High paying science jobs in Washington

Every science occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Washington. 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 run 7.0% above the national average (2024), so a Washington salary is worth about 0.93× 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 Washington.

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

Find science jobs in Washington

OccupationMedian, Washington · Employed

1Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$115,240
Doctoral or professional degree
$78,940 – $179,4701,270
2School Psychologists$108,780
Master's degree
$82,600 – $139,1101,420
3Biological Scientists, All Other$108,110
Bachelor's degree
$72,040 – $172,8002,620
4Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$105,680
Doctoral or professional degree
$69,500 – $173,1406,150
5Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$102,920
Bachelor's degree
$69,470 – $148,3303,570
6Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$102,920
Bachelor's degree
$71,060 – $163,2301,160
7Urban and Regional Planners$100,990
Master's degree
$77,190 – $126,3403,180
8Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$98,300
Bachelor's degree
$71,140 – $153,9604,470
9Chemists$97,420
Bachelor's degree
$62,690 – $165,0902,280
10Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$83,780
Bachelor's degree
$62,070 – $129,8501,840
11Conservation Scientists$78,450
Bachelor's degree
$59,700 – $106,7101,270
12Biological Technicians$60,800
Bachelor's degree
$45,720 – $79,5803,210
13Forest and Conservation Technicians$54,160
Associate's degree
$44,950 – $82,5301,160

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

#	Occupation	MedianWashington	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$115,240	$78,940 – $179,470	1,270
2	School PsychologistsMaster's degree	$108,780	$82,600 – $139,110	1,420
3	Biological Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$108,110	$72,040 – $172,800	2,620
4	Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$105,680	$69,500 – $173,140	6,150
5	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$102,920	$69,470 – $148,330	3,570
6	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$102,920	$71,060 – $163,230	1,160
7	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$100,990	$77,190 – $126,340	3,180
8	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$98,300	$71,140 – $153,960	4,470
9	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$97,420	$62,690 – $165,090	2,280
10	Zoologists and Wildlife BiologistsBachelor's degree	$83,780	$62,070 – $129,850	1,840
11	Conservation ScientistsBachelor's degree	$78,450	$59,700 – $106,710	1,270
12	Biological TechniciansBachelor's degree	$60,800	$45,720 – $79,580	3,210
13	Forest and Conservation TechniciansAssociate's degree	$54,160	$44,950 – $82,530	1,160

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

Metro areas in Washington

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

By field in Washington

Without a degree

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

High paying science jobs in Washington

More for Washington

Metro areas in Washington

By field in Washington

Without a degree

High paying science jobs in each state