A simple X and Y axis graph showing a direct relationship between the X and Y axis. The vertical axis of this graph represents the number of workers in science and engineering occupations from 0 to 5.5 million. The horizontal axis represents the years from roughly 1950 to 2010.
In 1950, there were approximately 182,000 people in the U.S. working in science and engineering professions.
This number grew at an average annual growth rate of 5.9 percent.
This growth rate was five times the growth rate of the total American workforce.
And, as such, as of 2009, there were an estimated 5.4 million individuals working in science and engineering occupations in the United States.