High paying science jobs in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA

Every science occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA. 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA run 3.7% above the national average (2024), so a Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA salary is worth about 0.96× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

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

Find science jobs in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA

OccupationMedian, Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA · Employed

1Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$119,520
Bachelor's degree
$66,850 – $148,55070
2Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$118,290
Doctoral or professional degree
$71,360 – $164,54050
3Epidemiologists$108,240
Master's degree
$91,060 – $131,870330
4Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$108,240
Doctoral or professional degree
$78,920 – $179,47050
5School Psychologists$105,810
Master's degree
$83,860 – $134,77080
6Biological Scientists, All Other$105,250
Bachelor's degree
$75,550 – $126,17090
7Economists$103,000
Master's degree
$88,790 – $134,590160
8Urban and Regional Planners$95,640
Master's degree
$80,450 – $113,280750
9Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$95,640
Bachelor's degree
$66,560 – $120,140160
10Hydrologists$93,340
Bachelor's degree
$71,140 – $105,60080
11Chemists$93,340
Bachelor's degree
$61,130 – $183,66050
12Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$86,700
Bachelor's degree
$64,430 – $110,640500
13Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$82,500
Bachelor's degree
$61,390 – $110,930250
14Conservation Scientists$78,460
Bachelor's degree
$56,870 – $105,600320
15Foresters$76,600
Bachelor's degree
$59,830 – $113,570110
16Biological Technicians$54,190
Bachelor's degree
$44,720 – $67,370100
17Forest and Conservation Technicians$49,100
Associate's degree
$45,680 – $91,40040

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

#	Occupation	MedianOlympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$119,520	$66,850 – $148,550	70
2	Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$118,290	$71,360 – $164,540	50
3	EpidemiologistsMaster's degree	$108,240	$91,060 – $131,870	330
4	Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$108,240	$78,920 – $179,470	50
5	School PsychologistsMaster's degree	$105,810	$83,860 – $134,770	80
6	Biological Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$105,250	$75,550 – $126,170	90
7	EconomistsMaster's degree	$103,000	$88,790 – $134,590	160
8	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$95,640	$80,450 – $113,280	750
9	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$95,640	$66,560 – $120,140	160
10	HydrologistsBachelor's degree	$93,340	$71,140 – $105,600	80
11	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$93,340	$61,130 – $183,660	50
12	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$86,700	$64,430 – $110,640	500
13	Zoologists and Wildlife BiologistsBachelor's degree	$82,500	$61,390 – $110,930	250
14	Conservation ScientistsBachelor's degree	$78,460	$56,870 – $105,600	320
15	ForestersBachelor's degree	$76,600	$59,830 – $113,570	110
16	Biological TechniciansBachelor's degree	$54,190	$44,720 – $67,370	100
17	Forest and Conservation TechniciansAssociate's degree	$49,100	$45,680 – $91,400	40

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA. 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.

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

High paying science jobs in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA

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