9781422271599

Introduction

Careers in Science Offer Good Pay, the Opportunity to Help People, and Other Rewards Where would we be without science? Well, we’d be without computers, smart phones, robots, and other cutting-edge technologies. Crimes would take longer to solve without modern forensic analysis techniques. We’d be stuck relying on environmentally unfriendly fossil fuels instead of using renewable energy. And life would be less fun, because we wouldn’t have drones, awe-inspiring and physics-defying roller coasters, or the computer and video games that we play for hours. Jobmarkets are sometimes strong and sometimes weak, but a career in science (which, for the purposes of this series, includes the related fields of technology and engineering) is almost a sure path to a comfortable living. The following paragraphs provide more information on why a career in science is a great choice. Good pay. People in science careers earn some of the highest salaries in the working world. The mean annual salary for those in life, physical, and social science careers in the United States is $79,360, according to the US Department of Labor (DOL). This is much higher than the mean earnings ($56,310) for all occupations. Those in engineering occupations earn $90,300, and computer and mathematics professionals earn $96,770. Science profes sionals who become managers or who launch their own businesses can earn anywhere from $150,000 to $300,000 or more.

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