No.
STEM professionals—people who work in science, technology, engineering, math and medical fields—have a wide variety of educational backgrounds from technical certificates to Ph.D.’s. In fact, six out of ten U.S. STEM professionals do not hold a bachelor’s degree.
The so-called skilled technical workforce—those working in occupations that use significant levels of science and engineering expertise and skills, but who do not hold a bachelor’s degree—totals 20 million of the 36 million STEM professionals in the United States.
Regardless of level of education, STEM careers tend to pay higher wages, on average, than non-STEM careers. And for the scientific enterprise to thrive, professionals with a wide-range of education are necessary.
Key Takeaways
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1.
There are many educational pathways towards STEM professions with many folks also earning training through skilled labor organizations and the military.
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2.
The majority of U.S. STEM professionals—six out of ten—do not hold a bachelor’s degree.