High paying science jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Every science occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV run 8.9% above the national average (2024), so a Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV salary is worth about 0.92× 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

OccupationMedian, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · Employed

1Physicists$171,580
Doctoral or professional degree
$98,950 – $225,6801,520
2Physical Scientists, All Other$170,980
Bachelor's degree
$95,870 – $263,5802,740
3Economists$156,750
Master's degree
$93,440 – $259,2904,570
4Political Scientists$156,730
Master's degree
$118,290 – $195,1903,700
5Chemists$144,680
Bachelor's degree
$82,780 – $195,1902,490
6Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$138,250
Bachelor's degree
$84,590 – $195,1906,220
7Biological Scientists, All Other$114,920
Bachelor's degree
$64,480 – $195,1905,720
8Microbiologists$114,800
Bachelor's degree
$61,070 – $195,1901,370
9Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$109,170
Bachelor's degree
$67,990 – $155,3001,920
10Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$108,160
Bachelor's degree
$68,450 – $184,3502,710
11Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$107,110
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,120 – $188,0705,980
12School Psychologists$106,550
Master's degree
$66,570 – $141,4401,590
13Urban and Regional Planners$104,770
Master's degree
$78,470 – $140,9801,250
14Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$101,670
Doctoral or professional degree
$41,990 – $241,0701,550
15Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$80,600
Associate's degree
$47,840 – $134,7502,110
16Social Science Research Assistants$65,330
Bachelor's degree
$49,730 – $112,0302,170
17Biological Technicians$63,510
Bachelor's degree
$46,130 – $90,9001,630

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

#	Occupation	MedianWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	PhysicistsDoctoral or professional degree	$171,580	$98,950 – $225,680	1,520
2	Physical Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$170,980	$95,870 – $263,580	2,740
3	EconomistsMaster's degree	$156,750	$93,440 – $259,290	4,570
4	Political ScientistsMaster's degree	$156,730	$118,290 – $195,190	3,700
5	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$144,680	$82,780 – $195,190	2,490
6	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$138,250	$84,590 – $195,190	6,220
7	Biological Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$114,920	$64,480 – $195,190	5,720
8	MicrobiologistsBachelor's degree	$114,800	$61,070 – $195,190	1,370
9	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$109,170	$67,990 – $155,300	1,920
10	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$108,160	$68,450 – $184,350	2,710
11	Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$107,110	$77,120 – $188,070	5,980
12	School PsychologistsMaster's degree	$106,550	$66,570 – $141,440	1,590
13	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$104,770	$78,470 – $140,980	1,250
14	Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$101,670	$41,990 – $241,070	1,550
15	Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All OtherAssociate's degree	$80,600	$47,840 – $134,750	2,110
16	Social Science Research AssistantsBachelor's degree	$65,330	$49,730 – $112,030	2,170
17	Biological TechniciansBachelor's degree	$63,510	$46,130 – $90,900	1,630

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. 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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By field in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV to rank honestly.

High paying science jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

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By field in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

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