Diversity in STEM

In a society reliant on the constant development of new science and technology, diversity in STEM fields is a pressing issue. At present, science and technology are largely dominated by white men. These trends are visible throughout higher education, academia, and industry.

Why does this matter?

Studies have shown that diversity improves outcomes for group work.

In order to develop effective technologies, engineering populations should be representative of their user populations.

All students and workers should be treated with equal dignity and respect.

Unfortunately, there is little to no hard data regarding the experience of gender non-conforming people in STEM. We recognize that these visualizations are not a perfect representation of the gender breakdown, and that the lived experiences of people outside the gender binary is real.

Diversity Among Top Tech Companies

Across industry, women, Latinx, and Black employees are consistently underrepresented when compared
with the total U.S. population distribution. Click to explore!

Median Annual Salaries of U.S. Scientists & Engineers

Salary data across all degree levels shows that women and employees of color in STEM fields are paid less
than their male and white counterparts. Some smaller fields such as aerospace engineering
show equal parity, but other fields still need to do better. It's not rocket science!

Let's take a closer look at where the disparities in gender come from.

Some people attribute these phenomena to biological differences, claiming that women simply have different strengths and interests from men. However, we believe that social factors play the most significant role in discouraging women from pursuing careers in STEM.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

A survey on 500 children from 1 to 10 years old reveals that a greater percentage of young girls than boys are
interested in pursuring a career in STEM. While the most common career aspiration for boys is becoming
a professional athlete, over 20% of girls dream of becoming doctors or scientists.

"What's your major?"

These graphs show comparison between the number of women and men majoring in various STEM disciplines. Although a higher
percentage of young girls aspire to pursue STEM careers, by the time they enter college, most have already chosen a different
field of study. It is likely caused by a combination of internalized societal pressure,experiences of sexism, and fewer role models.

Employed U.S. Scientist and Engineers by Degree Level

While there are more men with higher STEM degrees than women, the gaps between white and minority employees are
particularly striking, especially when higher degrees translate into better pay and greater status within the field.

Clearly we have a big problem. What's next?

If you're a member of the STEM community, here are a few resources to get started thinking about allyship and how to make our fields more inclusive:

On Allyship

On Feminism

On Privilege

There are plenty of organizations already working hard to close the gaps women and people of color face in STEM. Consider providing monetary support to any of the following groups striving to improve diversity:

Girls Who Code

Girl Start

Society of Women Engineers

OSTEM

Latinas In STEM

National Society of Black Engineers

Sources

Top Tech Companies Data, 2016: Link

Median Salary Data from the National Science Foundation, 2010: Link

Survey on Children's Career Paths, Fatherly's Imagination Report, 2015: Link

College Majors by Gender, 2010: Link

Science & Engineering Workforce Popluation Data, National Science Foundation, 2013: Link

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