29.29% | 7.49% |
| 2012 | 55.96% | 5.57% | 28.45% | 7.24% |
| 2013 | 56.55% | 5.67% | 27.06% | 7.98% |
| 2014 | 56.23% | 6.01% | 27.67% | 7.00% |
| 2015 | 56.35% | 5.45% | 28.45% | 6.95% |
| 2016 | 55.72% | 5.25% | 27.26% | 9.14% |
| 2017 | 55.85% | 6.11% | 26.75% | 8.06% |
| 2018 | 54.96% | 5.86% | 27.61% | 8.19% |
| 2019 | 56.35% | 5.51% | 26.82% | 8.56% |
| 2020 | 54.48% | 5.13% | 27.10% | 9.47% |
| 2021 | 53.16% | 6.51% | 26.26% | 9.78% |
Scientist wage gap by race
According to our data, white scientists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino scientists have the lowest average salary at $92,365.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $94,535 |
| White | $96,610 |
| Black or African American | $94,932 |
| Asian | $96,174 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $92,365 |
Average scientist age
See how the average age of scientists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
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 |
Scientist age breakdown
The average age of scientists is 40+ years years old, representing 47% of the scientist population.
Scientist age breakdown
| Scientist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 47% |
| 30-40 years | 39% |
| 20-30 years | 14% |
Scientist educational attainment
The most common degree for scientists is bachelor's degree, with 60% of scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 16%.
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Master's, 19%
- Doctorate, 16%
- Associate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Scientists by degree level
| Scientist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 60% |
| Master's | 19% |
| Doctorate | 16% |
| Associate | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Scientist jobs you might like
Scientist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, scientists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $99,219 annually. With a Master's degree, scientists earn a median annual income of $94,324 compared to $92,421 for scientists with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $94,324 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $92,421 |
| Doctorate Degree | $99,219 |
Scientist employment statistics
Most scientists work for a public in the health care industry.
Company size where scientists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where scientists work.
Scientist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 8% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 22% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 28% |
Scientist jobs by company type
Employees with the scientist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most scientists prefer to work at public companies over private companies.
Scientist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 49% |
| Private | 42% |
| Government | 3% |
Scientist jobs by industry
The most common industries for scientists are health care, pharmaceutical and manufacturing.
Scientist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 21% |
| Pharmaceutical | 14% |
| Manufacturing | 12% |
| Fortune 500 | 12% |
| Technology | 9% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Education | 5% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Government | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
Scientist turnover and employment statistics
Scientist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for scientists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Scientist unemployment rate by year
| Year | 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 scientist tenure
The average scientist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 14,847 scientists resumes in Zippia's database.
Scientist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 16% |
| 1-2 years | 34% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Scientist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Ecologist | 8.40% | 246 |
| Scientist | 8.45% | - |
| Public Health Microbiology Laboratory Director | 9.74% | 97,533 |
| Plant Pathologist | 19.06% | 28,696 |
Similar scientist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Ecologist | 8.40% | 246 |
| Public Health Microbiology Laboratory Director | 9.74% | 97,533 |
| Plant Pathologist | 19.06% | 28,696 |
Foreign languages spoken by scientists
The most common foreign language among scientists is Spanish at 30.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 11.8% and French is the third-most popular at 11.1%.
- Spanish, 30.6%
- Chinese, 11.8%
- French, 11.1%
- German, 9.3%
- Mandarin, 5.7%
- Other, 31.5%
Scientist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 30.6% |
| Chinese | 11.8% |
| French | 11.1% |
| German | 9.3% |
| Mandarin | 5.7% |
| Other | 31.5% |
