Pay, demand and where this field concentrates.
low → high: location quotient
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Life, Physical, and Social Science occupations employ 1,473,260 people in the US with a median pay of $82,530 a year. BLS projects 7.5% growth to 2035 and about 141,900 openings a year.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 172,340 | $103,410 | $64,800 | $177,780 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | 140,610 | $90,150 | $55,000 | $134,950 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 89,250 | $82,220 | $52,520 | $140,010 |
| Chemists | 82,770 | $91,240 | $58,460 | $160,830 |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | 75,990 | $100,580 | $55,170 | $180,960 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other | 73,910 | $62,280 | $39,000 | $102,690 |
| Biological Technicians | 69,620 | $57,510 | $40,330 | $84,940 |
| School Psychologists | 63,940 | $95,990 | $63,070 | $142,330 |
| Chemical Technicians | 57,540 | $60,390 | $41,740 | $92,040 |
| Biological Scientists, All Other | 55,850 | $98,920 | $60,430 | $168,010 |
| Urban and Regional Planners | 44,230 | $89,320 | $60,010 | $134,490 |
| Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | 37,100 | $101,110 | $66,120 | $160,300 |
| Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | 34,670 | $55,090 | $38,170 | $94,160 |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 33,830 | $127,410 | $74,290 | $201,110 |
| Social Science Research Assistants | 30,640 | $61,990 | $38,090 | $102,070 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Technicians | 30,590 | $61,560 | $46,280 | $100,160 |
| Forest and Conservation Technicians | 30,410 | $54,560 | $40,330 | $83,630 |
| Conservation Scientists | 25,950 | $73,010 | $47,550 | $110,410 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 23,470 | $101,920 | $59,330 | $200,230 |
| Physical Scientists, All Other | 22,300 | $122,570 | $67,000 | $195,190 |
| Physicists | 20,430 | $172,250 | $82,110 | $274,110 |
| Forensic Science Technicians | 19,120 | $72,060 | $48,250 | $117,250 |
| Microbiologists | 18,940 | $87,990 | $54,670 | $150,000 |
| Psychologists, All Other | 18,820 | $110,840 | $54,990 | $168,520 |
| Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | 18,120 | $76,780 | $49,100 | $126,440 |
| Economists | 17,790 | $124,720 | $67,360 | $238,060 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 15,730 | $78,850 | $48,680 | $138,120 |
| Agricultural Technicians | 15,130 | $49,630 | $35,980 | $76,480 |
| Food Science Technicians | 14,600 | $52,130 | $39,820 | $78,820 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 13,060 | $88,720 | $52,920 | $145,280 |
Office and Administrative Support · Food Preparation and Serving Related · Transportation and Material Moving · Sales and Related · Management · Business and Financial Operations · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · Educational Instruction and Library · Production · Healthcare Support · Construction and Extraction · Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Computer and Mathematical · Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance · Protective Service · Personal Care and Service · Community and Social Service · Architecture and Engineering · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media · Legal · Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
| State ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 14,570 | 0.73 | $74,070 | -10% |
| Alaska | 6,930 | 2.25 | $86,380 | +5% |
| Arizona | 23,520 | 0.77 | $80,120 | -3% |
| Arkansas | 7,800 | 0.63 | $62,820 | -24% |
| California | 206,700 | 1.20 | $101,700 | +23% |
| Colorado | 35,940 | 1.32 | $84,960 | +3% |
| Connecticut | 12,940 | 0.81 | $98,140 | +19% |
| Delaware | 6,150 | 1.34 | $84,180 | +2% |
| District of Columbia | 17,790 | 2.68 | $128,610 | +56% |
| Florida | 55,480 | 0.59 | $75,330 | -9% |
| Georgia | 33,250 | 0.72 | $78,730 | -5% |
| Hawaii | 7,530 | 1.27 | $74,070 | -10% |
| Idaho | 12,580 | 1.55 | $67,560 | -18% |
| Illinois | 46,560 | 0.81 | $82,870 | +0% |
| Indiana | 27,030 | 0.89 | $73,160 | -11% |
| Iowa | 14,290 | 0.97 | $72,690 | -12% |
| Kansas | 12,580 | 0.92 | $72,690 | -12% |
| Kentucky | 13,790 | 0.73 | $72,140 | -13% |
| Louisiana | 15,350 | 0.84 | $75,360 | -9% |
| Maine | 5,640 | 0.93 | $75,340 | -9% |
| Maryland | 48,980 | 1.87 | $103,560 | +25% |
| Massachusetts | 78,090 | 2.27 | $104,050 | +26% |
| Michigan | 34,260 | 0.82 | $76,620 | -7% |
| Minnesota | 32,040 | 1.15 | $83,150 | +1% |
| Mississippi | 8,200 | 0.74 | $64,770 | -22% |
| Missouri | 22,860 | 0.82 | $75,870 | -8% |
| Montana | 8,860 | 1.83 | $70,810 | -14% |
| Nebraska | 9,410 | 0.97 | $66,950 | -19% |
| Nevada | 11,020 | 0.75 | $80,310 | -3% |
| New Hampshire | 5,990 | 0.93 | $79,590 | -4% |
| New Jersey | 41,540 | 1.02 | $90,180 | +9% |
| New Mexico | 10,050 | 1.22 | $80,720 | -2% |
| New York | 84,540 | 0.92 | $83,800 | +2% |
| North Carolina | 54,090 | 1.16 | $78,850 | -4% |
| North Dakota | 4,630 | 1.14 | $71,750 | -13% |
| Ohio | 41,950 | 0.80 | $79,160 | -4% |
| Oklahoma | 12,020 | 0.74 | $73,920 | -10% |
| Oregon | 23,810 | 1.28 | $80,330 | -3% |
| Pennsylvania | 59,660 | 1.04 | $80,980 | -2% |
| Rhode Island | 4,290 | 0.90 | $89,210 | +8% |
| South Carolina | 16,650 | 0.76 | $75,900 | -8% |
| South Dakota | 4,700 | 1.09 | $65,570 | -21% |
| Tennessee | 22,100 | 0.71 | $76,400 | -7% |
| Texas | 109,140 | 0.82 | $77,010 | -7% |
| Utah | 16,790 | 1.02 | $76,700 | -7% |
| Vermont | 3,240 | 1.12 | $75,330 | -9% |
| Virginia | 43,270 | 1.11 | $85,670 | +4% |
| Washington | 46,720 | 1.39 | $94,160 | +14% |
| West Virginia | 7,300 | 1.10 | $68,400 | -17% |
| Wisconsin | 26,220 | 0.94 | $75,520 | -8% |
| Wyoming | 4,410 | 1.66 | $73,490 | -11% |
Highest median pay among metropolitan areas with at least 5,000 jobs in this field.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 40,630 | $132,880 | 1.81 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 58,940 | $122,990 | 1.98 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 10,850 | $121,530 | 1.01 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 66,650 | $105,530 | 2.60 |
| Boulder, CO | 5,970 | $103,310 | 3.27 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 25,810 | $102,320 | 1.31 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 15,860 | $99,430 | 1.55 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 25,270 | $97,780 | 1.73 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 56,900 | $97,680 | 0.96 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 5,540 | $97,640 | 2.43 |
| Worcester, MA | 5,900 | $91,740 | 1.78 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 79,800 | $91,370 | 0.89 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 35,270 | $90,440 | 1.28 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 11,220 | $90,420 | 0.69 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 19,440 | $89,090 | 1.05 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 5,440 | $89,040 | 0.80 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 19,410 | $87,490 | 1.51 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 12,590 | $86,680 | 1.10 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 17,880 | $85,440 | 1.17 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 35,310 | $84,700 | 0.83 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 10,800 | $83,360 | 1.53 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 20,640 | $83,070 | 0.75 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 6,910 | $82,530 | 0.96 |
| Columbus, OH | 9,460 | $82,010 | 0.90 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 11,650 | $82,000 | 0.92 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 14,770 | $81,870 | 0.66 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 8,200 | $81,850 | 0.64 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 10,620 | $81,610 | 0.59 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 5,420 | $81,090 | 0.50 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 9,620 | $80,900 | 0.92 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 35,700 | $80,470 | 1.15 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 8,350 | $80,290 | 1.96 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 13,460 | $80,140 | 4.13 |
| Richmond, VA | 6,870 | $79,520 | 1.10 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 10,430 | $79,390 | 1.33 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 13,420 | $79,050 | 0.50 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 5,630 | $78,940 | 1.33 |
| Cleveland, OH | 7,320 | $78,800 | 0.75 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 11,500 | $78,120 | 0.94 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 8,740 | $78,090 | 0.84 |
The median is $82,530 a year across the field (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
1,473,260 in May 2025.