All median Ph.D. scientist salaries are trending lower from 2010 to 2013?

Credit: Wall Street Journal

In a Wall Street Journal article about Ph.D. job prospects*, an interesting graphic, courtesy of NSF data and a Boston University professor:

Shulamit Kahn, a labor economist at Boston University, said that among foreigners who earn Ph.D.s at U.S. institutions—about one-third of total recipients—about 60% remain in America. A jump in the number of American women earning doctorates has also been a game-changer, she said. 

“Women were encouraged to become scientists, which is great, but the jobs haven’t kept up,” said Ms. Kahn. 

Ph.D.s still earn a significant premium over others in the labor market and their overall rate of unemployment remains low, though a growing number are taking jobs that don’t use their education. At the same time, their median incomes have been falling. Computer scientists earned $121,300 in 2013, down from $129,839 in 2008; engineers saw a drop to $120,000 from $125,511 and social scientists fell to $85,000 from $90,887.

I presume this is data from the Survey of Doctoral Recipients, but I am not sure. I am surprised that Professor Kahn was able to get breakouts for math/physics data (I guess the chemists got lost?) Still, it doesn't seem to be good news that median salaries for Ph.D. scientists have been trending lower against inflation.

*Can't get past the paywall? Google search "Job-Seeking Ph.D. Holders Look to Life Outside School."