Science Careers
59 careers in Life, Physical, and Social Science (SOC group 19), with BLS median pay and the education most workers have.
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
| # | Career | Median pay | Usual preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 | Graduate degree |
| 2 | Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $90,150 | Bachelor's degree |
| 3 | Climate Change Policy Analysts | $82,220Broader BLS group | Graduate degree |
| 4 | Environmental Restoration Planners | $82,220Broader BLS group | Graduate degree |
| 5 | Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $82,220 | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Industrial Ecologists | $82,220Broader BLS group | Graduate degree |
| 7 | Chemists | $91,240 | Bachelor's degree |
| 8 | Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $100,580 | Graduate degree |
| 9 | Quality Control Analysts | $62,280Broader BLS group | Training or associate |
| 10 | Remote Sensing Technicians | $62,280Broader BLS group | Bachelor's degree |
| 11 | Biological Technicians | $57,510 | Bachelor's degree |
| 12 | School Psychologists | $95,990 | Graduate degree |
| 13 | Chemical Technicians | $60,390 | Training or associate |
| 14 | Bioinformatics Scientists | $98,920Broader BLS group | Graduate degree |
| 15 | Biologists | $98,920Broader BLS group | Graduate degree |
| 16 | Geneticists | $98,920Broader BLS group | Graduate degree |
| 17 | Molecular and Cellular Biologists | $98,920Broader BLS group | Graduate degree |
| 18 | Urban and Regional Planners | $89,320 | Graduate degree |
| 19 | Transportation Planners | $101,110Broader BLS group | Bachelor's degree |
| 20 | Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | $55,090 | Bachelor's degree |
| 21 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | $127,410 | Graduate degree |
| 22 | Social Science Research Assistants | $61,990 | Bachelor's degree |
| 23 | Occupational Health and Safety Technicians | $61,560 | Training or associate |
| 24 | Forest and Conservation Technicians | $54,560 | Training or associate |
| 25 | Conservation Scientists | $73,010 | Bachelor's degree |
| 26 | Park Naturalists | $73,010Broader BLS group | Bachelor's degree |
| 27 | Range Managers | $73,010Broader BLS group | Bachelor's degree |
| 28 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $101,920 | Bachelor's degree |
| 29 | Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists | $122,570Broader BLS group | Bachelor's degree |
| 30 | Physicists | $172,250 | Graduate degree |
| 31 | Forensic Science Technicians | $72,060 | Training or associate |
| 32 | Microbiologists | $87,990 | Bachelor's degree |
| 33 | Clinical Neuropsychologists | $110,840Broader BLS group | Graduate degree |
| 34 | Neuropsychologists | $110,840Broader BLS group | Graduate degree |
| 35 | Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | $76,780 | Bachelor's degree |
| 36 | Economists | $124,720 | Graduate degree |
| 37 | Environmental Economists | $124,720Broader BLS group | Graduate degree |
| 38 | Soil and Plant Scientists | $78,850 | Graduate degree |
| 39 | Agricultural Technicians | $49,630 | Training or associate |
| 40 | Precision Agriculture Technicians | $49,630Broader BLS group | Training or associate |
| 41 | Food Science Technicians | $52,130 | Training or associate |
| 42 | Food Scientists and Technologists | $88,720 | Bachelor's degree |
| 43 | Epidemiologists | $87,220 | Graduate degree |
| 44 | Foresters | $76,400 | Bachelor's degree |
| 45 | Atmospheric and Space Scientists | $99,070 | Bachelor's degree |
| 46 | Anthropologists and Archeologists | $70,770 | Graduate degree |
| 47 | Materials Scientists | $117,790 | Bachelor's degree |
| 48 | Survey Researchers | $69,460 | Graduate degree |
| 49 | Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians | $53,350 | Bachelor's degree |
| 50 | Nuclear Monitoring Technicians | $110,240Broader BLS group | Training or associate |
| 51 | Nuclear Technicians | $110,240 | Training or associate |
| 52 | Hydrologists | $96,600 | Bachelor's degree |
| 53 | Political Scientists | $142,080 | Graduate degree |
| 54 | Historians | $76,750 | Graduate degree |
| 55 | Animal Scientists | $68,940 | Graduate degree |
| 56 | Sociologists | $106,030 | Graduate degree |
| 57 | Astronomers | $128,820 | Graduate degree |
| 58 | Geographers | $102,040 | Bachelor's degree |
| 59 | Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | $193,950 | Graduate degree |
- 1Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
$103,410 · Graduate degree
- 2Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
$90,150 · Bachelor's degree
- 3Climate Change Policy Analysts
$82,220 (broader group) · Graduate degree
- 4Environmental Restoration Planners
$82,220 (broader group) · Graduate degree
- 5Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
$82,220 · Bachelor's degree
- 6Industrial Ecologists
$82,220 (broader group) · Graduate degree
- 7Chemists
$91,240 · Bachelor's degree
- 8Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
$100,580 · Graduate degree
- 9Quality Control Analysts
$62,280 (broader group) · Training or associate
- 10Remote Sensing Technicians
$62,280 (broader group) · Bachelor's degree
- 11Biological Technicians
$57,510 · Bachelor's degree
- 12School Psychologists
$95,990 · Graduate degree
- 13Chemical Technicians
$60,390 · Training or associate
- 14Bioinformatics Scientists
$98,920 (broader group) · Graduate degree
- 15Biologists
$98,920 (broader group) · Graduate degree
- 16Geneticists
$98,920 (broader group) · Graduate degree
- 17Molecular and Cellular Biologists
$98,920 (broader group) · Graduate degree
- 18Urban and Regional Planners
$89,320 · Graduate degree
- 19Transportation Planners
$101,110 (broader group) · Bachelor's degree
- 20Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
$55,090 · Bachelor's degree
- 21Biochemists and Biophysicists
$127,410 · Graduate degree
- 22Social Science Research Assistants
$61,990 · Bachelor's degree
- 23Occupational Health and Safety Technicians
$61,560 · Training or associate
- 24Forest and Conservation Technicians
$54,560 · Training or associate
- 25Conservation Scientists
$73,010 · Bachelor's degree
- 26Park Naturalists
$73,010 (broader group) · Bachelor's degree
- 27Range Managers
$73,010 (broader group) · Bachelor's degree
- 28Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
$101,920 · Bachelor's degree
- 29Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists
$122,570 (broader group) · Bachelor's degree
- 30Physicists
$172,250 · Graduate degree
- 31Forensic Science Technicians
$72,060 · Training or associate
- 32Microbiologists
$87,990 · Bachelor's degree
- 33Clinical Neuropsychologists
$110,840 (broader group) · Graduate degree
- 34Neuropsychologists
$110,840 (broader group) · Graduate degree
- 35Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
$76,780 · Bachelor's degree
- 36Economists
$124,720 · Graduate degree
- 37Environmental Economists
$124,720 (broader group) · Graduate degree
- 38Soil and Plant Scientists
$78,850 · Graduate degree
- 39Agricultural Technicians
$49,630 · Training or associate
- 40Precision Agriculture Technicians
$49,630 (broader group) · Training or associate
- 41Food Science Technicians
$52,130 · Training or associate
- 42Food Scientists and Technologists
$88,720 · Bachelor's degree
- 43Epidemiologists
$87,220 · Graduate degree
- 44Foresters
$76,400 · Bachelor's degree
- 45Atmospheric and Space Scientists
$99,070 · Bachelor's degree
- 46Anthropologists and Archeologists
$70,770 · Graduate degree
- 47Materials Scientists
$117,790 · Bachelor's degree
- 48Survey Researchers
$69,460 · Graduate degree
- 49Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians
$53,350 · Bachelor's degree
- 50Nuclear Monitoring Technicians
$110,240 (broader group) · Training or associate
- 51Nuclear Technicians
$110,240 · Training or associate
- 52Hydrologists
$96,600 · Bachelor's degree
- 53Political Scientists
$142,080 · Graduate degree
- 54Historians
$76,750 · Graduate degree
- 55Animal Scientists
$68,940 · Graduate degree
- 56Sociologists
$106,030 · Graduate degree
- 57Astronomers
$128,820 · Graduate degree
- 58Geographers
$102,040 · Bachelor's degree
- 59Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
$193,950 · Graduate degree
How this list is made: All careers in this BLS occupation group that have full data, most common jobs first (BLS employment). Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 national median.