What's the role of STEM careers?
- STEM workers are employed by diverse industries, such as healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications,
construction, and agriculture.
- Technologies developed by STEM workers include smartphones and online shopping, climate change research
and space exploration, along with life-saving innovations like cancer treatments and Alzheimer's
research.
- Sample STEM work settings include laboratories where scientists develop pharmaceuticals, biofuels; home
offices for IT workers designing websites; and construction jobsites for engineers.
- Universities and employers are recruiting more women and people of color to choose STEM-related college
majors and workplaces.
| High overall job growth expected. |
High job growth in the state, region, and nation. |
Computer and technology are the fastest growing fields. |
Value of the arts is also recognized. |
| STEM occupations currently account for nearly 10 million jobs. Job growth of more than 8% is
projected over the next decade, adding about 800,000 jobs. |
STEM jobs are expanding fastest in Texas, New York, California, and Washington, but STEM jobs
are also increasing rapidly in less established locations such as North Dakota, Tennessee, and
Georgia. |
Computer and technology-related occupations are the fastest-growing STEM fields, with an
increase of more than half a million new IT jobs projected across the next ten years. |
STEM is a related global education movement that incorporates the arts, such as humanities,
music, language arts, visual arts, and design, using the creative process to investigate
scientific concepts. |
Would a career in STEM be a good fit for me?
The STEM career cluster is about expanding our concept of the universe and inventing the future. It centers
on applying scientific methods, new technologies, and creative problem-solving skills to improve both
natural and human-built worlds.
Careers in this cluster offer opportunities for inventive, science- and data-loving minds to solve complex
problems for a wide variety of products and industries.
- Wages in this career cluster are typically much higher than the national average for all occupations.
Engineering fields offer some of the highest starting salaries of all occupations for new college
graduates.
- Curiosity and creativity are important traits in STEM careers, as workers are on the front lines of
scientific discoveries and developing cutting-edge technologies.
- Workers in math-related careers report particularly high rates of job satisfaction. Mathematicians,
statisticians, and actuaries are among the fastest-growing of all STEM jobs.
- Engineers work in a wide variety of industries all over the world, contributing to high levels of job
security.
- The technology sector employs the largest number of STEM workers, in many fast-growing fields.
- Math, design, reasoning, and communication are essential skills in this cluster.