The Impact of Race, Ethnicity and Occupational Status on Income: An Examination of the STEM Field Population in the United States, 1980-2008

Hayward Derrick Horton, University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY)

Demographers have long studied the disparity in occupational status and income between the white and the various disadvantaged minority populations in the United States. Most studies have found that while minorities have yet to reach parity with the majority white population, there has been a substantial decrease in the gap in professional attainment between college educated workers across race and ethnicities. This paper builds upon prior research by examining the differences across race and ethnicity among workers in the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) fields in the United States. The data for the study are from the 1980-2008 Integrated Public Use Micro-data Series-Current Population Survey. The findings are placed in the context of the changes in the American occupational structure and the implications for future studies of the STEM field population.