The job market for recent PhDs in Earth and space sciences remained strong for the class of 2002: 88% are working in their field and describe their jobs as challenging and relevant, according to a recent report by the American Geological Institute, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Institute of Physics.
In 2002, 54% of new PhDs became postdocs, a slight increase over 49% from the previous year. The job hunt took a median of two months for postdocs and four months for nonpostdocs.
For PhDs working in academia, listings in newsletters, magazines, and journals were the most effective job resource. Across all sectors, however, “informal channels” led to the most jobs, according to the report. Starting salaries ranged from less than $35 000 for academic postdocs to $75 000 for industry positions (see figure on page 34).
Among Earth and space scientists who entered the private sector in...
