STEM-qualified occupations by diversity groups

Data in the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) is combined and linked from multiple sources. Linked data from PLIDA shows key STEM workforce data for diversity groups over years.

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Data insights

Equity by diversity groups

The number of women in STEM-qualified occupations increased by around 19,300, or 10% from 2020–21 to 2021–22. The number of men in STEM-qualified occupations grew by around 44,600, a 4% increase.

From 2020–21 to 2021–22, the proportion of women in STEM-qualified occupations increased from 14% to 15%. In comparison, women made up about 52% of people in non-STEM occupations and 79% of health occupations in 2021–22.

In other diversity groups in 2021–22:

• First Nations people made up 2% of people in STEM-qualified occupations, compared to 3% of people in other occupations, including health and non-STEM occupation types
• people with disability made up 1% of people in STEM-qualified occupations, compared to 1% of people in other occupations
• people from a non-English speaking background made up 28% of people in STEM-qualified occupations, compared to 22% of people in other occupations
• people born in a country other than Australia made up 38% of people in STEM-qualified occupations, compared to 31% of people in other occupations
• people from remote and very remote locations made up 2% of people in STEM-qualified occupations, compared to 2% of people in other occupations.

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, which include actuaries, mathematicians and statisticians, civil engineering professionals, computer network professionals, environmental scientists and medical laboratory scientists.

• In 2012–13, 28% of people in university STEM-qualified occupations were from non-English speaking backgrounds. In 2021–22, this increased to 40%.
• In 2012–13, 44% of people in university STEM-qualified occupations were born in a country other than Australia. In 2021–22, this increased to 52%.

From 2012–13 to 2021–22, the number of First Nations people in STEM-qualified occupations increased 36% from 20,200 to 27,600 people. Of the First Nations people in STEM-qualified occupations in 2021–22:

• 6,200, or 23% were in university STEM-qualified occupations
• 17,000, or 62% were in VET (vocational education and training) STEM-qualified occupations including aircraft maintenance engineers, cabinetmakers, electricians and motor mechanics
• 4,400, or 16% 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 2021–22:

• 37% of people in VET STEM-qualified occupations were from regional and remote locations (including inner regional, outer regional, remote and very remote locations), and 63% 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.

Gender equity within diversity groups

Women made up a smaller proportion of people in STEM occupations than men in 2021–22, but a higher proportion of people in non-STEM and health occupations. This is consistent across all diversity groups, for example:

• First Nations women, who accounted for 84% of First Nations people working in health occupations
• women with disability, who accounted for 84% of people with disability working in health occupations
• women from non-English speaking backgrounds, who accounted for 54% of people from a non-English speaking background working in non-STEM roles.

Across all diversity groups, 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 24% 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 27% 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 26% of people working in university-qualified STEM occupations, compared to 2% of people working in VET-qualified STEM occupations.
• Of people born in a country other than Australia, women accounted for 25% 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 26% of people working in university-qualified STEM occupations, compared to 4% of people working in VET-qualified occupations.

About the data

ABS provided the data in this article, based on the use of Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA).

PLIDA is a secure data asset combining information on:

• health
• education
• government payments
• income and taxation
• employment
• population demographics (including the Census of Population and Housing) over time.

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

Occupation type was sourced from Personal Income Tax Return data, which 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.

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

First Nations people were those who identified as an Aboriginal 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 or Torres Strait Islander people.

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

• numbers of women and men in detailed occupations across years, see Detailed STEM-qualified occupations by gender
• detailed occupation data for 2021 only, with intersecting diversity groups and state/territory splits, see Diversity in STEM insights from the 2021 Census
• workforce data for industry (rather than occupation), by gender across years, see Workforce and gender equality policies.

STEM-qualified occupations are defined in the STEM Equity Monitor.

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

Disclaimer

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 and/or the 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 and 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.