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other graduates between 1979 and 1997. After 1997 the relative position of S&E graduates
clearly deteriorated and in 2002 the wage level of S&E graduates is 2 % below the average
level of all other university graduates. At the HBO level the relative position of S&E graduates
improved strongly in the first halve of the eighties. In 1985 S&E graduates earned on average
10 % more than other HBO graduates. However, since 1985 this wage difference has declined
steadily and in 2002 S&E graduates earned on average 5 % more than other HBO graduates.
Hence, for both levels of higher education we find that the relative wage position of S&E
graduates has been deteriorating since 1985.
Table 6.2 Estimation of wage differentials per type of education 1979-2002, compared to all other
60
graduates
Compared to all other graduates
1979 1985 1996 1997 2002
University S&E graduates 0.02 0.03 0.03** 0.02* − 0.02**
(0.025) (0.044) (0.009) (0.009) (0.010)
N=711 N=318 N=9,913 N=10,146 N=7,572
HBO S&E graduates − 0.03** 0.10** 0.08** 0.06** 0.05**
Compared to economic graduates
(0.014) (0.017) (0.006) (0.006) (0.006)
N=1,737 N=882 N=23,644 N=23,422 N=17,535
University S&E graduates 0.02 0.03 − 0.09** − 0.09** − 0.12**
(0.027) (0.047) (0.010) (0.010) (0.010)
N=711 N=318 N=9,913 N=10,146 N=7,572
HBO S&E graduates − 0.06** − 0.01 0.00 − 0.01 − 0.01*
(0.017) (0.024) (0.007) (0.007) (0.007)
N=1,737 N=882 N=23,644 N=23,422 N=17,535
An asterisk */** indicates significance at the 10% / 5% level. Standard errors are given in brackets.
Source: CBS, LSO 1979, 1985, 1996, 1997, 2002, own computations
The bottom panel compares the wages of S&E graduates with the wages of economic graduates,
which we consider a more appropriate control group. At the university level we again find that
the wage position of S&E graduates deteriorates but the changes are more dramatic. In 1979
and 1985 there is no significant difference in the hourly wages of S&E and economic graduates.
In later years however, S&E graduates earn less per hour than their economic counterparts, up
to 12% less in 2002. Hence, wages for economists have grown faster over the last 20 years than
wages for scientists and engineers. For 1996 and later years we can distinguish between types of
S&E education. For all types of S&E education, the relative wage position has deteriorated
since 1996 (not shown in Table 6.2).
For HBO S&E graduates the picture is somewhat different. Since 1985, the wages of S&E
graduates and economic graduates have been about equal. The pattern differs between types of
S&E studies. HBO engineering students earned about 2 % more than economic graduates.
There was no significant difference in later years. Graduates in science earned about 9 % and