Study: Doctorates in science and engineering

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For every woman who held a doctorate in either science or engineering in Canada in 2001, there were four men, according to a new study that profiles scientists and engineers with PhDs.

Using data from the 2001 Census, this study, published in the Analysis in Brief series, examines the geographical distribution of this important Canadian workforce, together with the industrial sector in which they work, and their earnings.

The study covered people who held a doctorate in agricultural, biological or veterinary sciences, engineering or applied sciences, health sciences, or mathematics, computer or physical sciences.

Of the 57,095 people who held a doctorate in either science or engineering in 2001, some 45,670, or nearly 80%, were men. In contrast, women accounted for 47% of employed Canadians, and 57% of university graduates.

The study found that for each age group, the earnings of females with science or engineering PhDs were significantly lower than those of their male counterparts. For every dollar earned by a male doctorate holder, female doctorate holders earned 77 cents. In contrast, a woman in the general labour force earned 71 cents for every dollar earned by a man.

On average, a scientist or engineer with a PhD employed on a full-time basis earned $70,000, nearly twice the average of $36,000 for Canada's full-time workers in 2000.

People with science or engineering PhDs in Vancouver had the highest age- and gender-adjusted earnings. Those in Edmonton had the lowest, just behind Quebec City and Montréal.

In 2001, 9 out of every 10 scientists and engineers worked in a large city. The very few rural scientists and engineers tended to be much older than their urban counterparts. Among large cities, the Ontario city of Kingston was the science and engineering PhD capital of Canada, based on labour market concentration rankings.

The majority (60%) of full-time science and engineering PhD holders in 2000 were working in the public sector. The largest numbers were employed in educational services.

The private sector paid significantly more than the public sector in 2000 for services offered by young Canadian scientists and engineers with PhDs.

However, the gap between public sector and private sector earnings narrowed as PhD holders in science and engineering aged. Earnings in the public sector even surpassed, on average, those of the private sector for older workers.

In 2001, employed PhD holders were older than the average Canadian worker. The average age of the 100,000 employed PhD holders reached 48, and it was 46 for the 57,095 employed science and engineering PhD holders.

In contrast, the average age for the 15 million employed Canadian workers did not exceed 39.

For a more detailed description of the 2001 Census data, please consult the 2001 Census of Canada page.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3901.

The analytical article, "Science and Engineering PhDs: A Canadian Portrait" (11-621-MWE2007063, free), part of the Analysis in Brief series, is now available from the Publications module of our website.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Michael McKenzie (416-973-8018), Science, Innovation and Electronic Information Division.