STEM

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related careers account for just over 6 percent of all jobs in the United States.¹ The STEM job market is expected to increase by 13 percent over the next decade,² in comparison, all other jobs in the U.S. are expected to increase by an average of 9 percent.³ Since the 1990s, STEM employment has increased 79 percent — from 9 million to 17 million.⁴ The median wage for a STEM job in the U.S. is $38/hour;⁵ those in a STEM career make 26 percent more than workers in other fields — an average salary of $54,745 compared to $40,505.⁶ Women account for 14 percent of engineering jobs and 39 percent of jobs in physical sciences.⁷ While there has been marked progress for women's representation in some STEM areas, such as the physical sciences, the share of women has actually decreased in others. For example, in the 1990s, women accounted for 32 percent of all computer-related occupations. Today, women account for just 25 percent.⁸