Report: STEM Education Leads to Higher Paying Jobs, More Job Security

A report released last week from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration showed that careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) pay better and offer more job security because of the demand for professionals in those fields.

The results of the report, STEM: Good Jobs Now and for the Future, reinforces what officials in already know: offering students STEM classes is critical.

District 204 students increasingly request STEM-related courses, with an emphasis on engineering, said Jay Strang, District 204’s assistant superintendent for instructional services.

“We see our students taking higher-level course work in science, technology, engineering and math,” he said. “We also see many of our students interested in internships and summer work experience that exposes them to STEM activities.”

According to the government report, 7.6 million people, or 5.5 percent of the labor force, worked in STEM occupations in 2010. Over the past 10 years, growth in STEM jobs was three times greater than that of non-STEM jobs.

STEM employment is expected to continue to grow at a faster rate than other jobs in the coming decade, a key report finding in the report. Meanwhile, STEM workers are also less likely to experience joblessness.

"This report profiles the fast-growing, productive STEM workforce and illustrates how we can win the future by encouraging the pursuit of 21st Century jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said in a news release. "STEM jobs are essential to a competitive, innovative and technologically advanced U.S. economy."

The report also showed that STEM workers command higher wages, earning 26 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts. STEM degree holders also enjoy higher earnings, regardless of whether they work in STEM or non-STEM occupations. Likewise, college graduates – no matter their major – enjoy an earnings premium for having a STEM job.

"A STEM education is a pathway to prosperity – not just for you as an individual but for America as a whole," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a news release. "We need you in our classrooms, labs and key government agencies to help solve our biggest challenges, and that’s why we are investing heavily to promote STEM education."

At District 204, the courses offered are created to foster critical thinking skills in students, Strang said. The courses also are designed for problem-based team activities.

“The success of the STEM coursework is that it integrates activities and concepts across all STEM related courses,” he said.

Because many of the classes offer hands-on experience, the students are better prepared for life after school and they also know the career options available to them, he said.