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Characteristics of Recipients of Research Doctorates, FY 2016

Almanac 2018
August 19, 2018

Of all doctorate recipients with definite postdoctoral employment plans, those with doctorates in the humanities and arts were the most likely to have secured jobs in academe. Median time from start of doctorate to finish was longer for recipients in the humanities and arts than for those in any other field, and humanities and arts recipients were the most likely to be non-Hispanic whites and to be seeking work or further study. Humanities and arts recipients with definite work plans expected to earn the lowest starting salaries both in academe and over all.

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Of all doctorate recipients with definite postdoctoral employment plans, those with doctorates in the humanities and arts were the most likely to have secured jobs in academe. Median time from start of doctorate to finish was longer for recipients in the humanities and arts than for those in any other field, and humanities and arts recipients were the most likely to be non-Hispanic whites and to be seeking work or further study. Humanities and arts recipients with definite work plans expected to earn the lowest starting salaries both in academe and over all.


Return to the Almanac home page, or go to the Profession, Students, Finance, or States section. To purchase a copy of the Almanac in print or as a downloadable interactive PDF, visit the Chronicle Store. Help guide us to give you the data you need by taking our 10-minute online Almanac survey.


All fieldsLife
sciences
Physical
sciences
Math and
computer
science
Psychology
and social
sciences
Engineering Education Humanities
and arts
Other
All doctorate recipients 54,904 12,568 6,252 3,957 9,078 9,469 5,153 5,484 2,943
Percentage 100.0% 22.9% 11.4% 7.2% 16.5% 17.2% 9.4% 10.0% 5.4%
Median age at award 31.6 30.9 29.5 30.3 32.5 30.0 38.6 34.1 34.7
Time to doctorate
Median number of years from bachelor’s degree to doctorate 8.8 8.2 6.9 7.9 9.5 7.3 15.0 11.0 11.2
Median number of years from start of doctoral program 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.7 6.0 5.3 6.0 7.0 5.3
Other degrees received
Percentage with bachelor’s degree in same field as doctorate 54.0% 49.7% 66.9% 60.2% 48.4% 75.9% 24.9% 53.5% 35.6%
Percentage with a master’s degree in any field 69.4% 50.9% 51.4% 72.8% 81.8% 69.7% 87.9% 84.4% 82.8%
Sex
Male 53.9% 44.9% 68.6% 75.8% 41.3% 76.9% 30.1% 48.1% 50.1%
Female 46.0% 55.1% 31.4% 24.2% 58.7% 23.1% 69.9% 51.8% 49.8%
Citizenship
U.S. citizen or permanent resident 65.1% 69.2% 58.6% 43.7% 75.2% 44.2% 83.5% 81.1% 63.4%
Temporary visa holder 30.0% 26.8% 37.0% 51.9% 19.3% 51.2% 10.9% 13.0% 30.2%
Unknown 4.9% 4.0% 4.4% 4.4% 5.4% 4.6% 5.6% 5.9% 6.4%
Marital status
Never married 31.6% 33.1% 40.7% 37.4% 27.7% 38.3% 17.7% 25.9% 23.5%
Married 44.8% 45.1% 37.1% 42.8% 44.0% 41.5% 56.7% 46.8% 51.7%
Marriagelike relationship 8.3% 9.6% 9.9% 6.2% 10.3% 6.6% 4.9% 10.1% 4.7%
Separated, divorced, widowed 3.4% 2.8% 2.1% 2.1% 4.0% 1.3% 7.4% 5.0% 5.2%
Unknown 11.9% 9.4% 10.3% 11.5% 14.0% 12.3% 13.3% 12.2% 15.0%
Race/ethnicity of the 35,719 U.S. citizens and permanent residents
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.4% 0.2% 0.7% 0.4% 0.2%
Asian 8.6% 10.5% 8.2% 12.5% 6.3% 15.4% 4.9% 4.0% 10.1%
Black/African-American 6.6% 5.9% 2.6% 4.5% 7.2% 4.1% 14.9% 3.8% 10.6%
Hispanic 7.2% 7.5% 5.1% 5.5% 8.5% 6.5% 7.5% 7.2% 6.6%
White, non-Hispanic 71.5% 70.3% 78.5% 69.8% 71.0% 67.2% 67.1% 79.3% 67.0%
2 or more races 2.9% 3.0% 3.0% 3.8% 3.2% 2.9% 2.3% 2.5% 2.3%
Other/unknown 2.9% 2.4% 2.4% 3.7% 3.4% 3.7% 2.6% 2.7% 3.2%
Postdoctoral plans among the 48,356 people who reported definite plans
Definite postdoctoral study 23.5% 36.1% 37.4% 21.2% 24.5% 19.3% 5.0% 10.8% 5.3%
Definite employment 37.1% 22.4% 23.9% 45.4% 41.8% 38.5% 58.2% 39.3% 61.9%
Seeking employment or study 34.3% 34.3% 35.2% 29.0% 29.4% 37.9% 32.0% 44.8% 27.4%
Other 5.1% 7.1% 3.5% 4.4% 4.3% 4.4% 4.9% 5.0% 5.4%
• For the 11,359 people planning definite postdoctoral study, what type
Postdoc fellowship 53.0% 56.0% 38.4% 42.9% 72.9% 35.9% 52.5% 81.6% 66.2%
Postdoc research associateship 43.8% 39.3% 60.9% 54.9% 22.0% 62.8% 44.3% 17.2% 31.5%
Other 3.2% 4.7% 0.7% 2.2% 5.1% 1.3% 3.2% 1.2% 2.3%
• For the 17,941 people planning definite employment, what type
Sector
Academe 46.2% 39.8% 21.0% 31.9% 55.8% 16.9% 59.2% 76.5% 76.6%
Government 7.6% 10.8% 9.1% 3.6% 13.0% 8.1% 4.0% 2.3% 5.4%
Industry/business 33.1% 35.8% 64.3% 59.5% 17.6% 69.9% 4.8% 5.3% 10.7%
Nonprofit organization 5.5% 9.0% 3.2% 2.8% 7.4% 3.0% 5.3% 7.5% 3.6%
Other/unknown 7.5% 4.5% 2.4% 2.1% 6.2% 2.1% 26.7% 8.3% 3.7%
Primary employment activity
Research and development 43.2% 46.0% 65.3% 63.6% 38.1% 73.6% 12.0% 10.6% 37.8%
Teaching 32.5% 24.7% 16.6% 24.8% 35.3% 8.9% 43.1% 71.6% 46.0%
Management or administration 11.2% 11.1% 3.2% 3.0% 8.9% 4.3% 33.7% 9.7% 9.3%
Professional services 10.4% 14.5% 10.4% 5.3% 16.1% 9.5% 9.3% 5.7% 6.1%
Other 2.7% 3.6% 4.5% 3.3% 1.6% 3.8% 1.9% 2.5% 0.9%
Median basic salary
Academe $61,000 $64,000 $52,000 $70,000 $61,000 $78,500 $61,000 $51,080 $90,000
Government $80,000 $74,000 $79,000 $93,000 $80,000 $95,000 $75,000 $67,000 $85,000
Industry/business $100,000 $90,000 $100,000 $125,000 $95,000 $100,000 $80,000 $69,000 $110,000
Nonprofit organization $80,000 $80,000 $102,500 $106,250 $80,000 $100,000 $79,500 $55,000 $90,000
Other/unknown $70,000 $57,000 $54,000 $56,000 $63,500 $48,000 $77,000 $55,000 $71,500
All definite employment $75,000 $75,000 $85,000 $105,000 $68,000 $100,000 $65,500 $52,000 $95,000

Note: “Life sciences” includes agricultural sciences and natural resources, biological and biomedical sciences, and health sciences. “Psychology and social sciences” includes economics. The column labeled “Other” includes business management and administration, and other nonscience and nonengineering fields not shown elsewhere. People who identified themselves as Hispanic may be of any race. “Asians” do not include Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders; they are reported in the race/ethnicity category “Other/unknown.” A bachelor’s degree is counted as being in the same field as the doctorate if both degrees are in the same major-field categories. The median number of years to doctorate from start of doctoral program includes years studying for a master’s degree if they were spent at the same institution where the candidate earned a doctorate and in the same fine field of study, or were a prerequisite to the doctorate; otherwise, the number is based on doctoral- program entry. The employment sector “Industry/business” includes self-employment. The employment sector “Other/unknown” consists mainly of elementary and secondary schools. Percentages may not add up to 100 because of rounding or because a small share of unknowns was excluded. More data are available here. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to the Almanac editor.

Source: Chronicle analysis of Survey of Earned Doctorates by National Science Foundation and five other federal agencies

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A version of this article appeared in the August 24, 2018, issue.
Read other items in this Students: Almanac 2018 package.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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