High paying science jobs in Massachusetts

Every science occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Massachusetts. 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 Massachusetts run 5.8% above the national average (2024), so a Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts.

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

Find science jobs in Massachusetts

OccupationMedian, Massachusetts · Employed

1Biochemists and Biophysicists$131,600
Doctoral or professional degree
$79,560 – $208,13014,890
2Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$128,210
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,790 – $208,49017,100
3Chemists$125,000
Bachelor's degree
$71,120 – $212,2103,430
4Microbiologists$122,350
Bachelor's degree
$75,990 – $162,7601,960
5Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$115,180
Doctoral or professional degree
$60,250 – $216,5702,860
6Biological Scientists, All Other$107,100
Bachelor's degree
$69,500 – $194,0502,930
7Physicists$106,410
Doctoral or professional degree
$82,050 – $213,1501,150
8Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$103,970
Bachelor's degree
$68,490 – $153,7703,390
9Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$100,640
Bachelor's degree
$63,460 – $139,3102,930
10Urban and Regional Planners$99,780
Master's degree
$69,150 – $134,3101,540
11School Psychologists$98,670
Master's degree
$65,990 – $135,2803,300
12Chemical Technicians$67,570
Associate's degree
$48,730 – $92,7201,780
13Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$63,820
Associate's degree
$46,960 – $108,8501,140
14Biological Technicians$62,070
Bachelor's degree
$49,880 – $94,7608,430

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

#	Occupation	MedianMassachusetts	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Biochemists and BiophysicistsDoctoral or professional degree	$131,600	$79,560 – $208,130	14,890
2	Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$128,210	$77,790 – $208,490	17,100
3	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$125,000	$71,120 – $212,210	3,430
4	MicrobiologistsBachelor's degree	$122,350	$75,990 – $162,760	1,960
5	Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$115,180	$60,250 – $216,570	2,860
6	Biological Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$107,100	$69,500 – $194,050	2,930
7	PhysicistsDoctoral or professional degree	$106,410	$82,050 – $213,150	1,150
8	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$103,970	$68,490 – $153,770	3,390
9	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$100,640	$63,460 – $139,310	2,930
10	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$99,780	$69,150 – $134,310	1,540
11	School PsychologistsMaster's degree	$98,670	$65,990 – $135,280	3,300
12	Chemical TechniciansAssociate's degree	$67,570	$48,730 – $92,720	1,780
13	Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All OtherAssociate's degree	$63,820	$46,960 – $108,850	1,140
14	Biological TechniciansBachelor's degree	$62,070	$49,880 – $94,760	8,430

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

Metro areas in Massachusetts

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

By field in Massachusetts

Without a degree

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

High paying science jobs in Massachusetts

More for Massachusetts

Metro areas in Massachusetts

By field in Massachusetts

Without a degree

High paying science jobs in each state