STEM Career Guide

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If you’re unsatisfied with your current career, changing to a career in STEM — which stands for science, technology, engineering and math — might be a solid option.

Employment in STEM occupations has grown 79 percent since 1990, from 9.7 million to 17.3 million and has outpaced overall U.S. job growth. The thirst for STEM workers hasn’t subsided, either. The demand for STEM professionals creates a huge need for new entrants into the STEM workforce.

Transitioning to a STEM career can come with financial barriers, but it can be worth the initial investment in the long run. Personal loans, grants and other sources of funding can mitigate career-change expenses.

Interested in opting for a STEM career instead of your current nine-to-five? We’ll help you understand the financial benefits, obstacles and how to get around any barriers to your STEM-related future.

Why you should consider changing your career

There are several reasons you might change to a STEM career, and they include high salary potential, job satisfaction, positive impact on society and job flexibility.

High salaries

STEM jobs pay out about 70 percent more than the national average, says StratoStar, an education company. More specifically, data from Pew Research Center states that the typical full-time, year-round STEM worker earns $54,745 and a similarly educated non-STEM worker earns $40,505, or 26 percent less.

Though not an exhaustive list, here are the different STEM sectors and possible opportunities within those sectors:

Science: Physics, chemistry, life sciences, geoscience, astronomy, social sciences, environmental studies and biology.

Technology: Information technology, programming, web development, software development, IT architecture, database administration and security and systems analysis.

Engineering: Mechanical, chemical, civil, electrical, management and geotechnical engineer (and hundreds of subcategories as well).

Math: Applied and theoretical mathematics, statistics, calculus, finance and probability.

Growing field

STEM careers are some of the fastest growing, most in-demand career categories, partially because of technology’s constant evolution.

There’s high demand for diverse, talented individuals to seek careers in these well-paid, future-shaping STEM fields. “By far, the greatest labor shortages of women and minorities will be in information and communication technologies,” says Dani Gehm, who works for ChickTech, which engages women and girls of all ages in the technology industry.

STEM unemployment rate is low, and according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, STEM jobs are expected to grow almost twice as much as other jobs, at 21.4 percent. In addition, 80 percent of jobs will require technical skills within the next decade.

Job satisfaction

A Pew survey indicated that 66 percent of those working in a STEM profession or teaching felt their job gave them an identity. Only 43 percent of those working in manual or physical occupations and 37 percent of those working in retail or service jobs said the same.

Impact on society

STEM extends beyond petri dishes and coding on a computer. It includes food production, manufacturing and more than meets the initial eye. Its impact on society and current gaps in U.S. STEM jobs are two reasons why many schools so heavily push STEM education. In total, the Department of Education committed $279 million in STEM discretionary grant funds in 2018.

“You can make a material difference in humanity’s quest to increase our knowledge of the universe,” says Jason Gibson, an electrical engineer who worked for NASA then started an online tutoring company helping students in the STEM field. “Whether you work in a factory, a chemical plant, design computer chips or launch rockets, people who go into STEM fields in a tangible way increase the sum total knowledge of our species on this planet.”

Flexibility

Only 18 percent of Americans believe careers in STEM have more flexibility for balancing work and family compared to jobs in other industries, according to Pew.

From virtual physics teacher to technology marketing manager, there are more flexible STEM careers available than you might think. For example, many registered nurses such as case managers or hotline nurses (who answer patients’ questions over the phone) can telecommute.

Here are a few other ideas of flexible STEM sectors and/or jobs:

• Software development

• Some engineering careers

• Medical science liaison

• Technical support representative

Affording your career change

Once you’ve decided to make the leap to a new STEM career, figure out whether your new career will require you to go back to school. If so, can you get the degree online? Or will it require attaining an online certification?

Do your research

Research the salary potential and years of school needed for your anticipated career. This will help you with a financial budget and plan.

Any initial investment could be offset by your high-paying career down the road.

However, the costs depend on what stage of your career you’re in and what degrees you’re going after. Do the math to make sure the cost of an educational program or degree will be recouped in the increased salary you’ll earn.

Always look for any grants or scholarships you can find. Grants and scholarships are free money that you don’t have to pay back for college or career school. Grants are often need-based, while scholarships are usually merit-based. Grants and scholarships can come from the federal government, your state government, the college or career school you’re considering or an organization.

You can also consider getting a student loan. Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans are great options because interest rates are lower than private loans you could get from a student loan lender.

Finally, visit the schools you’re considering and ask for a full breakdown of all of your potential costs, from tuition to transportation to technology costs and more.

Online learning/certifications for specific skills

Not sure you want to fully go back to school or want to prepare before you do? Many classes and certifications are offered online. You can find both free and fee-based programs to advance your career and knowledge base.

You can find course materials, videos and lecture series through the following free and low-cost programs, some at highly-ranked colleges and universities.

You’ll need a blend of technical and professional skills to make a STEM career switch. In addition to training programs offered from colleges, universities, certificate programs, coding academies and more, take advantage of tech-focused meet-up groups and workshops. Networking is just as important as technical skills and can lead to a job, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Creating a new 529 or using leftover funds

A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged investment vehicle that encourages savings for future qualified higher education expenses such as tuition, fees, books, computers, computer software and other supplies and equipment. The advantage of a 529 plan is that while it’s not tax deductible at the federal level, it may be tax deductible at the state level or you may qualify for a tax credit. Check into your state-sponsored 529 plan.

You may still have money left over in a 529 plan if your child didn’t use it all or if he or she didn’t go to college. You can change the beneficiary to yourself by completing a form found on the plan’s website. Note that the beneficiary cannot be changed to a parent if the 529 plan is a custodial 529 plan.

You can also start a new 529 plan for yourself even though you may not have as much time on your side to build savings as you might have with a child’s account.

Grants and funding for going back to school

Don’t forget to see what educational opportunities your company currently offers — your company may pay for you to go back to school part-time. Visit your current company’s human resources office for more details on the particular back-to-school tuition reimbursement program your company offers.

Once you’ve done that, check out federal opportunities for STEM students based on various STEM sectors.

Minority and female resources

There are fewer females in traditionally white male-dominated STEM fields. The National Science Foundation reported that women’s lowest degree shares are in computer sciences and engineering (S&E).

When it comes to occupations, female and underrepresented minority scientists and engineers were more likely than their male counterparts to work in a non-S&E occupation.

Despite these numbers, female and minority numbers in STEM careers continues to increase each year. In addition to searching for grants and scholarships, it’s important to seek out women or minority mentors already in the STEM industry who can provide guidance on entering a STEM career.

Scholarship and grant opportunities for women include:

BHW Scholarship

Society of Women Engineers Scholarships

Women Techmakers Scholar Program

National Physical Science Consortium’s Fellowships in the Physical Sciences

Women in Engineering and Computer and Information Science Awards

Regent’s Healthcare Scholarship for Medicine and Dentistry

Scholarship and grant opportunities for minorities include:

National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering

Xerox Technical Minority Program

Ford Foundation’s Pre-doctoral Fellowship for Minorities

National Black Nurses Association

National Physical Science Consortium’s Fellowships in the Physical Sciences

Regent’s Healthcare Scholarship for Medicine and Dentistry

Other ways to pay

If you can’t get the assistance or funding you need to go back to school, there are a few other possibilities. Look into the benefits of a personal loan over student loans. Personal loans can be used for any purpose and have less stringent requirements than student loans. You also won’t need to verify that you’re enrolled in college when you apply for a personal loan.

Consider a side hustle or an extra job while you’re going to school — or don’t quit your day job so you can pay for your education. Being a part-time student can be a great way to pay the bills.

 

5 expert strategies for paying off graduate school student loans

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Graduate school: It’s one of the biggest investments of your life. Not only does it extend your academic career, but it has the ability to make your student loan debt burden skyrocket.

If you go to graduate school, chances are you’re going to need help paying for its costs. Graduate student loan debt is proven to have higher borrowing rates and larger balances than undergraduate student loan debt, according to a 2018 report by the Urban Institute and AccessLex Institute. Those balances were more than three times the amount of undergrad balances during the 2015-2016 school year — and can seem like a daunting obligation to fulfill.

Just how much money are we talking? Research by New America finds one in four borrowers have a combined undergraduate and graduate student loan balance of nearly $100,000 — almost half of the national average mortgage debt in 2017.

Those considering graduate school shouldn’t be intimidated by the large balances, though. A graduate degree can double your earnings, according to the Urban Institute, making it an investment with the potential for generating a positive return.

Best ways to pay off graduate school loans

Bankrate asked a number of experts to share some of the best ways to pay off graduate student loans. Here’s what they recommend:

1. Find a repayment plan that matches your ability to pay

One of the hardest parts about having student loans is figuring out how to afford monthly payments. The higher the total balance, the more you’ll owe each month on a standard repayment plan, which spreads out an even number of payments over 10 years.

There are ways to lower monthly payments, though, which include putting yourself on a repayment plan. That includes some income-driven repayment plans, which cap payments at 10 percent of your discretionary income.

“I’m on an income-driven repayment plan, which means I can breathe a little bit knowing my payments won’t bankrupt me,” says Felicia Golden, a 30-year-old public relations specialist in London who had around $28,000 in student loans after graduate school. “But for me, it’s really important to pay as much as I can each month and not just the contractual minimum. Because then the interest just builds up until it’s unmanageable.”

Pros: Your monthly payment will likely be capped at 10 percent of your discretionary income, meaning they will be more affordable than payments on a standard repayment plan.

Cons: Some repayment plans stretch out payments for longer periods of time, meaning you might end of paying much more in interest than you would on a standard repayment plan.

Best for: Graduates with moderate-to-low incomes.

2. Consider refinancing to save on interest

If you took out private loans for graduate school, refinancing them can likely lower your interest rate. Plus, you can consolidate loans from multiple servicers, meaning you’ll likely only have one payment to make each month. This could also potentially lower your monthly payment, making it more manageable in your budget.

Before choosing a company to refinance with, it’s important to shop around for the best rate. Comparison tools like Bankrate’s help individuals look at refinancing options with multiple lenders in one easy place, allowing them to choose a loan with the best terms. (Compare student loan rates on Bankrate.)

Pros: Refinancing loans can save you thousands on interest and potentially lower your monthly payment.

Cons: Federal loans cannot be refinanced through government lenders, meaning if borrowers choose to refinance privately, they will forfeit their ability to use payment plans. Getting approved for private refinancing will depend on creditworthiness.

Best for: Individuals with fair-to-excellent credit scores who have private student loans.

(Check out Bankrate’s guide to refinancing student loans)

3. Figure out ways to earn more money

Earning extra money is quickly becoming a common way of life in America. A recent Bankrate survey found that nearly half of working Americans have a side gig outside of their primary job and use the money for a variety of purposes, such as spending, paying for regular living expenses or savings.

For someone with a large graduate loan debt balance, getting a side gig could be a great way to knock off that debt faster.

“I’m a firm believer that everyone can earn an extra $100 per month if they try to,” says Robert Farrington, founder of The College Investor. “That extra $100 per month can be applied to your student loan debt, eliminating $1,200 per year from your loan balance.”

Pros: Working a side gig can have multiple rewards, including creating your own schedule

Cons: Working more hours means not only giving up valuable personal time, but you run the risk of burnout. Be sure to get strategic with any side hustle, and keep in mind that gigs like driving for Uber won’t make you rich — they’ll just make a few extra dollars available toward paying back your loans. Additionally, many side-gig employees work on a freelance basis, and therefore are usually not eligible for standard employment benefits.

Best for: People willing to be flexible and put in extra effort for the extra cash.

4. Seek out state assistance

According to Farrington, 45 of the 50 U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia, offer some type of student loan assistance. These programs are often used as incentives to retain or attract talent in certain fields of work.

For example, Kansas offers student loan forgiveness up to $15,000 over five years for residents living in certain parts of the state; California offers loan forgiveness for doctors, health professionals and dentists.

Pros: Thousands of dollars in assistance are available to put toward your loan balance.

Cons: Some of these programs require individuals to live in rural opportunity zones, meaning they could be far from big cities with advantages like public transportation or easy accessibility. Additionally, these programs aren’t intended to forgive your loans in full, but they will help pay a good chunk of them off.

Best for: Those willing to relocate and establish residency, or provide professional services for a continuous period of time.

5. Learn how to budget

Creating a budget may seem like an obvious tip for conquering student loan debt, but Golden says it’s the “biggest thing” that has helped her manage her student loan debt.

“Once I started to seriously budget (using a template spreadsheet my very practical uncle gave me), I was able to cut down on wasteful things and divert that towards my monthly loan payment,” Golden says. “I was also able to determine how much I could realistically pay each month.”

Creating a budget not only will help you stay on track with your plan to payoff the debt, but it will give you the opportunity to analyze where you’re overspending. When it comes to interest accumulating on your loan balance, every extra dollar you’re able to put toward it will help.

Need help creating a budget? Start by writing down your spending and expenses. After seeing it all in one place, it’ll be easier to determine what your discretionary spending should be after accounting for your fixed expenses.

(Ready to get started? Here are Bankrate’s 5 secrets to creating a budget)

Pros: You’ll have a clearer picture of where your money is going each month. Additionally, you’ll be able to find ways to cut spending and be able to funnel additional money to your student loans.

Cons: Some folks have a hard time sticking to a budget. Keep in mind that budgets can be flexible; if you happen to spend more in one category, adjust the allowance of others to make up for it. You can easily adjust a budget using apps like Mint or You Need a Budget (YNAB).

Best for: Everyone! A budget is an essential tool no matter your financial situation.

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