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Table 65. Statistical profile of postgraduation plans of doctorate recipients in engineering fields, by sex and field of study: 2015

Characteristic All engineering fields Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering Bioengineering and biomedical engineering Chemical engineering Civil engineering Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering Industrial and manufacturing engineering Materials science engineering Mechanical engineering Other engineering
All doctorate recipients (number)a 9,897 361 1,129 1,002 633 2,004 244 874 1,467 2,183
Postgraduation status (number)b
Definite postgraduation study 1,694 64 304 175 113 267 17 182 254 318
Definite employment 3,064 124 215 318 169 736 98 233 430 741
Seeking employment or study 3,359 116 405 343 211 608 86 338 535 717
Otherc 358 11 70 32 21 74 6 19 33 92
Definite postgraduation study (%)d
Postdoc fellowship 35.2 40.6 54.9 36.0 21.2 28.8 35.3 31.3 34.3 28.0
Postdoc research associateship 63.2 59.4 42.1 62.9 77.0 70.0 64.7 67.6 65.7 69.2
Other or unknowne 1.6 0.0 3.0 1.1 1.8 1.1 0.0 1.1 0.0 2.8
Definite employment (%)f
Academe 17.2 16.9 16.7 8.2 32.5 9.8 35.7 10.3 20.9 22.8
Government 10.1 28.2 5.1 D 14.2 8.3 D 6.4 9.5 14.3
Industry or businessg 68.7 46.0 72.1 85.5 49.7 78.5 54.1 80.7 67.7 57.6
Nonprofit organization 3.1 8.1 4.7 D 3.0 3.0 6.1 D 1.4 3.9
Other or unknownh 0.9 0.8 1.4 0.6 0.6 0.4 D D 0.5 1.3
Primary activityi
R&D 74.6 75.2 73.3 84.7 47.8 84.8 64.5 77.4 76.8 65.7
Teaching 8.3 7.4 4.4 3.9 18.0 4.5 16.1 5.4 10.7 11.6
Management or administration 4.6 6.6 8.7 2.6 8.1 1.7 8.6 3.6 2.2 7.1
Professional services 8.7 6.6 10.7 4.9 22.4 5.5 7.5 11.3 7.1 10.6
Other 3.7 4.1 2.9 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.2 2.3 3.2 4.9
Secondary activityj
R&D 12.1 13.2 9.2 7.5 21.1 7.9 17.2 6.8 12.7 17.6
Teaching 7.3 7.4 4.4 2.9 11.8 4.4 16.1 5.4 9.5 9.9
Management or administration 18.6 19.8 31.6 21.1 18.6 14.1 14.0 26.7 17.1 16.9
Professional services 7.0 D 8.3 6.5 D 5.9 6.5 8.1 6.8 7.8
Other 2.1 D 3.9 3.9 D 2.0 1.1 2.3 2.0 1.0
No secondary activity 53.0 54.5 42.7 58.1 37.3 65.7 45.2 50.7 52.0 46.6
Activity unknown 3.9 2.4 4.2 3.1 4.7 3.7 5.1 5.2 4.7 3.6
Postgraduation location (%)k
United Statesl 89.7 92.0 90.2 91.5 87.2 91.8 83.5 88.7 90.6 87.4
New England 8.1 D 13.5 9.9 4.3 7.6 D 8.9 6.9 7.5
Middle Atlantic 11.0 4.8 14.6 14.2 9.9 9.7 10.4 10.8 10.5 10.8
East North Central 12.7 14.4 11.8 16.4 7.8 11.4 19.1 15.7 17.3 8.7
West North Central 3.8 5.3 4.4 4.5 5.3 2.6 6.1 4.1 3.2 3.6
South Atlantic 14.0 23.9 15.4 9.9 16.7 10.3 13.9 10.1 17.0 16.1
East South Central 2.5 D 1.7 2.4 4.3 1.0 D 3.6 2.3 3.2
West South Central 8.1 5.3 5.8 12.6 12.8 6.0 10.4 5.1 6.6 10.5
Mountain 5.3 6.4 2.1 4.9 5.0 6.0 4.3 4.6 6.1 6.0
Pacific and insular 24.2 22.9 20.8 16.4 21.3 37.3 11.3 25.8 20.8 21.1
Not in United States 9.9 8.0 9.8 8.1 12.4 7.8 16.5 11.1 9.1 11.9
Location unknown 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.7
Male doctorate recipients (number) 7,596 308 701 685 458 1,711 154 651 1,265 1,663
Postgraduation status (number)b
Definite postgraduation study 1,304 56 188 126 93 225 9 144 221 242
Definite employment 2,412 109 142 210 118 648 60 166 370 589
Seeking employment or study 2,544 98 247 239 151 511 60 254 459 525
Otherc 257 8 45 20 18 56 3 14 28 65
Definite postgraduation study (%)d
Postdoc fellowship 34.0 D 52.7 38.1 D 27.1 D 34.0 34.4 26.4
Postdoc research associateship 64.4 D 44.7 61.1 D 71.6 D 64.6 65.6 70.7
Other or unknowne 1.5 0.0 2.7 0.8 2.2 1.3 0.0 1.4 0.0 2.9
Definite employment (%)f
Academe 16.1 D 16.2 7.1 30.5 D 38.3 10.8 20.0 21.2
Government 10.1 D 4.2 3.8 D 8.5 D 4.8 D 14.8
Industry or businessg 70.1 45.0 73.9 87.6 55.1 79.3 51.7 81.9 69.5 59.4
Nonprofit organization 2.8 D 3.5 D D D D D D 3.1
Other or unknownh 0.9 0.0 2.1 D 0.8 0.5 D D 0.5 1.5
Primary activityi
R&D 76.6 75.0 75.2 87.3 52.6 85.7 62.5 78.8 79.8 67.0
Teaching 7.2 D D D 13.2 4.3 D D 9.1 10.2
Management or administration 4.8 7.4 D D D D D D D 7.2
Professional services 8.0 D 9.5 D 21.1 5.0 D 10.9 D 10.5
Other 3.4 D 1.5 3.9 D D 1.8 1.9 2.0 5.1
Secondary activityj
R&D 11.3 D 10.2 D 17.5 7.6 17.9 D 10.5 16.7
Teaching 7.4 D D D D 3.7 D D D 9.8
Management or administration 18.4 D 27.7 22.0 19.3 15.1 D 27.6 17.9 16.3
Professional services 7.2 D D 7.3 9.6 5.3 D D D 8.6
Other 1.9 D 5.1 2.9 D 2.1 0.0 1.9 2.0 0.7
No secondary activity 53.8 54.6 43.1 59.5 36.0 66.2 41.1 48.1 52.3 47.8
Activity unknown 3.9 0.9 3.5 2.4 3.4 4.0 6.7 6.0 4.9 3.4
Postgraduation location (%)k
United Statesl 90.0 D 92.1 91.1 88.2 92.2 D 89.4 D 87.6
New England 8.0 6.1 14.8 10.7 D 7.3 D 8.4 6.8 7.3
Middle Atlantic 11.0 D 17.0 14.0 9.5 9.5 D 11.9 10.7 10.6
East North Central 13.0 D 11.2 16.7 7.6 12.1 D 15.5 18.1 9.1
West North Central 3.7 6.1 4.8 D D D D 3.9 2.9 3.6
South Atlantic 13.7 22.4 15.8 10.1 15.6 10.2 13.0 9.0 16.9 15.2
East South Central 2.5 D D D D D D D D 3.2
West South Central 8.1 D 4.5 12.2 13.7 6.1 D 4.8 6.3 11.4
Mountain 5.2 D D 5.1 D 5.7 D D 5.4 6.0
Pacific and insular 24.7 21.8 19.7 15.8 22.7 37.8 11.6 26.8 20.5 21.1
Not in United States 9.7 D 7.9 8.3 11.8 7.4 D 10.3 D 11.8
Location unknown 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.6
Female doctorate recipients (number) 2,301 53 428 317 175 293 90 223 202 520
Postgraduation status (number)b
Definite postgraduation study 390 8 116 49 20 42 8 38 33 76
Definite employment 652 15 73 108 51 88 38 67 60 152
Seeking employment or study 815 18 158 104 60 97 26 84 76 192
Otherc 101 3 25 12 3 18 3 5 5 27
Definite postgraduation study (%)d
Postdoc fellowship 39.0 D 58.6 30.6 D 38.1 D 21.1 33.3 32.9
Postdoc research associateship 59.2 D 37.9 67.3 D 61.9 D 78.9 66.7 64.5
Other or unknowne 1.8 0.0 3.4 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.6
Definite employment (%)f
Academe 21.3 D 17.8 10.2 37.3 D 31.6 9.0 26.7 28.9
Government 10.0 D 6.8 D D 6.8 0.0 10.4 D 12.5
Industry or businessg 63.5 53.3 68.5 81.5 37.3 72.7 57.9 77.6 56.7 50.7
Nonprofit organization 4.4 D 6.8 D D D D D D 7.2
Other or unknownh 0.8 6.7 0.0 D 0.0 0.0 D D 0.0 0.7
Primary activityi
R&D 67.3 76.9 69.6 79.6 36.2 78.2 67.6 73.8 58.6 60.7
Teaching 12.3 D D D 29.8 5.7 D D 20.7 17.2
Management or administration 3.7 0.0 D D D D D D D 6.9
Professional services 11.5 D 13.0 D 25.5 9.2 D 12.3 D 11.0
Other 5.1 D 5.8 3.9 D D 5.4 3.1 10.3 4.1
Secondary activityj
R&D 15.1 D 7.2 D 29.8 10.3 16.2 D 25.9 21.4
Teaching 6.9 D D D D 9.2 D D D 10.3
Management or administration 19.2 D 39.1 19.4 17.0 6.9 D 24.6 12.1 19.3
Professional services 6.3 0.0 D 4.9 D 10.3 D D D 4.8
Other 2.6 0.0 1.4 5.8 2.1 1.1 2.7 3.1 1.7 2.1
No secondary activity 50.0 53.8 42.0 55.3 40.4 62.1 51.4 56.9 50.0 42.1
Activity unknown 4.3 13.3 5.5 4.6 7.8 1.1 2.6 3.0 3.3 4.6
Postgraduation location (%)k
United Statesl 88.9 D 86.8 92.4 84.5 89.2 D 86.7 D 86.8
New England 8.3 D 11.1 8.3 D 9.2 D 10.5 7.5 7.9
Middle Atlantic 10.9 D 10.6 14.6 11.3 10.8 D 7.6 9.7 11.4
East North Central 11.3 D 12.7 15.9 8.5 6.2 D 16.2 11.8 7.0
West North Central 4.2 0.0 3.7 D D D D 4.8 5.4 3.5
South Atlantic 15.4 34.8 14.8 9.6 19.7 10.8 15.2 13.3 17.2 19.3
East South Central 2.3 0.0 D D D D D D D 3.1
West South Central 8.3 D 7.9 13.4 9.9 5.4 D 5.7 8.6 7.0
Mountain 5.6 D D 4.5 D 7.7 D D 10.8 6.1
Pacific and insular 22.3 30.4 22.8 17.8 16.9 33.8 10.9 22.9 22.6 21.1
Not in United States 10.7 D 13.2 7.6 14.1 10.0 D 13.3 D 12.3
Location unknown 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.4 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.9
D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
a Includes respondents who did not report sex.
b Includes only respondents who reported postgraduation status.
c Includes respondents who indicated that they did not plan to work or study, respondents who indicated some other type of postgraduation plans, and respondents who indicated definite plans for other full-time degree program.
d Excludes respondents who indicated plans for other full-time degree program. Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for study.
e "Other" includes respondents who indicated definite postgraduation study plans for traineeship, internship or clinical residency, or other study.
f Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment.
g Includes doctorate recipients who indicated self-employment.
h "Other" is mainly composed of elementary and secondary schools.
i Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment and primary work activity.
j Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans for employment and secondary work activity.
k Percentages based on number of doctorate recipients reporting definite postgraduation plans and type of plans.
l Includes cases with an unknown U.S. region of employment after doctorate; see technical notes for states or territories included in regions.
NOTES: Due to rounding, percentages may not sum to 100. See table A-6 in the technical notes for a listing of major fields and their constituent subfields.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2015.