Explore where your STEM path can lead, wherever you’re starting from.
Your STEM journey is in your hands, and it can start at any age. Whether you’re building your first paper bridge or deciding which graduate or technical program to apply to, we want to give you as good of a start as possible. We’ve compiled information to help guide you along your STEM pathway, from elementary school through your career.
The future is bright for careers in STEM. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in STEM occupations will grow 8.1 percent between 2024 and 2034, compared with 2.7 percent for non-STEM occupations. STEM disciplines offer a wide range of opportunities with a near-infinite choice in developing your career.
You might have an idea in your head of what a scientist looks like. But anyone who asks questions and looks for answers through observation or experimentation is using scientific thinking. A farmer testing different methods on their crops, a coder designing modifications for a video game, and a construction engineer improving the blend of rock under a road are all doing science.
Many people have contributed to science throughout history, at every level, and not all of them worked in a lab. Some of the most useful inventions came from people who noticed an everyday problem and decided to solve it.
Mary Anderson watched a New York City streetcar driver struggle to see through a windshield covered in sleet. In 1903, she received a patent for a hand-operated device that cleared snow and rain from the glass: an early windshield wiper.
Alexander Miles saw the danger of elevator shaft doors that had to be closed by hand. If someone forgot, a person could fall into the open shaft. In 1887, he patented a mechanism that opened and closed those doors automatically as the elevator moved.
Antonia Novello became a pediatrician and, in 1990, the first woman and first Hispanic person to serve as Surgeon General of the United States, the nation’s top public health official.
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: four fields that work together to understand the world and solve problems.
Asking why and how about everything in the natural world
Biology (living things), chemistry (how substances mix and react, from slime to fireworks), physics (motion and energy), earth science (oceans, rocks, and storms), and astronomy
Creating and using tools, devices, and systems
Robotics, coding, telecommunications, and electronics like the ones that power a smartwatch
Designing and building solutions to problems
A civil engineer designs a skate park, a mechanical engineer builds a race car, an aerospace engineer designs rockets, and a biomedical engineer develops robotic arms that help doctors perform surgery
Finding patterns and solving puzzles
Calculating a baseball player’s batting average, or using algebra to figure out how much longer a road trip will take based on your speed and the distance left
Think of your STEM path like leveling up in a game. Each stage builds on the one before it, and you can keep working on earlier levels at any point. Select your stage to see what to focus on now, activities you can try, and Army STEM programs open to you.
Pay attention to what’s going on around you and ask yourself questions. Explore topics that interest you and learn as much as you can about them. When you find a question you can’t answer, that’s when it’s time to experiment. You can experiment on your own or team up with a friend.
A free summer STEM camp held at participating U.S. Army research laboratories and centers.
The sheer variety of career paths in STEM can be overwhelming, but the best place to start is with what you’re already interested in.
Do you want to conduct research about the effect of pollution on the growth of crops for an agricultural company as an agrochemist or environmental scientist? Do you want to teach undergrads about the basics of quantum mechanics as a physics professor? How about developing cutting-edge AI technology in a government lab as a programmer? You could also design innovative infrastructure for a city as a civil engineer, or perform lifesaving surgeries as a neurosurgeon. The STEM possibilities are endless. Which ones stand out to you?
It might also help if you remember that many of the things you learn while studying any STEM discipline could also apply to careers outside of the STEM sphere, such as in business, education or public office. As you explore opportunities, don’t forget about the unconventional paths! Keep an open mind and look for experiences that will fulfill your whole self.
As you venture onto your path, everything might feel equally exciting and important. It might seem impossible to choose, but keep in mind that your career will be long. You will have plenty of choices and time to make them happen. If you don’t really know where you want to end up, that’s normal! You will have plenty of time to try different things! Keep in mind that finding out you don’t like something is just as important as finding out that you do. We hope this can help take away some of the pressure you may feel to get every decision just right.
There are a variety of sectors you can work in on your STEM career. Understanding what each sector offers and their pros and cons can help you make decisions throughout your career. Remember that you can have a fulfilling STEM career no matter what sector you choose.
While some STEM careers require multiple advanced degrees, there are others that don’t! Sometimes experience and technical skill are more valuable than a degree. Below you can read more about each education type and see some ideas of what careers/positions you can do with each level of education.
Many high schools offer technical programs in STEM-related fields like automotive technology, welding, HVAC, and computer science. These programs let you build hands-on skills before you graduate and can prepare you for a certificate program, a registered apprenticeship, or college. Ask your school counselor what your school or district offers.
Certificate programs allow you to focus on a specific set of skills needed to perform a position. These certificate programs can take the form of training programs, semesters or bootcamps. These are rigorous programs that vary in length from 3-to-18 months. Some career options that only require a certificate include:
An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after two or three years of study. These are programs you can take right out of high school and are less time-consuming than a bachelor’s degree. While many STEM careers require at least a bachelor’s degree, there are some that only require an associate degree.
Bachelor’s degrees are an undergraduate degree awarded after three-to-six years of studies, though most programs are designed to be completed in four years. It is available in any STEM field and prepares you for entry-level positions related to your field. You can find these positions in engineering firms, pharmaceutical companies, tech companies, research facilities, and more. It is also a prerequisite for a postgraduate master’s degree.
Master’s degrees are a postgraduate degree awarded after completing an in-depth program, and typically take two years to complete. The courses dive deeper into the STEM subject, getting more technical than a bachelor’s degree. No matter what field you’re pursuing, a master’s degree will help expose you to opportunities in research careers, as well as higher compensation. Some Ph.D. programs require a master’s degree, while others admit students directly after a bachelor’s.
A Ph.D. is a doctoral research degree awarded after years of study and is the highest level of academic qualification achievable. These degrees typically require four-to-six years to complete and include performing original research and writing a dissertation. A Ph.D. will allow you to pursue a high-level career in academia, industry, research, and more. It also increases the amount of compensation you can earn.
Browse STEM careers by field, from aerospace engineering to data science, on the DoW STEM Careers site.
[DoW STEM Careers]