Where do STEM PhDs work?

STEM PhD graduates are using their skills in fulfilling careers across industry, nonprofits, academia, and the government. The text below describes broad areas where STEM PhD graduates have found meaningful employment. Not every area requires a PhD, but you can be confident that your degree will add value in each. Read on to find out more about the many exciting career areas for STEM PhDs.

Industry Research

Working as a researcher in industry can be a fulfilling way to use the skills and expertise gained during your PhD in a fast, results driven environment. These positions involve designing and executing cutting edge research in either an R&D lab or through numerical analysis for large companies, small startups, and everything in between. Here the technical research skills you honed during your PhD are key to your position, whereas the specific topical focus may be of less importance. Employers are interested in your hands-on experience with specific models, methods, and equipment, but are often willing to hire you to apply these skills to new topical areas. In these positions you may also need to draw on your presentation and storytelling skills to help market your research results to customers.

Lab Research Scientist

For STEM PhDs interested in working in industry, but not interested in leaving the bench, a lab research scientist position in an industry lab can be a great career option. Positions in industry R&D labs are well paid, give you the opportunity to work on many different experiments and projects, and have collaborative and supportive work environments. Here your topical expertise can be an asset, but you shouldn’t limit yourself only to labs that are directly in alignment with your previous research path. Industry labs value your knowledge of how research in a lab is conducted and are often willing to hire you for a field outside your specific PhD topical expertise. Industries that hire lab research scientists include pharmaceuticals, material science, energy, health and beauty products, and research organizations like Bell Labs. Government labs, mainly run by NASA, NIST, the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense (mentioned in the government section below) also hire PhDs as lab research scientists.

Non-lab Research Scientist

Like lab research scientists, non-lab research scientist positions are well suited for STEM PhDs who are interested in careers in industry but do not want to leave research behind. These positions are typically suited for STEM PhDs whose work focused primarily on numerical analysis and computer programming. Here a STEM PhD can enter a face-paced collaborative, well-paid research environment without leaving behind the daily research tasks they loved. Topical expertise can be an asset in these positions, but don't limit yourself only to positions that are directly aligned with your previous work. Employers value your knowledge of how research is conducted and are often willing to hire you in a field outside your PhD topical expertise. Companies hiring for these positions are located across many industries, including technology, finance, insurance, aerospace, defense, media, energy, and transportation.

Technical Application and Support

These positions, often called application engineers, can be an interesting way to apply numerical programming expertise in industry. Here companies that design software and programming packages, like Matlab and COMSOL, hire STEM PhDs to work as the technical liaison between customer sales and model development. STEM PhDs in these positions interact directly with customers to learn the expectations customers have for the software. They then bring that insight back to the developers, helping the company overcome technical and business challenges standing in the way of implementing improvements to their product. In these positions, STEM PhDs may also be involved in designing and leading customer software training sessions and demonstrations.

Data Science

Data Scientist has been crowned the Sexist Job of the 21st Century by Harvard Business Review and ranked the #1 Best Job in America by Glassdoors for the past 3 years. The statistics, computer science, and analytic thinking skills required for this job make data science a great fit for many STEM PhDs. In these positions STEM PhDs use their experience finding patterns and insights in messy, large datasets to help companies (and the government) understand and better use data to improve their products and services. Data Scientists are needed across almost every industry, including tech, marketing, consulting, health care, pharmaceutical, financial, and gaming industry. Opportunities to enter this field from academia include fellowships and direct hires.

Here are two short fellowship programs aimed at getting you hired as a data scientist:

For direct hires, companies often list data science related positions using the job titles listed below.

Data Scientist

Data science positions offer STEM PhDs an opportunity to apply their critical thinking abilities and knowledge of data analysis, statistical techniques, and computer programming to solve interesting industry challenges. Data scientists extract, clean, and analyze large volumes of data and use it to conduct research on open-ended industry questions. They create algorithms to solve problems and build new automation tools to make data analysis more streamlined.

Data Engineer

Data engineering, also referred to as data infrastructure engineers or data architects, are an excellent career option for STEM PhDs with extensive programming backgrounds and a love of software tools. In these positions, STEM PhDs are in charge of gathering and collecting data and designing the software infrastructure a company will use to analyze that data. Although basic statistics and machine learning skills are a plus, these positions typically rely more on software engineering expertise.

Machine Learning Scientist or Engineer

STEM PhDs can also use their technical, programming, and data skills to empower computers with the ability to learn with data. In these positions STEM PhDs use statistical techniques to make computers progressively improve their performance without explicitly programming them to do so. Machine learning scientists and engineers are found across almost all major industries, especially at companies where data and data analysis is their product. These positions can be data analysis intensive and are often ideal for people with formal mathematics or statistics training.

Data Analyst

Typically a more junior position, data analysis can be an excellent way for STEM PhDs to get started in the data science field, especially if their PhD work was not very statistics, data, or programming intensive. These positions are often great entry-level jobs where employees are in charge of pulling data out of large databases, organizing it, and producing basic data visualizations and reports.

Government

Working for the federal government you have the opportunity to use your analytic abilities and technical skills to inform, influence, and execute policies that affect the nation. Science and technology issues have been increasingly appearing in the public and policy sphere, and these careers offer STEM PhDs the opportunity to use their analytic thinking and technical skills to work on large-scale global issues too big for any single company to tackle. In these positions STEM PhDs can help devise innovative solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our nation, including energy security and innovation, disaster preparedness and humanitarian relief, and infrastructure, environmental, cyber, and health security. Opportunities to enter this field from academia include fellowships and direct hires.

Fellowships

Below is a non-exhaustive list of policy fellowships available to PhD graduates. These programs place fellows for 1-2 years in congress or the executive branch of the federal government.

Direct Hires

Below is a non-exhaustive list of Federal Departments and Agencies that directly hire PhDs. Current open positions can be found on USAJobs

  • Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Congressional Research Services (CRS)
  • Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  • Department of Defense (Office of Naval Research, Army Research Office, etc.)
  • Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters and National Labs
  • Department of the Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
  • National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters, Research Centers, and Laboratories
  • National Institute of Health (NIH)
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • National Science Foundation (NSF)
  • Smithsonian Institution (National Museums)

Science Policy and Advocacy

Working on science policy and advocacy gives STEM PhDs the chance to use their scientific expertise and passion for science to connect decision-makers to the scientific information they need to make evidence-based decisions. In these positions STEM PhDs act as a liaison between scientists and policymakers, working to ensure our nation sustains its competitive advantage through continued developments in science, engineering and technology.

STEM PhD graduates exist at the intersection of STEM research and education, making them knowledgeable and passionate about the importance of STEM programs. STEM PhDs can give first hand accounts of the unique and important role STEM programs play in the education and training of our nation’s citizens, as well as in the scientific discoveries that benefit society and fuel our economy. These positions usually consist one or both of the following: (i) developing policy recommendations based on scientific findings, and (ii) advocating for evidence based policies and support for STEM programs. Opportunities to enter this field from academia include fellowships and direct hires.

Fellowships

Below is a non-exhaustive list of policy fellowships available to PhD graduates. These programs place fellows for 1-2 years in scientific professional societies to use their scientific backgrounds to inform current policy issues.

Direct Hires

By working at a scientific professional society, advocacy organization, or think tank, STEM PhD’s can find career opportunities informing and advocating for critical national and international policy issues related to science, engineering, and technology.

Scientific Professional Societies

Scientific professional societies hire STEM PhDs (usually with the same topical expertise as their society members) to work in government affairs offices representing, informing, and involving society members in the federal, state, and local policies that may affect their scientific work. In these positions, STEM PhDs act as liaisons between scientists and policymakers, keeping science and scientists represented in the policy making process. STEM PhDs help the professional societies run events, workshops, webinars, and other training sessions to help scientists learn to communicate the importance of their work to policymakers, and also educate policymakers through events, meetings and handouts on the importance of considering scientific findings when developing policies and laws.

Advocacy Organizations

Careers in advocacy organizations allow STEM PhD to use their technical credentials and passion for science to advocate for the importance of science or topics related to scientific findings. These organizations hire scientific experts to help advocate for policies informed by scientific expertise. Here the STEM PhD gives you the credentials to speak as an expert on a topic that a person with a non-science background might not fully appreciate. For example, a climate scientist may be hired by an environmental advocacy group to help advocate for clean energy and other climate change mitigation policies. The climate scientist will need to understand the scientific findings and be able to explain their relevance to policies being considered by policymakers.

Think Tanks and Policy Institutions

Careers at think tanks and policy institutions allow STEM PhDs to use their ability to quickly understand new technical topics and their background in research to inform policy topics. These organizations conduct in-house research and related advocacy to inform policy issues. Here STEM PhDs conduct research, literature reviews, and other analyses to look at the potential outcomes of policy decisions. These findings are then assembled in reports and handouts that explain to policymakers the possible ramification of various policies under consideration.

Science Education, Outreach and Communications

Working on science education, outreach and communications allows STEM PhDs to use their passion for science to introduce the wonders of discovery and innovation to the general public. In these positions STEM PhDs develop and execute programs, exhibitions, and publications designed to excite the public about new scientific discoveries and motivate the next generation to pursue careers in STEM. These positions can be found in industry, academia, and at non-profits, and include communicating the wonders of science to children, the general public, policymakers, and the science community. Opportunities to enter this field from academia include fellowships and direct hires.

Fellowships

Direct Hires

By working at a scientific professional society, university, journal, or science center, PhDs can bring their knowledge and expertise directly to the public.

Scientific Professional Societies

Scientific professional societies hire PhD scientists with the same expertise as their society members to work in their public relations and science communications offices. In these positions STEM PhDs translate new, exciting scientific advancements in the field to the general public. STEM PhDs are particularly well suited for these positions due to their passion and excitement for science, and their ability to understand and communicate scientific findings. In these positions, STEM PhDs organize and run events to educate the public on current, exciting scientific findings, and write press releases and other communications to keep the public and the scientific society members informed on both science and policy happenings.

Universities

Universities hire PhD scientists to work in their public relations offices to help promote new, exciting, scientific advancements coming out of the university labs. STEM PhDs are particularly well suited for these positions due to their ability to understand and communicate scientific findings and their passion for science. In these positions STEM PhDs may help university researchers write press releases and prepare for interviews that highlight exciting research findings coming out of their labs. Universities also hire PhDs as science administrators to manage research, fellowships, grants, and various academic programs at the university. These positions can be an ideal way for STEM PhDs to cultivate programs that excite the next generation of students to pursue careers in STEM.

Science Journals and Science Magazines

Science journals hire STEM PhDs as editors to oversee the selection and publication process of peer-reviewed science articles. Here STEM PhDs use their scientific expertise to evaluate new journal submissions, select experts in the field for peer-review, and evaluate and communicate the results of this process. Popular, non-peer reviewed, science journals also hire STEM PhDs as science reporters to write articles about new, exciting science that might be of interest to their readers and the public in general.

Museums, Aquariaums, and Science Centers

Cultural institutions that collect, conserve, and publicly display scientific objects can have exciting career options for STEM PhDs. Here STEM PhDs to use their passion for science, skills in teaching, and topical expertise to preserve and display the wonders of science to the general public. In positions such as curators and directors, STEM PhDs conduct research, cultivate and grow collections, and use their content expertise to design engaging public exhibitions and publications. Alternatively, these institutions also hire STEM PhDs as education and public content creators. In these positions STEM PhDs develop and teach in-person and online learning programs and workshops, organize lecture series and create other supplemental materials for exhibits.

Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property

Working on technology transfer and intellectual property offers STEM PhDs the opportunity to use their technical knowledge to help commercialize research advancements and technological innovations. In these positions STEM PhDs evaluate new technologies and research findings for commercialization potential, develop and defend patent applications, and help innovators navigate the licensing, regulatory, and marketing path to commercialization. These positions are found across academia, industry, and the government, and include working on intellectual property at law firms, helping university researchers commercialize their findings, and launching a startup based on your own research results.

Intellectual Property Lawyer and Patent Agent

Law firms often hire STEM PhDs to handle their intellectual property issues, such as patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets/know-how. In the case of patent law, STEM PhD use their technological know-how to draft, file, and process patent applications, defend client patent applications, and advise clients on their patent application in relation to already existing patents. STEM PhDs are particularly well suited for these positions, since they require the ability to thoroughly understanding how each innovation claims to work, as well as the problem each innovation is trying to solve. A typical career path for a STEM PhD in this field starts with being hired as a technology specialists or patent agents, where the latter requires the STEM PhD pass the patent bar exam. Law firms will often then pay for the STEM PhD to get their law degree at night, with the agreement that they will be hired on as a patent attorney after graduation.

University Technology Transfer Offices

University technology transfer offices hire STEM PhDs to help university researchers commercialize their lab discoveries. In these positions STEM PhDs work with the technology transfer office to connect researchers to general business and legal counseling so researchers can overcome potential hurdles in the commercialization process. Researchers can attend training sessions and one-on-one meetings to help secure funding and build key industry connections to get their discoveries out of the lab and into the marketplace. STEM PhDs are well suited to facilitate this process, being able to understand research discoveries and their potential impacts, and translate those impacts into profitable products.

Incubators, Accelerators, and other Startup Activities

These organizations help innovators overcome common hurdles associated with launching a product from the lab to the marketplace. They provide mentorship, business services, training, and funding connections to help innovators turn their invention into a commercial product. STEM PhDs can find fulfilling careers on both sides of these organizations. As innovators STEM PhDs can use these organizations' services to help launch their own research into a business; as employees they can help fellow scientists overcome common hurdles and get new technologies and advancements to market.

Management Consulting, Business Development, and Equity Research

Working in management consulting, business development, and equity research offers STEM PhDs the opportunity to apply their skills in the areas of business strategy and company growth. In these positions STEM PhDs use their analytic thinking, technical skills, complex problem solving abilities, and tech market insight to help companies make smart business decisions. To complete a STEM PhD, graduates often have to excel at thinking outside of the box, and STEM PhDs are often sought after in these careers, as they can devise creative solutions to challenging corporate problems. These positions are a good career options for STEM PhDs that have a passion for innovation, driving change and growth, and helping companies succeed.

Management Consulting

Management consulting is an excellent career option for STEM PhDs interested in applying their analytic thinking and creative problem solving abilities in industry. Here STEM PhDs are valued for their technical skills and experience in coming up with new, innovative solutions to challenging problems. In these positions STEM PhDs work on dynamic teams of consultants assigned to help companies identify and solve problems that are hindering success. Consulting companies big and small hire STEM PhDs for their ability to think critically, with many specifically recruiting STEM PhDs through on-campus events and the hiring programs. A few examples include:

Business Development and Operations

Both of these career options offer STEM PhDs the opportunity to use their skills to help companies make better decisions and improve their operations. As business development managers STEM PhDs use their technical knowhow and interpersonal skills to build business relationships, identify promising innovations, and develop market strategies for new and existing products. As operation research analysts, STEM PhDs use their skills to help improve company operations through data mining, mathematical modeling, and statistical analysis. STEM PhDs' ability to understand complex technologies and predict their potential in the market make either of these career options an ideal fit for many graduates.

Equity Research

Equity research analysts use forecasting models and industry insight to determine whether the value of a stock is likely to go up or down. STEM PhDs are well suited to these careers due to their experience with technical modeling and, in some cases, topical expertise that can foster insights into certain markets, such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and clean energy. Investment banks hire STEM PhDs for these positions to determine the value of a set of companies, which in turn helps their clients working in hedge-funds, mutual funds, and at banks decide where and how much to invest. These positions are often in large, fast-paced cities such as New York City, have very dynamic work environments. They involve developing close relations with companies conducting cutting edge research and are generally very well paid.