occupation · 19-1099 · detailed
Life Scientists, All Other — wages and employment
Life Scientists, All Other earned a median annual wage of $87,800 in the United States in May 2024, with 7,320 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Life Scientists, All Other earned a median annual wage of $87,800 in the United States in May 2024, with 7,320 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $52,360 or less, the best-paid tenth $168,860 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $86,950 to $87,800, +1.0 %. The best-paying state is District of Columbia at $164,260; the lowest Puerto Rico at $36,780. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $175,330. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 7,320 | $87,800 | $101,940 | $52,360 | $66,340 | $123,720 | $168,860 | $42.21 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 7,490 | $86,950 | $101,520 | $50,340 | $64,460 | $127,580 | $172,060 | $41.80 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $164,260 | — |
| Massachusetts | $129,210 | 130 |
| California | $128,750 | 880 |
| North Carolina | $123,500 | 1,060 |
| Alabama | $107,050 | 50 |
| Oregon | $106,370 | 210 |
| New Jersey | $104,500 | 100 |
| Arizona | $103,460 | 130 |
| Maryland | $99,320 | 380 |
| Idaho | $97,020 | 190 |
| Virginia | $96,970 | 460 |
| Washington | $95,640 | 240 |
| Texas | $82,430 | — |
| Georgia | $79,180 | 280 |
| New York | $75,900 | 230 |
| Hawaii | $75,000 | 40 |
| Louisiana | $73,870 | 460 |
| Kentucky | $73,470 | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $72,800 | 330 |
| Minnesota | $70,400 | 430 |
| Alaska | $68,880 | 70 |
| Connecticut | $68,700 | — |
| Montana | $63,330 | 50 |
| North Dakota | $60,730 | 40 |
| Michigan | $60,500 | 80 |
| Illinois | $54,170 | 230 |
| Ohio | $51,220 | — |
| Puerto Rico | $36,780 | — |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $175,330 | 60 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $132,500 | 50 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $131,110 | 300 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $125,840 | 140 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $125,820 | 440 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $115,370 | 110 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $109,540 | 370 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $105,090 | 160 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $102,150 | 130 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | $101,650 | 30 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $100,000 | 40 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $97,200 | — |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $89,540 | 170 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $87,110 | 70 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $83,380 | — |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $80,020 | — |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $79,170 | — |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77,900 | 40 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $77,150 | 80 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $74,250 | 60 |
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