As the largest institution of public higher education in Virginia, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) acts as a catalyst for economic growth in the capital region by providing access to highly skilled, credentialed, and diverse talent. NOVA’s Office of Corporate and Workforce Engagement advances this mission by collaborating with employers, economic development organizations, education institutions, community-based organizations, and local governments in the northern Virginia region to address the skills gap and develop a robust talent pipeline.

NOVAWORKFORCE

NOVA Regional Workforce

STEM Occupations

98,088Total STEM jobs in the NOVA region as of Q1 2019

24,961Job postings in the NOVA region over the last 12 months

6th nationallyThe Washington D.C. metropolitan area’s ranking for total STEM employment

10,500Total STEM-related degrees and credentials awarded in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area in 2016-2017

Concentration of STEM Jobs by ZIP code tabulation area (ZCTA) in northern Virginia

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ.NOTE: Individual dots do not represent exact locations of jobs/establishments, but are evenly distributed geographically across each ZCTA to represent the concentration of jobs in each area.

$82,200 Average annual wage of STEM workers in NOVA region

STEM Workforce

7%

STEM Workforce | 1

A recent strategic plan released by the National Science and Technology Council highlights many of the arguments in favor of focusing national workforce development and education efforts on occupations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM): these jobs are well-paid, growing, and help drive the modern economy. The plan also discusses persistent labor shortages in STEM fields.1 While other research has questioned the true extent of these workforce gaps, what is clear is that education institutions and other training providers must continue to pay close attention to rapidly changing workforce demand in order to ensure that students and workers have access to the learning resources they need to keep up.2

With this in mind, and with an eye towards better understanding NOVA’s role in collaborating with employers and community partners to develop a skilled workforce, this brief examines regional labor market trends and indicators for STEM occupations in order to determine where our region is now, and what the near future may look like.

1 Committee on STEM Education, “Charting a Course for Success: America’s Strategy for STEM Education.” National Science & Technology Council, December 2018. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/STEM-Education-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf2 Michael S. Teitelbaum, “The Myth of the Science and Engineering Shortage.” The Atlantic, 19 March 2014. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/03/the-myth-of-the-science-and-engineering-shortage/284359/

DefinitionsWashington D.C. Metropolitan Area (D.C. MSA) The 25 counties (and independent cities) centered around the District of Columbia that are highly integrated economically and socially, as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget. For the purpose of analysis, we consider four different sub-regions within the MSA:

NOVA RegionThe nine jurisdictions served by Northern Virginia Community College, including: Arlington County, Alexandria City, Fairfax County, Fairfax City, Falls Church City, Loudoun County, Manassas City, Manassas Park City, and Prince William County.

District of ColumbiaThe city and federal district that lies at the core of the metropolitan area.

Suburban Maryland (MD) and West Virginia (WV) The counties in Maryland and West Virginia that lie within the Washington D.C. MSA, including: Calvert County, Charles County, Frederick County, Jefferson County (WV), Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County.

Northern Virginia (Non-NOVA)The outlying Virginia counties composing the remainder of the Washington D.C. MSA that are not included in the NOVA Region. Includes: Clarke County, Culpeper County, Fauquier County, Fredericksburg, Madison County, Rappahannock County, Spotsylvania County, Stafford County, and Warren County.

STEMFor the purposes of this brief, we focus primarily on those segments of the STEM workforce that have not already been considered in another of our workforce briefs (i.e. information technology or healthcare). We also recognize that occupations under this broad banner require diverse skill-sets and knowledge-bases.

As a result, we consider three different “sub-groups” of more closely related occupations, including those associated with engineering and math, and those with the physical and life sciences (i.e. chemistry, biology, physics, earth science, etc.). We have also included “applied technology” occupations, which are those for which applied math, science, or engineering ability is important (per O*NET OnLine’s database of skills and knowledge), but that require less postsecondary education and training, and are therefore offer a more accessible entry point into the field.

Table 1 contains a selected list of the occupations we have considered in this analysis, including the codes and titles used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ standard occupation classification (SOC) system to formally define occupational categories for data collection and analysis, as well as total employment for the occupation in the NOVA region as of Quarter 1 of 2019. While our overall analysis included nearly 150 occupations, for the sake of brevity we have only provided the titles of occupations with employment of over 450 (or, those with total employment in the upper third of STEM occupations).

Overview

STEM Jobs in D.C. MSA

240,46541%

4% 18%

37%

Figure 1. STEM Workforce by D.C. MSA Sub-Region

STEM Workforce | 2

Table 1. STEM Occupations in the NOVA Region (employing over 450)

SOC Code SOC Title

Total Employment

SOC Code SOC Title

Total Employment

Physical & Life Science Occupations

11-9121 Natural Sciences Managers 657 19-2099 Physical Scientists, All Other 547

17-1022 Surveyors 687 19-4021 Biological Technicians 935

17-3031 Surveying and Mapping Technicians 817 19-4091

Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

485

19-2031 Chemists 537 19-4099 Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other 715

19-2041 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health 1,502

Engineering & Math Occupations

11-9021 Construction Managers 3,056 17-2081 Environmental Engineers 732

11-9041 Architectural and Engineering Managers 1,830 17-2112 Industrial Engineers 1,348

13-1051 Cost Estimators 2,635 17-2141 Mechanical Engineers 2,838

15-2041 Statisticians 643 17-2199 Engineers, All Other 1,988

17-1011 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval 1,308 17-3011 Architectural and

Civil Drafters 1,209

17-2011 Aerospace Engineers 771 17-3022 Civil Engineering Technicians 919

17-2051 Civil Engineers 5,099 17-3023 Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians 2,246

17-2061 Computer Hardware Engineers 1,015 17-3029 Engineering Technicians,

Except Drafters, All Other 1,236

17-2071 Electrical Engineers 2,678 41-9031 Sales Engineers 923

17-2072 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer 2,294

Applied Technology Occupations

11-3051 Industrial Production Managers 473 49-3042 Mobile Heavy Equipment

Mechanics, Except Engines 859

47-2111 Electricians 5,755 49-9021Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

3,627

49-1011First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

4,550 49-9041 Industrial Machinery Mechanics 1,137

49-2011 Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers 1,700 49-9051 Electrical Power-Line

Installers and Repairers 905

49-2022

Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers

2,602 49-9052 Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers 2,638

STEM Workforce | 3

As of Q1 2019, there were over 98,000 STEM jobs in the NOVA region, representing around 40% of the STEM workforce in the entire Washington D.C. metropolitan area (Figure 1). Nearly half of these are in applied technology occupations, 40% are in engineering and math, and the remainder (11%) are in physical and life science-related occupations (Table 2). Near-term growth for all STEM occupations is expected to be around the same as for all occupations in the

region (around 1.1% annually), with applied technology jobs growing slightly slower, and engineering/ math jobs growing slightly faster, than average.

Among the employers posting most frequently for STEM jobs in the region over the course of 12 months are many of the government contracting firms that are some of the region’s largest employers, including General Dynamics, Booz Allen Hamilton,

Workforce SummaryTable 2. Summary - STEM Occupation Employment in the NOVA Region

Current (Q1 2019)Last 5 Years Next 3 Years

Total Employment

Average Annual Wage

Unemployment Rate

Average Annual Growth

Total New

DemandTotal

Separations*New

Growth

Average Annual Growth

Physical & Life Sciences 10,803 $90,700 1.8% -0.5% 3,435 3,059 376 1.1%

Engineering & Math 39,524 $105,500 1.3% -0.2% 10,507 9,080 1,427 1.2%

Applied Technology 47,762 $61,000 1.8% 1.2% 15,530 14,231 1,299 0.9%

NOVA Region 98,088 $82,200 1.6% 0.4% 29,473 26,369 3,104 1.0%

D.C. MSA 240,465 $85,000 2.1% 0.7% 69,905 63,611 6,295 0.9%

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ; O*NET OnLine.

49-2094Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment

703 49-9099 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other 1,525

49-2098 Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers 1,452 51-4041 Machinists 726

49-3011 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians 1,722 51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers,

and Brazers 935

49-3023 Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics 7,042 51-8031

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

864

49-3031 Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists 1,629 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters,

Samplers, and Weighers 2,116

All Other Occupations (98 total) 13,473

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ.*Separations include demand resulting both from expected exits (individuals leaving the workforce due to retirement, etc.) and expected transfers (individuals moving into other occupations).NOTE: Figures may not sum due to rounding.

STEM Workforce | 4

In order to best understand the local STEM labor market, it is also useful to place the region in context of other similar metropolitan areas, peer cities, and nearby regions. In this case, we compare the NOVA region to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area (MSA), other large MSAs from across the country, as well as two nearby MSAs, Baltimore and Richmond.

The D.C. MSA ranks sixth among United States metropolitan areas for the total size of its STEM workforce, while the NOVA region ranks the equivalent of 24th (Table 4). When looking at the comparative concentration of the STEM workforce in each MSA, however, the NOVA region (and D.C. MSA more broadly) are close to average—the median concentration of STEM jobs across all MSAs is 7.6%. Areas with higher concentrations of STEM occupations such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and especially Detroit tend to

and Northrop Grumman (Table 3). Also included are major engineering firms such as Jacobs and AECOM, and although we have not included occupations that are predominantly involved in IT this brief, major IT consulting and services firms such as Perspecta, SAIC, and Amazon also appear. Postings at these latter companies are largely for computer engineers and other adjacent roles such as electrical and electronics engineers, as well as engineering managers. These top-hiring STEM employers therefore reflect the relatively high concentration of engineering and math employment in the region and, to a lesser extent, of applied technology; engineering firms, for example, also post frequently for technically skilled equipment installers and repairers.

Regional Comparison

MSA Rank

Region/ MSA

Hospitality & Entertainment Employment

Total Employment

Hospitality & EntertainmentConcentration

1 New York City 527.6 9,836.5 5.4%

2 Los Angeles 450.2 6,590.4 6.8%

3 Chicago 350.3 4,865.6 7.2%

4 Houston 317.3 3,228.5 9.8%

5 Dallas-Fort Worth 304.7 3,822.6 8.0%

6 Washington D.C. 240.4 3,382.6 7.1%

7 Detroit 229.2 2,058.3 11.1%

8 Boston 223.6 2,829.9 7.9%

9 Philadelphia 210.4 2,974.8 7.1%

10 Atlanta 198.8 2,880.4 6.9%

20 Baltimore 108.3 1,426.1 7.6%

- NOVA Region 98.0 1,335.2 7.3%

41 Richmond 45.7 675.5 6.8%

Table 4. Top MSAs by Total STEM Employment (in thousands) Compared to the NOVA Region and Nearby MSAs

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ

EmployerJob

Postings

General Dynamics 563

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. 542

US Department of Defense 391

Northrop Grumman 387

Perspecta 300

SAIC 264

Amazon 258

AECOM 252

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. 211

ManTech International Corporation 186

Table 3. Top Ten NOVA STEM Employers by Total Job Postings

Source: Burning Glass Technologies: Labor Insight. 2019.

STEM Workforce | 5

Physical and life science occupations are ones that require significant knowledge of, and skill in, various “hard” science disciplines, including biology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences. The physical and life science occupation expected to add the greatest number of new jobs in the region over the next three years is “environmental scientists and specialists,” which includes various professionals responsible for investigating environmental health, risk, and safety concerns, such as environmental health and safety specialists, climate change analysts, and industrial ecologists (Figure 2). Jobs supporting these scientists through lab work and field testing—categorized as “environmental science and protection technicians”—are also among the high-growth occupations in this group. While the larger number of projected environmental scientist jobs are partly a function of high overall employment in the occupation (it currently has the highest employment in the group at 1,500), these jobs are also expected to grow at a somewhat faster-than-average pace, 1.5% annually; around a third as many jobs exist for environmental technicians, but the occupation can expect similar, if not slightly faster, near-term growth (1.7% annually). Otherwise, workers responsible for

surveying are expected to make up around 15% of new life and physical science growth while maintaining average growth rates. Biological technicians (laboratory technicians in biology labs) can also expect average growth over the next three years.

In addition to projected growth, another measure of an occupation’s importance and potential demand in a region is its concentration in the regional economy compared to its concentration nationally, also known as an occupation’s location quotient (LQ). An LQ of 0.8 – 1.2 usually means the occupation makes up a similar proportion of total regional employment as it does

also have higher concentrations of applied technology jobs. For example, while 45% of the Washington D.C. MSA’s STEM workforce comes from applied technology jobs, these same jobs make up 55% of Detroit’s. By contrast, 16% of the D.C. region’s workforce lies in physical and life science occupations, compared to just

6% of Detroit’s. On balance, the NOVA region lies in between these two areas, having a well-above average concentration of engineering and math jobs, a below average concentration of applied technology jobs, and a slightly above average concentration of physical and life science occupations.

Highest Lowest

OccupationAverage Annual

Wages OccupationAverage Annual

Wages

Natural Sciences Managers $142,300 Forest and Conservation Technicians $44,900

Physical Scientists, All Other $135,900 Chemical Technicians $51,100

Physicists $130,400 Surveying and Mapping Technicians $53,700

Chemists $124,400Environmental Science and

Protection Technicians, Including Health

$57,000

Microbiologists $114,500 Biological Technicians $58,900

Table 5. Physical & Life Science Occupations with the Highest and Lowest Annual Wages in the NOVA Region (employing over 130)

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ.

Physical & Life Science OccupationsFigure 2. Physical & Life Science Occupations Expected to Add the Most New Jobs over the Next 3 Years

Environmental Scientists andSpecialists, Including Health 71

Surveying andMapping Technicians

Biological Technicians

Surveyors

Environmental Science andProtection Technicians,

Including Health

18.9% of all newphysical & life science jobs

8.0% of all newphysical & life science jobs8.0% of all newphysical & life science jobs

7.2% of all newphysical & life science jobs6.9% of all newphysical & life science jobs

30

30

27

26

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ.

STEM Workforce | 6

nationally, while an LQ higher than 1.2 means that the occupation makes up a greater share of the regional labor market than it does at a national level (and vice-versa for an LQ below 0.8).

With an LQ of 1.2, physical and life science occupations are, overall, slightly more concentrated in the NOVA region as they are nationally. Those individual occupations that are much more prevalent locally include highly-educated experts in physical and earth/geoscience roles such as geographers and “physical scientists, all other,” which can include remote sensing scientists and geospatial engineers (Table 6). Examining job postings for these occupations more closely, it is evident that a component of regional physics and geoscience employment consists of roles at the many regional government agencies and contractors involved in defense. In general, these physical science occupations employ relatively few people, however. By contrast, “environmental scientists and specialists” is both twice as concentrated regionally as it is nationally, and the largest occupation in the group (as well among the fastest growing). Job posting data reveals that, like the other highly concentrated physical science occupations in this group, environmental scientists are in greatest demand among government agencies and large engineering/consulting firms such as AECOM and ICF, where they perform environmental and other health assessments on behalf of public and private sector clients.

Individuals that are responsible for managing and coordinating these sorts of research activities have the highest average annual wage among all physical and life science occupations in the region (Table 5). While a decent number of workers in the region are employed as natural sciences managers (around 660), many other

high-wage occupations in the group that employ less than 100 workers. When looking at occupation wages it is useful to instead look primarily at those occupations that employ a larger share of the workforce, as their impact on regional incomes and prosperity will be more substantial. Considering just those occupations with employment greater than 130 (or, those in the top 50% of all regional physical and life science occupations in terms of total employment), two of the most concentrated physical and life science occupations in the region—physicists and other physical scientists—are also among those that are the highest paid. Technicians across a variety of disciplines are generally those occupations that are among the lowest paid in the group. Two of these, environmental science and protection technicians, and biological technicians, are among those in the group expected to add the most jobs.

Table 7 indicates the most in-demand skills among physical and life science occupations in the NOVA region based on the number of job postings requesting each skill over 12 months. These skills are further grouped into two different categories: baseline (or “soft”) skills, which are those that are necessary regardless of job function; and specialized skills, which are those that are uniquely necessary to a particular job or set of job functions. So, despite the technical nature of most physical and life science jobs, many of the most in-demand skills for these roles appear to be more fundamental (e.g. communication and collaboration).

Skill TypeJob

Postings

Research Baseline 590

Communication Skills Baseline 567

Planning Baseline 379

Quality Assurance and Control Specialized 360

Teamwork / Collaboration Baseline 351

Writing Baseline 336

Chemistry Specialized 260

Microsoft Excel Baseline 255

Microsoft Office Baseline 248

Written Communication Baseline 237

Table 7. Top Skills Listed on NOVA Physical & Life Science Job Postings

Source: Burning Glass Technologies: Labor Insight. 2019.

Certification Job Postings

Security Clearance 342

Driver's License 264

Project Management Certification 26

Table 8. Top Certifications Listed on NOVA Physical & Life Science Service Job Postings

Source: Burning Glass Technologies: Labor Insight. 2019.

Occupation LQ*Total

Employment

Physical Scientists, All Other 3.4 547

Geographers 2.5 36

Atmospheric and Space Scientists 2.4 183

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health 2.2 1,502

Physicists 2.1 318

Table 6. Highest Concentrated Physical & Life Science Occupations in the NOVA Region

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ.

STEM Workforce | 7

Those engineering and math occupations expected to add the most new jobs over the next three years are generally also those with the highest overall employment in the group; with annual projected growth rates of 1.2% - 1.5%, these occupations are expected to add new jobs onto their already large pool of employment at a slightly above average rate (Figure 3). Among these, civil and mechanical engineers are among the most common engineering occupations at the national level as well,3 while electrical engineers are slightly less prominent nationally than, for example, industrial engineers. Indeed, given the region’s strength in information technology and defense (where electrical components are commonly required for weapons systems), electrical engineers are (with an LQ of 1.6) more prevalent locally than at a national level. Besides these common engineering occupations, more administrative engineering-related occupations such as cost estimators and construction managers are also expected to add a significant number of new jobs in the near term. While these are also commonly associated with the construction industry, both require a significant level of knowledge in engineering, technology, and math, and frequently work closely with (or supervise) engineers and architects.

While the most common engineering occupations constitute many of the jobs in this group and, therefore, much of its growth, some of the most highly concentrated occupations in the region are in more specialized engineering areas such as nuclear engineering and marine engineering (Table 9). Paralleling demand for electrical engineers (and employing a similar number of workers), electrical and electronic engineering technicians are also more highly concentrated in the NOVA region than at the national

3 “Employment outlook for engineering occupations to 2024.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6 October 2016. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/employment-outlook-for-engineering-occupations-to-2024.htm

level. High-level mathematical occupations are among the most concentrated of all STEM occupations in the region, but few jobs exist for these roles.

Of course, research, which is categorized as a “baseline” skill, can be highly technical and specialized depending on the role and context in which it is utilized. The same can be said for planning and writing.

In general, demand for specific certifications at hire among physical and life science occupations appears to be relatively low (Table 8). Those certifications that are requested tend to be relatively standard/generic: security clearance remains a common condition of employment for any position at one of the many government contracting firms in the region, and

a driver’s license is common regardless of occupation. Otherwise, the most common certification requested in physical and life science job postings is for project management. This may make sense given the fact that many of the most in-demand physical and life science occupations in the region are involved in research and consulting projects of various kinds. Even so, only 26 postings—3% of postings for physical and life science jobs that included any kind of certification—requested the credential.

Engineering & Math Occupations

Occupation LQ*Total

Employment

Mathematicians 6.9 171

Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other 3.2 38

Nuclear Engineers 3.1 439

Marine Engineers and Naval Architects 2.7 264

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians 2.1 2,246

Table 9. Highest Concentrated Engineering & Math Occupations in the NOVA Region

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ.

Figure 3. Engineering & Math Occupations Expected to Add the Most New Jobs over the Next 3 Years

Civil Engineers 178

Mechanical Engineers

Construction Managers

Electrical Engineers

Cost Estimators

12.5% of all newengineers & math jobs

9.0% of all newengineers & math jobs

8.7% of all newengineers & math jobs

8.3% of all newengineers & math jobs8.1% of all newengineers & math jobs

128

124

118

115

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ.

STEM Workforce | 8

Mathematicians are also one of the more highly paid engineering and math occupations, with an average annual wage of around $138,000. Considering just those engineering and math occupations with total employment in the top 50% of the group (those over 300), however, specialized engineers make up many of the highest paid (Table 10). In addition to engineers in the nuclear and aerospace arenas, “engineers, all other” includes a range of more highly specialized engineering occupations such as those dealing with solar or wind energy, robotics, or micro/nanosystems. With most engineers making, on average, over six figures annually, engineering managers are of course the highest paid occupation in the group (as well as across all STEM occupations).

Like in the physical and life sciences workforce, the lowest paid engineering and math occupations are generally the technicians that support engineers. However, average wages for even these occupations are generally much higher than for the lowest-paid occupations in other segments of the workforce, and higher even than those in the physical and life sciences. Also, based on determinations made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through national surveys, these occupations typically only require an associates degree for employment and therefore offer excellent employment opportunities for individuals earning less than a four-year degree, particularly electrical and electronic engineering technicians, which are highly concentrated in the region.

Also as with physical and life science occupations, baseline/non-technical skills are surprisingly the ones most commonly included in postings for engineering and math jobs (Table 11). Even those specialized skills that occur most frequently are less oriented towards engineering-specific technical skills, and are more administrative and management-related, such as budgeting, scheduling, and project management. In part, this may be because engineering-related

Table 10. Engineering & Math Occupations with the Highest and Lowest Annual Wages in the NOVA Region (over 300 employed)

Highest Lowest

OccupationAverage Annual

Wages OccupationAverage Annual

Wages

Architectural and Engineering Managers $163,500 Civil Engineering Technicians $57,700

Nuclear Engineers $150,500 Mechanical Engineering Technicians $61,500

Sales Engineers $140,900 Mechanical Drafters $62,000

Aerospace Engineers $138,400 Architectural and Civil Drafters $62,800

Engineers, All Other $127,600 Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians $73,700

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ.

Skill TypeJob

Postings

Communication Skills Baseline 5,635

Planning Baseline 3,533

Project Management Specialized 3,355

Teamwork / Collaboration Baseline 3,018

Research Baseline 2,939

Budgeting Specialized 2,617

Writing Baseline 2,569

Microsoft Office Baseline 2,529

Scheduling Specialized 2,471

Problem Solving Baseline 2,417

Table 11. Top Skills Listed on NOVA Engineering & Math Job Postings

Source: Burning Glass Technologies: Labor Insight. 2019.

Certification Job Postings

Security Clearance 3,801

Driver's License 980

Licensed Professional Engineer 676

Project Management Certification 514

American Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Accredited 512

Table 12. Top Certifications Listed on NOVA Engineering & Math Job Postings

Source: Burning Glass Technologies: Labor Insight. 2019.STEM Workforce | 9

As a community college, NOVA is particularly concerned with understanding opportunities in the labor market that do not require a four-year or postgraduate degree for entry. So, in addition to those science, engineering, and math occupations that are traditionally considered as part of the STEM field, and having already delved into information technology occupations in a separate workforce brief, we have included “applied technology” occupations as part of our analysis into this segment of the workforce. This expanded definition has been used by others investigating the sector, notably by the Brookings Institution in a 2013 report that not only examined commonly regarded “professional” STEM jobs, but included others in manufacturing, maintenance, and construction that require a high degree of STEM knowledge.4

Among those occupations for which physical/life science, engineering, math, or computer knowledge is important and required at a relatively high level, but that have not already been considered, electricians are expected to add the most new jobs over the next three years, growing at an above average rate of 1.5% annually (Figure 4). Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) mechanics and installers are also expected to grow at a faster-than-average rate (1.8% annually) in the near-term. Finally, automotive and diesel mechanics/technicians, despite being expected to grow at a slightly slower average annual rate, are projected to add around 250 new jobs. All of these occupations, taken together with jobs for their supervisors, are expected to account for nearly two-thirds (63%) of projected new job growth across all applied technology occupations we have considered.

Those applied technology occupations that are more concentrated in the NOVA region than they are nationally on average are, appropriate to the region, largely focused around electrical and computer technology (Table 13). This includes jobs

4 Jonathan Rothwell, “The Hidden STEM Economy.” The Brookings Institution, 10 June 2013. https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-hidden-stem-economy/

in telecommunications repair and installation, not only at widely recognizable telecommunications companies such as Verizon, but also at government contractors such as General Dynamics. The relatively

technical skills are more diverse and more highly dependent on each individual role and firm, while budgeting and project management take on similar forms regardless of employer.

Project management certification was also among the most commonly requested certifications for engineering and math postings in the region (Table

12). Again, security clearance dominates due to regional employment in technical areas being so highly dependent on government contractors. Formal engineering licensure and accreditation rounds out the most in-demand credentials among occupations in the group, although we might expect these to be more common given their importance in the field.

Applied Technology OccupationsFigure 4. Applied Technology Occupations Expected to Add the Most New Jobs over the Next 3 Years

Electricians 267Heating, Air Conditioning,

and Refrigeration Mechanicsand Installers

First-Line Supervisors ofMechanics, Installers,

and Repairers

Automotive ServiceTechnicians and Mechanics

Bus and Truck Mechanicsand Diesel Engine Specialists

19.7% of all new applied technology jobs

15.1% of all newapplied tech nology jobs

13.7% of all new applied technology jobs

10.0% of all new applied technology jobs

4.9% of all newengineers & math jobs

205

185

135

66

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ.

Occupation LQ*Total

Employment

Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers 2.6 2,638

Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers 2.3 1,452

Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers

1.8 213

Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers 1.7 1,700

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians 1.5 1,722

Table 13. Highest Concentrated Applied Technology Occupations in the NOVA Region

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ.

STEM Workforce | 10

high concentration of security system installers and computer repair workers may be partly a function of the region’s relatively high incomes (Loudoun County has the highest median income in the country, while Fairfax County ranks third). That is, greater disposable income and wealth would allow for greater acquisition of personal electronics requiring repair, while also requiring and providing for the ability to purchase home security solutions. Finally, the higher than average concentration of aircraft mechanics is unsurprising given the presence of two major airports in the region.

Aircraft mechanics are also among the applied technology occupations with the highest average annual wages in the region (Table 14). While there are some occupations in the group that have average annual wages above six figures, these generally employ less than 100 workers. Looking just at those occupations employing more than 200 (those in the top 50% of the group) electrical and electronics installers and repairers (for both power lines and non-residential equipment) command some of the highest salaries. This also includes some jobs grouped under “control and valve installers and repairers,” such as electric meter technicians and instrument/electrical technicians.

Many of the lowest-paid applied technology occupations in the region also employ fewer than 100 workers—even some of those employing over 200 lie only just above this threshold, including mixing machine operators (which often work with a variety

Highest Lowest

OccupationAverage Annual

Wages OccupationAverage Annual

Wages

First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $75,700 Mixing and Blending Machine

Setters, Operators, and Tenders $36,100

Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $71,300 Ophthalmic Laboratory Techni-

cians $44,400

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians $69,300 Computer, Automated Teller, and

Office Machine Repairers $45,600

Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and

Industrial Equipment$69,300 Installation, Maintenance, and

Repair Workers, All Other $48,100

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except

Mechanical Door$67,400

Electronic Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and

Repairers$49,200

Source: Chmura Economics & Analytics, JobsEQ.

Table 14. Applied Technology Occupations with the Highest and Lowest Annual Wages in the NOVA Region (employing over 200)

Skill TypeJob

Postings

Repair Specialized 3,029

Communication Skills Baseline 1,487

Troubleshooting Baseline 1,318

Physical Abilities Baseline 1,154

HVAC Specialized 1,005

Preventive Maintenance Baseline 993

Scheduling Specialized 843

Customer Service Specialized 816

Quality Assurance and Control Specialized 726

Teamwork / Collaboration Baseline 724

Table 15. Top Skills Listed on NOVA Applied Technology Job Postings

Source: Burning Glass Technologies: Labor Insight. 2019.

Certification Job Postings

Driver's License 2,023

Security Clearance 799

EPA CFC/HCFC Certification 453

Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Certification 398

Master Electrician License 124

Table 16. Top Certifications Listed on NOVA Applied Technology Job Postings

Source: Burning Glass Technologies: Labor Insight. 2019.

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Indeed, when looking at minimum education requirements listed on job postings for STEM occupations, applied technology occupations overwhelmingly required the lowest average level of education (Figure 5). Among the 59 of these occupations we considered, only one (at the manager level) may require a bachelor’s degree. However, the majority of all STEM occupations typically require education of at least a bachelor’s degree or higher, with postings for life and physical science occupations

5 Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2013-2017)

requiring the highest percentage of postgraduate (master’s or doctoral) degrees. In all, around 78% of STEM job postings required some extended college or university education. This aligns with the NOVA region being more highly-educated than the country as a whole—around 70% of the local population holds some sort of 2-year, 4-year, or post-graduate degree compared to around 46% nationally.5

Even so, there are still a number of opportunities in engineering and math as well as life and physical

sciences for individuals with less than a bachelor’s degree. Most of these are for technicians, and usually require at least an associates degree. As seen above, electrical engineering technicians and other electrical installation professionals are particularly concentrated in the region, while environmental engineering and environmental science technicians are expected to grow faster than average over the next three years. With around 80 two-year credentials awarded in

of chemicals, requiring knowledge of chemistry and mathematics) and ophthalmic laboratory technicians, who (as opposed to medical technicians in the same field) prepare and assemble glasses, contact lenses, and other optical elements. Many of the largest applied technology occupations (e.g electricians, HVAC technicians, and automotive technicians) lie in the middle range of average wages for the group, making roughly between $53,000 and $63,000 annually.

Those skills in greatest demand (based on job postings) are more evenly split between “specialized” and “baseline” for applied technology occupations than for either physical and life science occupations, or engineering and math occupations (Table 16). This may be mostly a function of how Burning Glass Technologies—whose system, Labor Insight, aggregates posting information from thousands of online job boards for analysis—groups skills. Like with “research” and “planning” in the previous two groups, “troubleshooting” and “preventative maintenance” could be more technical, with more specialized

components, depending on the role and context. Still, while repair is a relatively broad skill term, it is more reflective of specific elements of the applied technology group than those specialized skills seen as in-demand in other groups. Similarly, HVAC reflects specific demand for technicians with knowledge of these systems.

Those certifications listed most frequently in job postings reflect similar demand, with HVAC-related certification from the Environmental Protection Agency occurring only behind a driver’s license and security clearance (Table 15). Other frequently requested certifications among applied technology job postings also reflect demand for other large and growing occupation areas, including electricians and automotive technicians. In fact, in each of these cases some vocational training and relevant professional certification are typically all that is required for entry, although for electricians this will likely require apprenticeship rather than traditional post-secondary training/education.

Education

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Life & Physical Sciences

18.8% 73.2% 4.6%3.5%

3.1%14.1% 17%65.8%

7.2% 26.5%65.3% 1%

7.6% 85.7%2.6% 4.2%

Applied Technology

Engineering & Math

All Occupations

Figure 5. Minimum Education Requirements Requested in NOVA STEM Job Postings

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2013-2017).

STEM Workforce | 12

electrical engineering across the D.C. MSA during 2016-2017 (Figure 6), and 70 new electrical engineering technician jobs expected over the next three years, education demand for these jobs is likely already being met. But demand for environmental science and engineering technicians may not be through existing education and training programs.

While these occupations can expect 40 new jobs as well separation demand of around 240 jobs (from

individuals exiting or transferring out of the occupation) over the next three years, only around 20 related 2-year credentials were awarded during the 2016-2017 academic year. Of course, individuals from general engineering technology or other life science programs will also likely fill these future openings. However, given increasing employer demand for these roles, as well as their high concentration in the region, more specialized instruction in the area of environmental technology could be warranted.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Environmental ScienceMathematics & Statistics

General Biology

General EngineeringPhysical Science

Electrical and Electronics EngineeringMechanical Engineering

Civil & Construction EngineeringComputer Engineering

Chemistry & Chemical EngineeringAgricultural Science & Horticulture

Geography & GISIndustrial & Systems Engineering

Architecture & Architecture TechnologyBiomedical Science & EngineeringBiochemistry & Molucular Biology

BiotechnologyAerospace Engineering & Technology

HVAC Maintenance & RepairScience & Technology

Automotive & Diesel TechnologyBioinformatics

Materials Science & EngineeringElectricians & Electrical Installation

WeldingEngineering & Construction Management

8979111,581

81476172971738437336532332231131030627723721319614899777457169

Figure 6. STEM-Related Credentials Awarded by Program Area and Level (D.C. MSA, 2016-2017)

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS.

STEM Workforce | 13

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections Program. “Education and training assignments by detailed occupations, 2016” [Data File]. Retrieved November 5, 2018.

Burning Glass Technologies. (2019) “Labor Insight Real-Time Labor Market Information Tool.” [Data File]. http://www.laborinsight.burning-glass.com/jobs/us#. Retrieved August 2, 2019. Job Postings from August 1, 2018 – July 30, 2019.

Chmura Economics & Analytics. (2019) “JobsEQ.” [Data File]. http://www.chmuraecon.com/jobseq. Retrieved August 2, 2019.

National Center for Education Statistics. “Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).” [Data File]. https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds. Retrieved August 2, 2019.

United States Census Bureau. “American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2013-2017.” [Data File]. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs. Retrieved May 10, 2019.

AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank the Capital One Foundation for generously providing the funding that made this series of industry briefs possible.

The views expressed in this report are those of its authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or views of the Capital One Foundation.

Data Sources

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