Employment Preferences and Salary Expectations of Students in Science and Engineering

摘要

What kinds of workplace are current life sciences students, and other students in science and engineering, willing to work in? What kinds of salaries do they expect to earn upon graduation? How well do the salary expectations of life sciences students match the reality of the job market? Do white and minority life sciences students have similar work preferences and salary expectations? This article examines these issues by analyzing data from a national study of college students in science and engineering fields, conducted by the author. Students expressed a willingness to work in a variety of institutional settings upon graduation, and their salary expectations were comparable to what employers are paying new graduates. However, the study also found racial and gender differences in workplace preferences and salary expectations.nnThe number of students pursuing degrees in science and engineering (S&E) has grown over the last two decades. During that time, our ability to track changes and predict enrollment trends has improved. Consequently, there are reliable data on the number of students enrolling in and graduating from S&E and other higher education programs. There is also a robust body of data and publications on employment trends and workforce characteristics in S&E fields (CAWMSET 2000, NSF 2000, NSB 2006). Nonetheless, there are scant data on the employment preferences and salary expectations of S&E students (NSF 2001). As a result, we know little about what kinds of workplaces current S&E students are willing to work in and what kinds of salaries they expect to earn when they enter the workforce.nnThis article focuses on the employment preferences and salary expectations of four-year college and university students in life sciences and other S&E programs nationwide. It reports the findings of a national survey of students in five life sciences fields (biological sciences, forestry, natural resource management, agricultural sciences, and environmental sciences), a physical science field (geosciences, comprising geology, earth science, and atmospheric science), an engineering field (environmental engineering), and two social science groups (geography students and students pursuing degrees in fields such as environmental sociology and political ecology). The study examines students' willingness to work in five types of institution upon graduation: academia, government agencies, corporations (for-profit organizations), environmental organizations, and other nonprofits. It also reports the minimum salaries students indicated they were willing to accept upon graduation.