A recent Pew Research Center survey asked 5,085 U.S. adults how much they believe people in various occupations rely on scientific knowledge to perform their jobs. The survey found that Americans most closely associate biologists (86%) and engineers (76%) with a heavy reliance on science. Health care professionals such as registered nurses and paramedics are also widely seen as needing a strong understanding of science, with about 69% saying science knowledge is very important in these jobs.
Other occupations viewed as requiring significant science knowledge include farmers (58%) and electricians (56%), who are recognized for using scientific principles in their work. However, perception varies more for some professions: only 42% say computer programmers rely heavily on science, while just 28% say the same for auto mechanics, though 55% say mechanics use some science.
Jobs like cooks, lawyers, guitarists, and television scriptwriters are rarely seen as relying heavily on science, though many Americans acknowledge that these roles involve some scientific understanding at times.
These views on science reliance in jobs are broadly consistent across demographic groups in the U.S. population. The survey was conducted with a representative sample through the American Trends Panel during April-May 2025.
If more detail or specific data points from the survey are desired, they can be provided.A recent Pew Research Center survey of 5,085 U.S. adults in April-May 2025 asked how much people in 12 different occupations rely on an understanding of science to do their jobs. Americans most strongly associate biologists (86%) and engineers (76%) with relying heavily on science knowledge. Health care workers like registered nurses and paramedics are also seen as needing science skills, with about 69% saying they rely a lot on science.
Farmers (58%) and electricians (56%) are viewed as occupations that depend significantly on science. Fewer adults say computer programmers (42%) rely heavily on science, and even fewer say the same about auto mechanics (28%), though many acknowledge mechanics use science to some extent (55%).
Professions such as cooks, lawyers, guitarists, and television scriptwriters are rarely viewed as relying a lot on science, but many say these jobs require some scientific knowledge occasionally. These views are consistent across different demographic groups in the U.S. population. The survey sample was representative and weighted to match U.S. adult demographics.