Policy Factsheet

Solving America’s STEM Workforce Crisis: Broadening Participation in Science Education and Careers

Download this factsheet as a PDF

Action

To sustain a robust STEM workforce, Congress should direct NSF and other federal agencies to continue to support programs that:

  • Strengthen the U.S. talent pipeline.
  • Ensure individuals from underrepresented communities across the country can enter and sustain a career as part of the STEM workforce.

America's Leaking Talent Pipeline

Infographic and text stating the problem. 80% of high school graduates who intended to pursue STEM who are unprepared to succeed in their first year of college. 52% of undergraduate students who start as a STEM major successfully graduate with a STEM degree. From 2017 to 2020 STEM PhD graduations increased 3% in the U.S. and 16% in China; China is now the world's leading producer of STEM PhDs. An immediate solution: Strengthen NSF's Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, which supports talented undergraduates and professionals in becoming effective K-12 STEM teachers. Fund local, academic-year-long research experiences for undergraduate students, which increase retention rates in STEM. Scale up NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) to support more domestic STEM doctoral trainees and meet the growing demand for U.S. workers with advanced degrees. Sources: "Securing America's Future: A Renewed National STEM Workforce Strategy" by APS, 2025"

Sources: "Securing America's Future: A Renewed National STEM Workforce Strategy" by APS 2025

A robust STEM workforce underpins American industry

"For the semiconductor industry alone, [the] projected total gap [is] approximately 17,000 master's and PhD engineers by the end of the decade."

— Semiconductor Industry Association, Chipping Away, 2023

STEM careers support American economic mobility

Now and in the future, STEM careers offer a path to higher salaries and lower unemployment for Americans.

Projected employment change for 2024 to 2034 for STEM is +8.1 percent and non-STEM is +2.7 percent. Median annual wage for 2024 is 103,580 USD for STEM and 48,000 USD for non-STEM. Average unemployment for 2021 is 2.1 percent for STEM and 6.6 percent for non-STEM.

Sources:

U.S. STEM Workforce: Size, Growth, and Employment

Employment in STEM occupations

The U.S. Thrives When All Have Opportunity

Members of Congress should:

  • Support the Senate CJS Committee’s FY 2026 Appropriations report language calling for “ensuring individuals from underrepresented communities across the country can enter and sustain a career as part of the STEM workforce”.
  • Fund programs that address systemic access issues in the education pipeline and increase participation by underrepresented groups.

All Issues

Explore Federal Science Funding by State