Study 2 of Scientists and Engineers in the DoD Laboratories

This study of scientists and engineers in DoD laboratories updates a study conducted in 1981. The primary objective is to identify trends in the recruitment and retention of scientists and engineers since 1981. The principal sources of data are questionnaires completed by the management of 66 DoD laboratories in 1986 and personnel and pay data from the Defense Manpower Data Center, and governmental and non-government organizations for 1986, 1987, 1988. Particular attention is given to the comparability of pay of scientists and engineers in the DoD laboratories and in industrial organizations. A pay gap that favors national scientists and engineers over those in the DoD laboratories is found when these groups are compared by level of responsibility and by level of experience (years since receiving bachelor's degree). However, engineers in the DoD laboratories are more heavily concentrated at higher levels of responsibility than engineers in industry; and scientists and engineers in the DoD laboratories have, on average, more experience that those in industry. The pay gap is even wider for scientists and engineers with advanced degrees, for scientists and engineers who are supervisors, and for scientists and engineers who are superior performers as indicated by percentile salaries.