STEM education increases opportunities, inclusion, and equity because everyone deserves a seat at the table. What does this mean? It means we need more scientists in STEM education careers!

No matter what your interests, education, or experiences are, there are many careers available in this growing field. A good place to start is to explore what area of STEM education fits your career goals. 

In this list we include some of the best options if you feel more attracted or curious about the science field:

Chemist 

Chemistry careers are about much, much more than goggles, beakers, and the periodic table. Chemistry is in everything, even incredible careers.

When working in chemistry careers, many professionals in this field employ a lot of creativity in addition to their STEM foundations. Picking a job in this field doesn’t mean you’ll do the same activity each day—in fact, many STEM professionals who work in chemistry careers have exciting jobs!

For instance, Chemistry careers in crystallography are available in manufacturing, criminal investigation, and archaeology, which is estimated to pay around a median salary of 60,000 USD. Other offers include High School courses you can take, such as Advanced Placement Chemistry, Advanced Placement Biology, and Computer Science. 

Related Careers: Astrophysicist, Metallurgist, Lab Technician

Biologist

Biologists study life to understand how it works and how it interacts. 

If you like the outdoors, a career in biology is for you! Biologists study everything that is alive: plants, animals, fungi, insects, and more! 

Many biologists specialize in a specific field of biology, such as zoology, marine biology, or microbiology. Biologists work to research, collect data, and develop reports and policies to educate people and protect life.

It is estimated that the average salary of a biologist is 66,350 USD and it could be a good fit for those who like technical reading, writing, and mathematics. 

Related Careers: Biotechnologist, Conservationist, Ecologist, Immunologist, Marine Biologist, Zoologist, Oceanographer, Volcanologist. 

 Learn more about our STEM programs for teachers

Psychologist 

Psychological knowledge is very important to scientific and technological innovation. Technology demands the use of human operators, and getting to know human capacities and limits is essential for implementing technological progress.

Psychology is a core STEM discipline because of its scientific impact and technological innovations, as well as its indirect contributions to education and learning in science and technology. The goals of psychological science include:

• Designing new technologies

• Promoting public safety with innovations

• Improving public health with basic and applied research

• Introducing new statistical techniques

• Developing educational techniques

Psychologists have a median salary of 104,922 USD and, ideally, they are people who like working with a social purpose and enjoy getting to know human behaviors and their relationship with technology and science. 

Related Careers: Kindergarten Science Teacher, Urban Statistician 

Solar Scientist 

The renewable energy industry is booming and full of thousands of vacant jobs ready for the taking. In fact, the single largest expected demand in jobs is more specifically in the solar sector of the renewable energy industry. This has led many high school students, and those just beginning college, to seriously consider tailoring their education to best prepare them for a job in this field. 

Solar/Stellar Scientists specialize in the study of the Sun and stars. These scientists are devoted to understanding star and planet formation and the physical processes of the Sun, stars, and stellar systems. Solar/Stellar physics include disciplines such as pure physics, astrophysics, and computer science.

The average salary for a Solar Scientist in the United States is around 68,290 USD  per year. 

Are you a fan of stars and how the solar system changes and behaves over time? 

Related Careers: Scientific Research, Climatologist

Oncologist

An oncologist is a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer. They can specialize in:

• Medical oncology: Treats diagnosed cancer with chemotherapy.

• Surgical oncology: Performs surgery to remove suspicious tumors to be biopsied and tested for cancer.

• Radiation oncology: This field of oncology uses radiation to target cancerous cells.

• Gynecological oncology: Specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with uterine, cervical, or ovarian cancers.

• Pediatric oncology: Pediatric oncologists treat children and teenagers with cancer.

• Hematology oncology: This field of oncology treats cancers of the blood in people of all ages.

It is estimated an average salary of 255,791 USD. 

Related Careers: Clinical Research Scientist, Nurse Practitioner, Physician, Epidemiologist.

Any career you might feel interested in should be a challenge and a dream, which you can find both and more in a STEM career. 

Check out all of our deliveries for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Careers. Which one is your favorite? 

At NextWaveSTEM®, we provide both teachers and students with emerging technology and cutting-edge programs to set them up for the next step in their careers.