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Job prospects
STEM workers hold jobs in every State. But
six States—California, Texas, New York, Florida,
Virginia, and Illinois—accounted for 40 percent of these
jobs in 2005.
Growing demand for technological advances
means more jobs for STEM workers. BLS projects job growth
for STEM occupations as a whole between 2004 and 2014.

Nearly all the major STEM groups are
expected to have about the same rate of growth as the
national average. The exception is computer specialist
occupations, which are expected to grow much faster than
the average. (See table 2.)
Projected job growth varies widely by
specific occupation, from a 55-percent projected growth
for network systems and data communications analysts to
about a 2-percent decline for mining and geological
engineers.
More STEM workers also will be needed to
replace those who are leaving these occupations. Many
highly skilled workers will retire, change careers, or
move to management positions over the next decade. Between
2004 and 2014, employers are expected to hire about 2.5
million STEM workers who are entering their occupation for
the first time.
For more information
Although this article describes STEM
occupations generally, there are important distinctions
among the occupations. Detailed information about these
occupations is in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
The Handbook is available in many libraries and
career counseling offices and is online at www.bls.gov/oco.
Detailed earnings and employment
information is also available from the BLS Occupational
Employment Statistics survey. The information is online at
www.bls.gov/oes. Specific projections of job growth
in occupations and industries are available from the BLS
Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment
Projections. This information is also available online at www.bls.gov/emp.
To receive BLS information by phone or in
another format, call (202) 691-5200.
More information about careers in STEM
occupations is available from professional associations.
In addition to the associations listed below, the Handbook
lists some associations for each occupation it describes.
To learn about engineering careers and
activities, contact:
American Design Drafting Association
105 E. Main St.
Newbern, TN 38059
(731) 627-0802
www.adda.org
American Society for Engineering Education
1818 N St. NW., Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 331-3500
www.asee.org
Junior Engineering Technical Society
1420 King St., Suite 405
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 548-5387
www.jets.org
To learn more about mathematics careers
and for help learning math, contact:
American Mathematical Society
201 Charles St.
Providence, RI 02904
Toll-free: 1 (800) 321-4267
www.ams.org/employment
Mathematical Association of America
1529 18th St. NW.
Washington, DC 20036
Toll-free: 1 (800) 741-9415
www.maa.org
Society for Industrial and Applied
Mathematics
3600 University City Science Center
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 382-9800
www.siam.org/students
For more information about the STEM
workforce, contact:
Commission on Professionals in Science and
Technology
1200 New York Ave. NW., Suite 113
Washington, DC 20005
202-326-7080
www.cpst.org
To learn more about summer camps,
tutoring, and other special STEM programs, check with
school counselors, school district offices, and
professional associations.

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