High paying science jobs in West Virginia

Every science occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in West 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 West Virginia run 10.5% below the national average (2024), so a West Virginia salary is worth about 1.12× 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 West Virginia.

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

Find science jobs in West Virginia

OccupationMedian, West Virginia · Employed

1Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$86,560
Bachelor's degree
$42,130 – $128,8501,020
2Biological Scientists, All Other$84,590
Bachelor's degree
$58,640 – $112,260230
3Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$82,690
Doctoral or professional degree
$61,950 – $173,900330
4Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$82,100
Bachelor's degree
$51,520 – $119,020250
5Occupational Health and Safety Technicians$81,470
High school diploma or equivalent
$60,040 – $91,190320
6Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$77,040
Doctoral or professional degree
$44,100 – $146,240920
7School Psychologists$75,220
Master's degree
$58,690 – $99,610250
8Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$59,750
Associate's degree
$45,380 – $85,390230
9Chemical Technicians$58,750
Associate's degree
$40,570 – $81,810230
10Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health$52,590
Associate's degree
$36,970 – $67,390750
11Social Science Research Assistants$51,140
Bachelor's degree
$30,330 – $145,770550
12Psychologists, All Other$46,350
Master's degree
$34,240 – $142,270230

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

#	Occupation	MedianWest Virginia	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$86,560	$42,130 – $128,850	1,020
2	Biological Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$84,590	$58,640 – $112,260	230
3	Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$82,690	$61,950 – $173,900	330
4	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$82,100	$51,520 – $119,020	250
5	Occupational Health and Safety TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$81,470	$60,040 – $91,190	320
6	Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$77,040	$44,100 – $146,240	920
7	School PsychologistsMaster's degree	$75,220	$58,690 – $99,610	250
8	Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All OtherAssociate's degree	$59,750	$45,380 – $85,390	230
9	Chemical TechniciansAssociate's degree	$58,750	$40,570 – $81,810	230
10	Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including HealthAssociate's degree	$52,590	$36,970 – $67,390	750
11	Social Science Research AssistantsBachelor's degree	$51,140	$30,330 – $145,770	550
12	Psychologists, All OtherMaster's degree	$46,350	$34,240 – $142,270	230

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

Metro areas in West 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 West Virginia

Without a degree

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

High paying science jobs in West Virginia

More for West Virginia

Metro areas in West Virginia

By field in West Virginia

Without a degree

High paying science jobs in each state