High paying science jobs in Maryland

Every science occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Maryland. 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 Maryland run 5.0% above the national average (2024), so a Maryland salary is worth about 0.95× 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 Maryland.

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

Find science jobs in Maryland

OccupationMedian, Maryland · Employed

1Physicists$174,390
Doctoral or professional degree
$105,560 – $219,4501,200
2Economists$144,680
Master's degree
$93,710 – $195,1901,130
3Physical Scientists, All Other$141,290
Bachelor's degree
$76,820 – $195,1901,810
4Chemists$140,670
Bachelor's degree
$75,430 – $195,1902,480
5Astronomers$132,620
Doctoral or professional degree
$83,200 – $214,450980
6Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$131,810
Bachelor's degree
$70,430 – $175,7202,600
7Biological Scientists, All Other$121,680
Bachelor's degree
$75,240 – $195,0004,970
8School Psychologists$109,700
Master's degree
$64,360 – $138,2501,520
9Microbiologists$108,470
Bachelor's degree
$59,260 – $185,5201,590
10Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$106,000
Doctoral or professional degree
$71,150 – $172,5206,760
11Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$91,820
Bachelor's degree
$52,980 – $141,3602,160
12Urban and Regional Planners$88,570
Master's degree
$62,920 – $140,980900
13Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$84,190
Bachelor's degree
$57,840 – $137,4401,760
14Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$68,390
Associate's degree
$45,510 – $129,1703,510
15Biological Technicians$52,900
Bachelor's degree
$41,270 – $82,2803,470

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

#	Occupation	MedianMaryland	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	PhysicistsDoctoral or professional degree	$174,390	$105,560 – $219,450	1,200
2	EconomistsMaster's degree	$144,680	$93,710 – $195,190	1,130
3	Physical Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$141,290	$76,820 – $195,190	1,810
4	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$140,670	$75,430 – $195,190	2,480
5	AstronomersDoctoral or professional degree	$132,620	$83,200 – $214,450	980
6	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$131,810	$70,430 – $175,720	2,600
7	Biological Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$121,680	$75,240 – $195,000	4,970
8	School PsychologistsMaster's degree	$109,700	$64,360 – $138,250	1,520
9	MicrobiologistsBachelor's degree	$108,470	$59,260 – $185,520	1,590
10	Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$106,000	$71,150 – $172,520	6,760
11	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$91,820	$52,980 – $141,360	2,160
12	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$88,570	$62,920 – $140,980	900
13	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$84,190	$57,840 – $137,440	1,760
14	Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All OtherAssociate's degree	$68,390	$45,510 – $129,170	3,510
15	Biological TechniciansBachelor's degree	$52,900	$41,270 – $82,280	3,470

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Maryland. 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 Maryland

Metro areas in Maryland

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

By field in Maryland

Without a degree

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

High paying science jobs in Maryland

More for Maryland

Metro areas in Maryland

By field in Maryland

Without a degree

High paying science jobs in each state