STEM workers are integral to the development and support of innovation and technological advancement. They also transform these advancements into tangible and useful goods and services through their skills and knowledge. The use of STEM skills is widespread in the United States, with STEM workers making up nearly a quarter of the total workforce and more than half holding less than a bachelor’s degree. STEM workers tend to have favorable labor market outcomes relative to non-STEM workers, including higher salaries. People associated with STEM occupations also have higher employment rates.

Many suggest that a nation’s workforce diversity is associated with increased innovative capacity. Women and some racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in STEM overall, with lower proportions of female and Black or African American workers with S&E degrees working in S&E occupations; however, representation levels vary by occupation group. Further, median earnings differences between the sexes persist in STEM occupations, with men earning more than women.

Foreign-born workers account for a considerable share of STEM workers in the United States. In addition, noncitizens comprise a large proportion of U.S.-trained STEM doctorate holders, with the majority remaining in the United States after finishing their degrees, especially those from India and China, indicating that their contributions to the U.S. economy continue well after their training in U.S. institutions ends.

The STEM labor force is comprehensive and diverse, made up of workers at all education levels in a wide variety of occupations. Many factors—global competition, demographic trends, aggregate economic activities, STEM training pathways, and developing labor demands, among others—will affect the availability of workers equipped with STEM knowledge and skills as well as the kinds of jobs that the U.S. economy generates in the future. As a result, comprehensive and timely analysis of current labor force and demographic trends will play a critical role in providing the policy-relevant information needed to understand the dynamic STEM landscape in the United States.