High paying science jobs in Colorado

Every science occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Colorado. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single science job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Colorado run 3.1% above the national average (2024), so a Colorado salary is worth about 0.97× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Colorado.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find science jobs in Colorado

OccupationMedian, Colorado · Employed

1School Psychologists$124,770
Master's degree
$88,090 – $161,5701,380
2Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers$114,410
Bachelor's degree
$70,410 – $210,0901,480
3Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$113,290
Doctoral or professional degree
$46,870 – $161,7001,170
4Atmospheric and Space Scientists$104,670
Bachelor's degree
$76,110 – $165,5001,150
5Physicists$104,580
Doctoral or professional degree
$82,340 – $210,9501,050
6Chemists$101,980
Bachelor's degree
$61,260 – $162,6801,790
7Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$101,400
Bachelor's degree
$64,140 – $153,0303,080
8Urban and Regional Planners$101,340
Master's degree
$69,670 – $140,7501,300
9Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$85,990
Bachelor's degree
$65,260 – $140,3402,580
10Conservation Scientists$84,820
Bachelor's degree
$57,710 – $134,3501,230
11Chemical Technicians$63,770
Associate's degree
$46,850 – $94,9701,180
12Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$63,760
Associate's degree
$45,760 – $116,5301,860
13Biological Technicians$59,400
Bachelor's degree
$49,480 – $79,3801,990
14Forest and Conservation Technicians$57,550
Associate's degree
$44,950 – $84,1501,040

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianColorado	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	School PsychologistsMaster's degree	$124,770	$88,090 – $161,570	1,380
2	Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and GeographersBachelor's degree	$114,410	$70,410 – $210,090	1,480
3	Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$113,290	$46,870 – $161,700	1,170
4	Atmospheric and Space ScientistsBachelor's degree	$104,670	$76,110 – $165,500	1,150
5	PhysicistsDoctoral or professional degree	$104,580	$82,340 – $210,950	1,050
6	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$101,980	$61,260 – $162,680	1,790
7	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$101,400	$64,140 – $153,030	3,080
8	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$101,340	$69,670 – $140,750	1,300
9	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$85,990	$65,260 – $140,340	2,580
10	Conservation ScientistsBachelor's degree	$84,820	$57,710 – $134,350	1,230
11	Chemical TechniciansAssociate's degree	$63,770	$46,850 – $94,970	1,180
12	Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All OtherAssociate's degree	$63,760	$45,760 – $116,530	1,860
13	Biological TechniciansBachelor's degree	$59,400	$49,480 – $79,380	1,990
14	Forest and Conservation TechniciansAssociate's degree	$57,550	$44,950 – $84,150	1,040

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Colorado. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for Colorado

Metro areas in Colorado

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Colorado

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Colorado to rank honestly.

High paying science jobs in Colorado

More for Colorado

Metro areas in Colorado

By field in Colorado

Without a degree

High paying science jobs in each state