Employment of the Early Career Geoscience Workforce

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Between 2014 and 2017, 2376 geoscience graduates took AGI’s Geoscience Student Exit Survey--1764 bachelor’s graduates, 378 master’s graduates, and 234 doctoral graduates. In September 2017, AGI’s Workforce Program followed up with these Exit Survey participants to ask them about their career path as early-career geoscientists. This survey collected 332 responses out of the approximately 1250 individuals that indicated their willingness to respond to future surveys about their career path (27% response rate)--163 bachelor’s graduates, 101 master’s graduates, and 68 doctoral graduates.

The two figures compare the employment of recent geoscience graduates immediately entering the workforce after graduation and 1-4 years since completion of thier degree. Of students completing their degree during this time period, 12% of bachelor’s graduates, 36% of master’s graduates, and 57% of doctoral graduates secured employment in the geosciences. These percentages increased to 49% of bachelor’s graduates, 63% of master’s graduates, and 82% of doctoral graduates working in the geosciences within 1-4 years of graduation.

It took two months on average for geoscience degree recipients at all degree levels to find their first job after graduation. Also, on average, these individuals have held 2 different jobs since graduation.