STEM occupation employment share

Share of civilian employed adults age 16–64 in Census STEM occupations. STEM-related occupations are excluded.

What this measure means

Share of civilian employed adults age 16–64 in Census STEM occupations. STEM-related occupations are excluded. The 2018 Census STEM classification is mapped through the official 2018 ACS PUMS occupation code list; all constituents of every collapsed PUMS code must agree. Includes sales engineers and qualifying managers; excludes teaching and STEM-related healthcare/architecture as specified by Census.

Who is included

Population (universe): Civilian noninstitutionalized employed population age 16–64 with a valid occupation
Age range: 16–64
Measure and unit: Rate; Percent
Denominator: people in universe

Supported data sources and areas

These are the combinations this definition supports. Available estimates depend on the selected release, source coverage and reporting rules. National estimates can use annual or pooled ACS data; state estimates use pooled data. Eligible PUMA estimates use annual or pooled data with the selected release's native boundaries.

Products

ACS 1-year
ACS 5-year

Geographies

United States
Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA), using the selected release’s documented native boundaries
State and District of Columbia

Compatible ACS release years

ACS 1-year: 2018 through 2024, excluding 2020; ACS 5-year: periods ending in 2018 through 2024

Analysis options defined for this measure

The explorer shows the options available in the selected release. Calculated changes between periods are currently unavailable.

Filters and breakdowns

Disability
Age
Race and ethnicity
Sex reported in the ACS
Additional disability

Calculations

Difference
Percentage point difference
Ratio

Uncertainty and reliability

When results are withheld: Results are withheld when fewer than 351 survey records are included in the denominator.
When to use caution: Results are marked unstable when the standard error exceeds 30% of the estimate's absolute value. This is the relative standard error (RSE). Use these estimates with caution.

Survey weights used: PWGTP and PWGTP1–PWGTP80

Version and sources

Definition version: ndc-definitions-2026.12
Methodology version: ndc-observatory-2026.3
Change note: New independently named source-defined measure; does not replace the unresolved custom STEM-degree definition.

Explore this measure Back to all definitions