From the editors of Photonics Spectra
One of the more notable changes from the 2008 Photonics Salary Survey is the percentage of you who are satisfied with your job. Then, 75% of you said you were content, while 21% percent said you were not. This year, however, only 65% of you reported job satisfaction, while 31% – not so much. There was a change in the ratio of males to females from the last survey, too. In 2011, 5% fewer women answered the survey, while men’s responses were up 9%.
| |
Salary* by primary focus of work
|
|
| |
|
|
| 4% |
Aerospace, aviation
|
$134,077 |
| 1% |
Agriculture, food, forestry, mining
|
$176,000 |
| 2% |
Automotive, transportation
|
$94,375 |
| 2% |
Chemicals, pharmaceuticals, environment
|
$86,400
|
| 2% |
Communications (telco, cable, video, etc)
|
$113,857 |
| 3% |
Consumer goods (computers, electronics, etc.)
|
$98,250
|
| 4% |
Electronics, semiconductors and ICs
|
$85,808
|
| 5% |
Laboratory (private, government or industrial)
|
$94,988
|
| 6% |
Manufacturing Equipment
|
$84,875
|
| 9% |
Medical/biotechnology |
$101,731 |
| 5% |
Military |
$98,236
|
30%
|
Photonics (lasers, cameras, fiber optics, imaging, electro-optics, detectors) |
$98,406
|
1%
|
Printing, publishing, graphic arts
|
$135,500 |
7%
|
Test & measurement equipment
|
$86,436
|
| 10% |
University, institution, college
|
$79,144
|
1%
|
Utilities, energy development
|
$122,333 |
8%
|
Other
|
|
3%
|
Unspecified
|
|
|
*Average salary in US dollars.
|
|
Are you job hunting?
30% Yes
67% No
Are you satisfied with your job?
65% Yes
31% No
Top Vocation Vexations*
1. Compensation
2. Management issues
3. Lack of advancement
4. Overwork
5. Stress
6. Fear of layoff
7. Desire for change
8. Lack of resources
9. Unsatisfying corporate culture
10. And this: Chaos
*from the Survey
How many years with current employer?
12
Would you relocate for a better job?
21% Yes
32% No
43% Depends on location
What do you consider criteria for a better job?
29% More money
25% Corporate culture
6% Better benefits
7% More authority
8% Different technology focus
12% More responsibility
3% Better hours
How many years in workforce?
21
How many years in photonics?
15
Compensation by current position
| Senior Management |
$131,552 |
| Project/Product Manager |
$113,150 |
| Principal/Senior Engineer |
$112,186 |
| Principal/Senior Scientist |
$110,305 |
| Educator |
$86,600 |
| Researcher/Scientist |
$77,724 |
| Engineer |
$75,051 |
| Consultant |
$65,375 |
| Technician |
$60,300 |
Hours worked in a typical week
45
Hiring
Is your company hiring?
59% Yes
27% No
Is your company hiring for positions that involve photonics?
43% Yes
36% No
What country do you live in?
34% Europe
52% North America
0.6% Israel
9% Pacific Rim
0.6% South America
Gender
92% Male
7% Female
Primary focus by gender
| |
Male |
Female |
| Photonics |
28% |
52% |
| University |
10% |
8% |
| Medical/Biotech/Pharmaceuticals |
10% |
4% |
Test & Measurement
|
7% |
4% |
| Manufacturing |
6%
|
0%
|
| Military |
5%
|
12% |
| Laboratory |
4%
|
8%
|
| Electronics |
4%
|
4%
|
| Aerospace/Aviation |
4%
|
0%
|
In which general category would you place your job?
51% Research & Development
9% Marketing/sales
8% Production/manufacturing
7% Design
7% Education
5% Application
4% Measurement/testing
3% Other engineering
3% Management
3% Unspecified
2% Other
0.6% Clinical