STEM Equity Monitor

STEM-qualified occupations by diversity groups

We use data from the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) to look at key STEM workforce data for diversity groups over years. PLIDA data uses multiple sources.

 

STEM-qualified occupations

Explore the interactive dashboard

You can use the data below to compare numbers of people in diversity groups working in STEM, non-STEM and health occupation types over different years.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2026

Learn more about the data

The Power BI dashboards in the monitor present data in different formats, including charts, graphs and tables. You can customise these dashboards based on what you're interested in.

  • Filter the data: Click the options on the left side of each dashboard and make your selections.
  • Find more information about a specific data point: Hover your cursor over the dashboard to reveal more information, such as counts or percentages, if available.
  • Reset the page to its original selections: Click the button labelled ‘Refresh to default view’ in the bottom left corner of the page.
  • Move between different pages in a dashboard: Click the buttons along the top of the dashboard, if available.

ABS provided the data in this article, based on the use of PLIDA.

PLIDA is a secure data asset combining information over time on:

  • health
  • education
  • government payments
  • income and taxation
  • employment
  • population demographics, including the Census of Population and Housing.

It provides whole-of-life insights about various population groups in Australia. Insights include the interactions between their demographics, use of services like healthcare and education, and outcomes like improved health and employment.

ABS sourced information on occupation type from Personal Income Tax Income Tax Return data. This data records the occupation of the main job a person held in the financial year. Diversity characteristics were sourced from data linked to this, including from the Census of Population and Housing.

Due to the complex nature of linking data in PLIDA, there are time lags for the data used on this page. Data for the 2022–23 reference period is the most recent data available for the 2026 edition of the STEM Equity Monitor.

People with disability were those who require assistance with everyday activities of self-care, mobility and/or communication. This means this group only includes people with severe or profound disability.

First Nations people were those who identified as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person in any of the linked data sources. This population increased as more people became employed and as more people identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

Each comparison type includes a group of people whose characteristics were not known. For example, disability status is made up of people with disability, people without disability, and people whose disability status was unknown. Where possible, the analysis excluded the unknown group. The comparison types where the unknown group were excluded are First Nations status and disability status. For other comparison types, the unknown group was merged with another group to protect small cells. This means:

  • people from an English-speaking background includes people whose language background was unknown
  • people born in Australia includes people whose country of birth was unknown
  • people from a major city includes people whose location was unknown.

Each comparison type also includes a gender split into men, women and other gender. Where possible, people with a gender other than man or woman were included in counts and percentages. For other comparison types, only men and women were included in counts and percentages to protect small cells. These were the comparison types:

  • First Nations status
  • disability status
  • location.

This page shows occupation data at a less detailed level but includes diversity groups other than gender across years. For users who would prefer:

In the STEM Equity Monitor, we define occupations as STEM occupations when more than 50% of people in the occupation reported a VET or university STEM qualification in the 2021 Census of Population and Housing.

Read about our methodology for definitions and for more information about the variety of STEM workforce data in the STEM Equity Monitor.

The results of these studies are based, in part, on data supplied to the ABS under the:

  • Taxation Administration Act 1953
  • A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999
  • Australian Border Force Act 2015
  • Social Security (Administration) Act 1999
  • A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999
  • Paid Parental Leave Act 2010
  • Student Assistance Act 1973.

Such data may only be used for the purpose of administering the Census and Statistics Act 1905 or performance of functions of the ABS as set out in section 6 of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Act 1975.

No individual information collected under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 is provided back to custodians for administrative or regulatory purposes.

Any discussion of data limitations or weaknesses is in the context of using the data for statistical purposes. It is not related to the ability of the data to support the Australian Taxation Office, Australian Business Register, Department of Social Services and/or Department of Home Affairs’ core operational requirements.

Legislative requirements to ensure privacy and secrecy of these data have been followed. For access to PLIDA and/or Business Longitudinal Analysis Data Environment (BLADE) data under Section 16A of the ABS Act 1975 or enabled by section 15 of the Census and Statistics (Information Release and Access) Determination 2018, source data are de-identified and so data about specific individuals has not been viewed in conducting this analysis.

In accordance with the Census and Statistics Act 1905, results have been treated where necessary to ensure that they are not likely to enable identification of a particular person or organisation.

Data insights

Equity by diversity groups

The number of First Nations people in STEM-qualified occupations increased by around 1,200, or 5% from 2021–22 to 2022–23. The number of non-First Nations people in STEM occupations grew by around 39,900, a 3% increase.

From 2021–22 to 2022–23, the proportion of First Nations people in STEM occupations remained at 2%. In comparison, First Nations people made up 3% of people in other occupations, including health and non-STEM occupation types, in 2022–23.

In other diversity groups in 2022–23:

  • people with disability made up 1% of people in STEM occupations, similar to the proportion in other occupations (1%)
  • people from a non-English speaking background made up 30% of people in STEM occupations, compared to 22% of people in other occupations
  • people born in a country other than Australia made up 37% of people in STEM occupations, compared to 28% of people in other occupations
  • people from remote and very remote locations made up 2% of people in STEM occupations, similar to the proportion in other occupations (2%).

There was an increase over time in the representation of people from non-English speaking backgrounds and people born in a country other than Australia in STEM-qualified occupations. These increases were larger in university STEM-qualified occupations. These occupations include actuaries, mathematicians and statisticians, civil engineering professionals, computer network professionals, environmental scientists and medical laboratory scientists.

  • In 2013–14, 29% of people in university STEM occupations were from non-English speaking backgrounds. In 2022–23, this increased to 40%.
  • In 2013–14, 42% of people in university STEM occupations were born in a country other than Australia. In 2022–23, this increased to 47%.

From 2013–14 to 2022–23, the number of First Nations people in STEM occupations increased 44% from 17,600 to 25,400 people. Of the First Nations people in STEM-qualified occupations in 2022–23:

  • 6,900, or 27%, were in university STEM-qualified occupations
  • 13,900, or 55%, were in VET (vocational education and training) STEM-qualified occupations including aircraft maintenance engineers, cabinetmakers, electricians and motor mechanics
  • 4,600, or 18%, were in mixed STEM-qualified occupations, including air transport professionals, ICT managers and science technicians.

There were higher proportions of people from regional and remote locations in VET STEM-qualified occupations than university or mixed STEM-qualified occupations. In 2022–23:

  • 36% of people in VET STEM-qualified occupations were from regional and remote locations (including inner regional, outer regional, remote and very remote locations), and 64% were from major cities
  • 15% of people in university and mixed STEM-qualified occupations were from regional and remote locations, and 85% were from major cities.

Equity by diversity groups and gender

This section shows intersectional groups – for example, First Nations women – as a proportion of all people in an occupation type.

Differences in calculations in this section are due to rounding, or to people with a gender other than man or woman, who we have not shown separately. We have rounded percentages under 3% to one decimal point. Otherwise, we have rounded numbers to the nearest percentage.

Men from diverse groups had higher representation in STEM occupations than women from diverse groups. While 1.9% of all people in STEM occupations were First Nations people in 2022–23, only 0.3% were First Nations women. First Nations men made up 1.7% of people in STEM occupations.

In other diversity groups in 2022–23:

  • women with disability made up 0.1% of all people in STEM occupations, while men with disability made up 0.5% of people in STEM occupations
  • women from non-English speaking backgrounds made up 7% of all people in STEM occupations, while men from non-English speaking backgrounds made up 23% of people in STEM occupations
  • women born in a country other than Australia made up 8% of all people in STEM occupations, while men born in a country other than Australia made up 29% of people in STEM occupations
  • women from remote and very remote areas made up 0.2% of all people in STEM occupations, while men from remote and very remote areas made up 1.3% of people in STEM occupations.

In other occupations, including health and non-STEM occupation types, women and men from diverse groups were much closer in their representation. In 2022–23:

  • First Nations women made up 1.7% of all people in other occupations, while First Nations men made up 1.6% of people in other occupations
  • women with disability made up 0.6% of all people in other occupations, while men with disability made up 0.5% of people in other occupations
  • women from non-English speaking backgrounds made up 12% of all people in other occupations, while men from non-English speaking backgrounds made up 10% of people in other occupations
  • women born in a country other than Australia made up 16% of all people in other occupations, while men born in a country other than Australia made up 13% of people in other occupations
  • women from remote and very remote areas made up 0.8% of all people in other occupations, while men from remote and very remote areas made up 0.7% of people in other occupations.

Gender equity within diversity groups

This section shows gender splits for diverse groups in an occupation type. It shows intersectional groups as a proportion of people in the diversity group. For example, First Nations women are shown as a proportion of all First Nations people in an occupation type.

Within diversity groups, women made up lower proportions of people in STEM occupations in 2022–23. This is consistent across all diversity groups, including:

  • women from remote and very remote locations, who accounted for 12% of people from remote and very remote locations working in STEM occupations
  • First Nations women, who accounted for 14% of First Nations people working in STEM occupations
  • women with disability, who accounted for 18% of people with disability working in STEM occupations
  • women from non-English speaking backgrounds, who accounted for 23% of people from non-English speaking backgrounds working in STEM occupations.

On the other hand, within diversity groups, women made up higher proportions of people in health and non-STEM occupations. This includes:

  • First Nations women, who accounted for 85% of First Nations people working in health occupations
  • women with disability, who accounted for 85% of people with disability working in health occupations
  • women from non-English speaking backgrounds, who accounted for 75% of people from a non-English speaking background working in health occupations.

Across all diversity groups in 2022–23, the proportion of women in university-qualified STEM occupations was higher than the proportion of women in VET-qualified STEM occupations.

  • Of First Nations people, women accounted for 25% of people working in university-qualified STEM occupations, compared to 4% of people working in VET-qualified STEM occupations.
  • Of people with disability, women accounted for 29% of people working in university-qualified STEM occupations, compared to 3% of people working in VET-qualified STEM occupations.
  • Of people from a non-English speaking background, women accounted for 28% of people working in university-qualified STEM occupations, compared to 3% of people working in VET-qualified STEM occupations.
  • Of people born in a country other than Australia, women accounted for 26% of people working in university-qualified STEM occupations, compared to 2% of people working in VET-qualified STEM occupations.
  • Of people living in remote and very remote locations, women accounted for 27% of people working in university-qualified STEM occupations, compared to 3% of people working in VET-qualified occupations.