In recent years, academic advisors have increasingly recognized the importance of preparing graduate students for careers outside of traditional academia. Fields such as industry, nonprofit organizations, government, consulting, science communication, and policy are now seen as viable paths for PhD graduates. “Academics need to adopt a broader perspective on how we prepare our students,” remarked Ginther.
According to Daniel Larremore, a computer scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies academic labor markets, many of these non-academic job markets can be more robust and offer ample opportunities for individuals holding doctoral degrees. The alignment between the number of doctoral recipients and available positions may vary based on the field of study, he noted. For instance, Larremore highlighted the current surge in demand for specialists in machine learning and artificial intelligence, indicating a strong need for graduates in computer science. Indeed, the interest in industry jobs among new graduates appears to be at a 30-year high.
However, securing employment is not an immediate outcome for all recent PhD graduates. The latest data from the National Science Foundation indicates that individuals in biological and biomedical sciences have witnessed a decline in job offers over the past two decades, with only 68 percent reporting definite job commitments after graduation in 2023, down from 72 percent in 2003. “The labor market dynamics for PhDs are heavily influenced by the specific field of study,” Larremore explained.
Despite these challenges, overall employment rates suggest that doctoral graduates experience better job prospects compared to the average population. As of 2024, the unemployment rate for PhD holders in the United States was notably low at 1.2 percent, significantly lower than the national average for the same timeframe, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A recent NSF survey revealed that 74 percent of doctoral graduates in science and engineering had confirmed commitments for either employment or postdoctoral positions, indicating a slight increase from the 71 percent recorded in 2003.
