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Science,
technology, engineering and mathematics
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MORE
INFO |
On
the Web:
- U.S.
Geological Survey
- NASA |
| SPOTLIGHT
ON CTE |
|
“Having high school drafting got me through a lot of engineering. It was a strength that not a lot of people had. In my first class in college, there were only one or two others with a solid drafting background.”
-Kevin Cogley |
|
Scientific engineers
use applied math and scientific principles to
solve complex problems in the changing economy.
Biological scientists study genetic makeup in
humans and learn how we interact with our environment.
Geologists study the rocks and minerals that make
up our planet, sometimes for the purpose of drilling
for oil or gas. Chemical and mining engineers
predict geologic hazards.
Job
outlook
Overall, jobs opportunities are expected to be good through 2014, but growth varies by specialty. Jobs for hydrologists, for example, will increase much faster than the average rate because of toughening environmental policies and people’s desire to move to environmentally sensitive areas. Social scientists are expected to grow at a slower rate, but archivists and curators should find an average increase in employment. Employment for biologists should grow at an average rate, while employment for the nonpharmaceutical chemists should grow more slowly than average.
What They
Make
Occupation |
# Employed
in VA |
Average
Salary |
| Aerospace Engineers |
4,210 |
$68K - 137K |
| Agricultural and food science technicians |
280 |
$18K - 50K |
| Anthropologists and Archeologists |
150 |
$22K - 90K |
| Chemical Engineers |
1,120 |
$52K - 123K |
| Chemical Technicians |
1,050 |
$25K - 64K |
| Chemists |
1,780 |
$37K - 111K |
| Conservation scientists |
420 |
$35K - 107K |
| Electrical and electronics drafters |
720 |
$25K - 68K |
| Electrical Engineers |
5,770 |
$46K - 107K |
| Electronics engineers, except computer |
6,170 |
$53K - 115K |
| Geoscientists |
720 |
$43K - 133K |
| Historians |
250 |
$39K - 95K |
| Materials Scientists |
230 |
$48K - 128K |
| Mechanical Engineers |
6,910 |
$46K - 100K |
| Physicists |
670 |
$57K - 135K |
| Political scientists |
240 |
$64K - 145K |
| Statisticians |
800 |
$35K - 106K |
| Technical writers |
2,570 |
$40K - 87K |
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