Chart - Science & Engineering Workforce Community and Economic Development

While scientists and engineers aren’t the only contributors to the innovation economy, they play a key role in promoting economic growth and competitiveness. The National Science Board as well as a wide range of policymakers and scholars agree that science and engineering workers are a critical component of an innovative economy “because of their high skill level, their creative ideas, and their ability not only to advance basic scientific knowledge but also to transform advances in fundamental knowledge into tangible and useful products and services” (<a href="https://ncses.nsf.gov/indicators/states/indicator/se-occupations-to-all-occupations">National Science Board</a>).

For a sense of how PA compares to other states: in 2019 the average percent of science and engineers in the workforce across all 50 states was 4.6%. Maryland had the highest percentage of 7.8% and Louisiana the lowest at 2.4%

Note about data: Years without a bar represent years in which data was not available for this particular metric.

Source: <a href="https://ncses.nsf.gov/indicators/states/indicator/se-occupations-to-all-occupations">National Science Board, Science and Engineering State Indicators, State Indicator S-32</a>