More detailed data on manpower in science and engineering fields are reported for 1960 in table 5. Engineers as a class represent about 66 percent of all scientists and engineers. Within engineering, electrical, mechanical, and civil engineers are the most numerous and together account for about 60 percent of the engineering total. Physical scientists are about 18 percent of the total, with nearly half of them in chemistry. Physicists, mathematicians, and earth scientists each account for 25,000 to 32,000. Life scientists amount to 11 percent and are not dominated by any single field. Agricultural, biological, and medical scientists and psychologists each account for 30,000 to 40,000 of the total. Social scientists account for only 5 percent. The doctorate is held by about 7 percent of all scientists and engineers and represents the highest level of research training. However, most of the doctorates are awarded in the sciences, and 38 percent are held by physical scientists, another 38 percent by life scientists, and 16 percent by social scientists. About 8 percent of the doctorates are held by engineers. Work activities of scientists and engineers Scientists and engineers are principally engaged in research and development, production and operations, and college and university teaching. Smaller numbers are employed as managers, writers, and consultants. The proportions of scientists and engineers in each of these activities are markedly different, however. Table 6 provides estimated percentage distributions of scientists and engineers by type of work activities. (See chart 5.) TABLE 6.-Percentage distribution of scientists and engineers by work activities Scientists are employed principally in production and operation (24 percent) and in research (23 percent). An estimated 17 percent work in development activities. A substantial number, 16 percent, are engaged in college and university teaching; administration, management, and other activities account for another 20 percent. The work activity pattern for the engineers shows 35 percent in production and operations, 26 percent in development, and 10 percent in administration and management. Relatively small numbers are reported in research (4 percent) and in college teaching (1 percent). Employers of scientists and engineers Employers of scientists and engineers reflect the growing role of science in industry. With increasing emphasis on research, business establishments now employ more scientists than do either Government or educational institutions. Engineers have traditionally worked principally in industry and still do. An estimated distribution of scientists and engineers by type of employer is provided in table 7. TABLE 7.-Percentage distribution of scientists and engineers by type of employer Approximately 43 percent of the scientists work in private industry, and another 17 percent in the government agencies, particularly in the Federal Government. Teaching and research activities are the principal work activities of the 30 percent of the scientists who are working in the colleges and universities. Another 10 percent are self-employed, working for other nonprofit institutes and foundations, or engaged in miscellaneous activities. (See chart 6.) Engineers are predominantly employed in private industry, with 81 percent so reported. Another 13 percent work for government agencies at all levels. Only about 3 percent are found in college and university employment, where they are engaged in research and administration as well as teaching. Formal education of scientists and engineers In common with other professions, college and university education constitutes the main part of the educational preparation of scientists and engineers. Considerable numbers in these professions, particularly in engineering, still do not possess the baccalaureate, but the trend is toward an increasing number of years of training. Professional workers in these fields without any higher education are very few, and this number can be expected to become progressively smaller as higher levels of training are required for professional recognition. Graduate study is more and more expected of the professional engineer as well as the scientists. The graduate degree holders in science traditionally associated with college and university teaching are found to an increasing extent in industry and government. Table 4 presents an estimated percentage distribution of scientists and engineers by highest degree held. An estimated 19 percent of the professional scientists hold the doctorate (Ph. D., Sc. D., etc.), as shown in table 8. This group includes most of the senior college faculty members, the principal research investigators, and the science administrators. Another 38 percent hold the master's degree, and 38 percent hold the baccalaureate only. An estimated 5 percent hold no degree. TABLE 8.-Percentage distribution of scientists and engineers by highest degree held About two-thirds of all engineers hold only a bachelor's degree. Master's degrees are held by 7 percent, and the doctorate by about 1 percent of the engineers. One of the fast-growing fields of graduate study, however, is engineering, and graduate degree percentages can be expected to increase. As many as 25 percent of the engineers hold no college degree, although they usually have some higher education short of the degree. Growth trends in science and engineering occupations The numbers of scientists and engineers have approximately tripled in the period 1940-63. Since the turn of the century, the number of scientists has increased about 100 times, and the number of engineers more than 20 times. Table 9 presents data on more recent growth trends since 1940. Physical scientists and mathematicians have increased from 65,000 to 255,000, or 292 percent, in the period 1940-63. Life scientists, including psychologists, show an increase from 50,000 to 160,000, or 220 percent, for this period. TABLE 9.-Number of scientists and engineers, 1940-63 Social scientists increased from 30,000 to 85,000, or 183 percent. In engineering, the greatest relative growth occurred in electrical engineering at 340 percent, or from 50,000 to 220,000. Mechanical and aeronautical engineers grew from 75,000 to 240,000, or 220 percent. Civil engineers show the lowest growth, but even here the increase was 112 percent, or 80,000 to 170,000, for the period. Industrial, chemical, and other engineers were up 221 percent in total. Trends in science and engineering degrees awarded Baccalaureates awarded in the natural and social sciences, mathematics, and engineering typically range between 35 and 40 percent of all bachelor's degrees. A peak of 176,000 was reached in 1950, largely as a result of graduations deferred by World War II. After 1950, baccalaureates in these fields declined to a low point of about 96,000 in 1955 as the low-birth-rate cohorts of the 1930's moved through college. Since then degrees have increased to 155,000 in 1962, although baccalaureates in engineering are still well below the earlier peak and have not increased since 1959. (See chart 7.) 1950 1950 51 '51 52 53 '54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 NOTE Includes Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Engineering SOURCE Office of Education ACADEMIC YEAR ENDING |