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The state of the job market in science

Written by: Sandrine Ceurstemont
Published on: 23 Mar 2017
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SRG Salary Survey 2017

Who loves Mondays? Whether you’re raring to get going, or would rather spend your time searching for a new job, we’ve got the low-down on the state of science careers. To put this together, New Scientist teamed up with specialist recruitment firm SRG to ask 3100 scientists and engineers how they feel about their jobs.

We quizzed people from across the UK, Europe and North America, on their salaries, their level of happiness and their thoughts on how Brexit might affect them and their companies. Most were based in the UK, with two-thirds of participants aged between 25 and 44, and roughly the same number of men and women.

The bulk of respondents described themselves as scientists, although we also heard from engineers, and people working in clinical trials and academia. Most were mid-career and employed in biological sciences or chemistry, and around half consider themselves a “technical expert”. Read on to find out how your situation compares.

Time for a payrise?

The past year has seen good news for science and engineering salaries in the UK and Europe. In 2016, the average wage in the sector rose from £34,384 to £38,170 in the UK, according to the survey by New Scientist and SRG. This is in stark contrast with our survey a year ago, when a fall in average wages in 2015 suggested pay was on the decline. The latest figure also significantly beats the average UK salary of £27,600 across all sectors.

Average pay rose across Europe, too, from €38,508 in 2015 to €48,849 last year. Kelly Morton, managing director of SRG, attributes the positive changes to a shortage of skilled employees. “If there aren’t enough engineers or scientists for the roles available, it drives rates up,” she says.

In the UK, engineers are in especially high demand, with estimates suggesting that their skills will be needed for 1 million jobs by 2022. The country’s engineers command the highest salaries, averaging £47,203.

The picture looks a little different in North America, where salaries haven’t changed much since 2014. The average wage dropped slightly last year, from $75,757 in 2015 to $75,216. Professionals in this sector have typically been better paid than those in the UK and Europe – but now salaries are starting to equalise, says Morton. “The regional variation is no longer as big a driver as it was 10 years ago,” she says. Bonuses also dropped in North America, from $7,547 in 2015 to $6,693, but were up in the UK and the rest of Europe.

Unsurprisingly, our survey found that men earn more than women across all regions, although Morton reckons that the gender pay gap has been shrinking over the years.

If you find yourself in a low pay bracket, the best way to earn more is to specialise, says Morton. Biomedicine and immunology, for example, are prized areas of expertise.

Salary by length and sector

Salary Download a free copy of the SRG comprehensive report here

Are you happy at work?

A career in science is likely to be demanding, but also brings satisfaction. Although roughly 80 per cent of all our respondents feel that their jobs are more stressful than ever, about 90 per cent said they feel positive about scientific advancement.

Most respondents said they were happy with their employer too. Those from North America seem particularly content, with 72 per cent rating their employer as good or excellent. Around two-thirds of those from the UK and Europe gave their employers such high scores. Only around 10 per cent of all respondents rated their employer as “poor”.

But that doesn’t mean they are satisfied with their pay: our respondents’ main reason for changing jobs was to increase their salary.

The survey was conducted at the end of last year, before Donald Trump’s inauguration. In the past few months, we’ve seen a climate sceptic appointed head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, scientific collaborations harmed by travel bans and presidential orders issued to gag scientists in federal agencies. As thousands of scientists prepare to “march for science” in April, it’s possible that some of their optimism may have been tempered.

As for additional employment benefits, respondents feel underserved. In the UK, a final salary pension scheme topped the wish list, but a guaranteed bonus and paid overtime weren’t far behind. Respondents in the rest of Europe told us their main desire is to be paid for the extra hours they work, and in North America, bonuses were the most sought-after benefit.

You stand a better chance of influencing your benefits at a smaller company, says Morton. “We’ve seen a lot of people move from big pharma to the SME [small-to-medium-sized enterprise] market,” she says. “They feel like they have a bigger voice there.”

Brexit on the horizon

Last summer, the UK voted to leave the European Union. Where does that decision leave scientists and engineers across Europe?

A whopping 89 per cent of UK respondents told us they felt Brexit would affect their business, as did 71 per cent of those from elsewhere in Europe.

And the referendum result has already started to affect scientists in Europe, says Alex Halliday, physical secretary and vice president of the UK Royal Society, who is based at Oxford University. He has noticed that EU citizens, concerned about future funding and mobility, have started pulling out of job offers at the university.

Then there are the European scientists already working in the UK. Halliday estimates that this group makes up around 16 per cent of the country’s academic staff. “We have a lot of EU nationals in the UK doing research in science,” he says. As New Scientist went to press, the House of Lords voted to guarantee the rights of those who are already living in the UK, but a final decision has not yet been reached.

Morton hopes that Brexit won’t affect the movement of scientists between the UK and the rest of Europe. “It may be more challenging, but the scientific sector has operated globally for many years,” she says.

Some businesses could end up better off, says Halliday. A slump in the pound might help some companies increase their exports, for instance. Living in the UK will be cheaper for those arriving with foreign currency.

The loss of research funding from European sources will hurt, but Halliday thinks that a British funding system will replace it. He points out that the government has promised to invest an extra £2 billion a year in research and development by 2020.

“I think we’ll be OK,” he says.

 

Salary Request a free copy of the SRG comprehensive report