Statistics and Job-Related Facts You Should Know About Careers in the Life Sciences
Fewer and fewer American college students are choosing to major in Science Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). This has been an ongoing trend in the US for the past two decades. However, within the STEM majors, the life sciences are faring the best. While I believe that the US needs more life sciences majors to remain competitive with the rest of the world, there are a few things you ought to know before you take the life sciences plunge.
- More than 86,000 American biology majors graduate each year
- About 58% of all bachelors’, masters and doctorates in the life sciences are awarded to women (who continue to earn substantially less than their male counterparts)
- Entry level salaries for biology majors range from $40,000 to $50,000 per year (computer and engineering students start at salaries of $55,000 to $65,000 per year)
- PhD degrees in the life sciences take on average six years to complete
- Postdoc starting salaries range from $37,000 to $40,000 per year
- More than a third of biologists are still working as postdocs or in other non-tenure track jobs six years after receiving their PhD degrees
- Only 14% of PhD-trained biologists win tenure track positions within six years of receiving their degrees
- Because of tighter funding for government jobs and the loss of 300,000 pharmaceutical jobs in the past decade, many newly-minted PhDs are forced to become serial postdocs (supported by soft money) or help senior scientists set up and run their laboratories waiting to see if they can win permanent academic employment
- Fewer tenured life sciences professors are retiring because of the financial downturn
If you still want to be biology major after reading this post, then I think that you know what career path you ought to pursue! Just sayin’......
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!
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