The Status of STEM - in the U.S. and in Michigan * **

Michigan:

Average annual salary for computing occupations in Michigan is $78,001 (significantly higher than the $46,310 average annual salary for all Michigan jobs) - MICoding
71% of all new jobs in STEM in Michigan are in computing (vs. 8% of STEM graduates in Michigan in computer science) - MICoding
STEM job-holders earn more on average than other Michigan workers. In 2013, the average wage among all occupations in Michigan was $21.40 per hour, compared to $34.40 per hour for STEM occupations.
Men account for a disproportionate share of those employed in STEM jobs, and those enrolled in STEM training programs.
Those employed in STEM occupations in Michigan earn $1.33 less per hour than their national counterparts. Among the top 10 states in terms of percentage of workforce employed in STEM occupations, Michigan ranks last in average hourly wage for a STEM occupation
In 2013, jobs in STEM occupations measured 7.2% of total Michigan employment
44.2% of all SE MI job ads require STEM skills (Source: Brookings analysis of Burning Glass Data)
STEM job opportunities are expected to grow by 11.8% thru 2020 in Michigan, compared to 8.5% for all occupations
Regarding potential labor supply, Michigan recorded 25,170 completers in STEM degree programs. This represents 16.7% of all degree completers, slightly higher than the national share of 14.2%.
Among the STEM programs in Michigan with the most completer's were General Biology/Biological Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
The top three STEM occupations in Michigan in terms of total employment are Mechanical engineers (32,640), Industrial engineers (24,430), and Computer user support specialists (19,630).
Among larger STEM occupations, the highest paying job titles include Architectural and Engineering managers ($56.45, Computer and Information Systems managers ($51.21), and Software Developers, Systems Software ($43.02).
Michigan remains a national leader in both the number of completions in STEM programs (8th) and in the share of total completions that are in STEM programs (9th).
A potential sign of talent diversification, the top five STEM degrees conferred have gradually declined in total share dropping almost 3 percentage points over the last 5 academic years. Over the same period, Digial Communication and Media/Multimedia (+386), Network and System Administration (+150), Systems Engineering (+124), and Materials Engineering (+105) have emerged as some of the fastest growing in STEM degrees awarded.
30% of all jobs in the Metro Detroit area are in R&D and STEM-intensive industries

United States:

As of February 2012, more than half of the 30 fastest growing occupations require some level of post-secondary education
Of the 15 major categories, Engineering has the highest median earnings, yet less than 20% of students chooses a STEM path
By 2018, 92% of traditional STEM jobs will be for those with at least some post-secondary education & training
23% of STEM workers are women; however, women make up 48% of workers in all occupations
In 2009, 12% of STEM workers were non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic. But non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic individuals accounted for 25% of overall employment
1/2 of all STEM jobs do not require a four-year degree and pay an average of $53,000; 10% higher than non-STEM jobs with similar education requirements (Source: Change the Equation)
Women received 29.6% of Computer Science degrees in 1991, compared to 18.2% in 2010
Less than 50% of entry-level STEM jobs require higher education or a college degree (of course having a 4-yr degree will place you at a higher pay scale)

* A Look at Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Talent in Michigan, March 2015. State of MI, DTMB

** STEM Education Statistics, 2016, National Math & Science Initiative