High paying science jobs in Virginia

Every science occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Virginia. 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 Virginia run 1.1% above the national average (2024), so a Virginia salary is worth about 0.99× 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 Virginia.

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

Find science jobs in Virginia

OccupationMedian, Virginia · Employed

1Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$140,670
Bachelor's degree
$82,660 – $218,0403,380
2Chemists$96,650
Bachelor's degree
$52,870 – $166,2301,640
3Biological Scientists, All Other$96,030
Bachelor's degree
$64,650 – $151,1001,650
4Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$93,620
Doctoral or professional degree
$65,540 – $186,8104,560
5Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$90,800
Bachelor's degree
$56,180 – $138,3503,910
6Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$86,520
Doctoral or professional degree
$41,990 – $176,0802,140
7Urban and Regional Planners$86,030
Master's degree
$61,790 – $133,5201,740
8Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$82,230
Bachelor's degree
$57,720 – $135,5802,850
9Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$67,240
Associate's degree
$42,750 – $104,8902,710
10Biological Technicians$53,360
Bachelor's degree
$40,330 – $79,4701,820
11Chemical Technicians$51,850
Associate's degree
$34,390 – $80,6801,370
12Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health$49,430
Associate's degree
$37,840 – $77,3001,450

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

#	Occupation	MedianVirginia	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$140,670	$82,660 – $218,040	3,380
2	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$96,650	$52,870 – $166,230	1,640
3	Biological Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$96,030	$64,650 – $151,100	1,650
4	Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$93,620	$65,540 – $186,810	4,560
5	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$90,800	$56,180 – $138,350	3,910
6	Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$86,520	$41,990 – $176,080	2,140
7	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$86,030	$61,790 – $133,520	1,740
8	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$82,230	$57,720 – $135,580	2,850
9	Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All OtherAssociate's degree	$67,240	$42,750 – $104,890	2,710
10	Biological TechniciansBachelor's degree	$53,360	$40,330 – $79,470	1,820
11	Chemical TechniciansAssociate's degree	$51,850	$34,390 – $80,680	1,370
12	Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including HealthAssociate's degree	$49,430	$37,840 – $77,300	1,450

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

Metro areas in Virginia

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

By field in Virginia

Without a degree

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

High paying science jobs in Virginia

More for Virginia

Metro areas in Virginia

By field in Virginia

Without a degree

High paying science jobs in each state