Each fall the Statistical Research Center conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees, which asks all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the US to provide information concerning the numbers of students they have enrolled and counts of recent degree recipients. In connection with this survey, the authors ask for the names and contact information for their recent degree recipients. This degree recipient information is used to conduct their Follow-up Survey in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. The post-degree outcome data in this "focus on" come from that survey. Within the private sector, astronomy bachelor's degree recipients employed in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) had a median starting salary that was nearly $25K higher than those employed in non-STEM positions. Virtually all astronomy bachelor's recipients employed in colleges and universities worked in STEM jobs and they too had higher starting salaries than their colleagues in the private sector working in non-STEM fields. Forty-one percent of astronomy bachelor's recipients graduated with a double major. About half of new astronomy bachelor's recipients enter the workforce after earning their degrees. Half of all new astronomy bachelor's recipients employed in the private sector are working in a STEM field. Almost half of exiting astronomy master's degrees were earned by women. Seventy percent of new astronomy master's recipients immediately entered the workforce. U.S. citizens made up 71% of new astronomy PhD recipients. Over three-quarters of new astronomy PhD recipients accepted postdoc positions. The median starting salary for astronomy PhDs in academia and government were $50,000 & $55,300 respectively. (Contains 3 tables and 6 figures.)
Authors
- Authorizing Institution
- American Institute of Physics, Statistical Research Center
- Education Level
- ['Higher Education', 'Postsecondary Education']
- Peer Reviewed
- F
- Publication Type
- ['Numerical/Quantitative Data', 'Reports - Research']
- Published in
- United States of America
Table of Contents
- Figure 1 1
- Within the private sector astronomy bachelors degree recipients 1
- Page 2 focus on 2
- Astronomy Degree Recipients Initial Employment 2
- Table 1 2
- Figure 2 3
- Classes of 2007 2008 2009 Combined. 3
- Page 4 focus on 4
- Astronomy Degree Recipients Initial Employment 4
- Figure 3 4
- Almost all of those employed in colleges and universities reported working in a STEM field with 5
- Page 6 focus on 6
- Astronomy Degree Recipients Initial Employment 6
- Table 2 6
- For this report exiting astronomy masters degree recipients are 6
- Figure 4 7
- Page 8 focus on 8
- Astronomy Degree Recipients Initial Employment 8
- Table 3 9
- Page 10 focus on 10
- Astronomy Degree Recipients Initial Employment 10
- Figure 5 10
- About 17 of new astronomy PhD recipients from the combined classes of 10
- Figure 6 11
- Page 12 focus on 12
- Astronomy Degree Recipients Initial Employment 12
- Survey Methodology 12
