High paying science jobs in America

Every science occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in America. 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.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025

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OccupationMedian, America · Employed

1Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$103,410
Doctoral or professional degree
$64,800 – $177,780172,340
2Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$100,580
Doctoral or professional degree
$55,170 – $180,96075,990
3Biological Scientists, All Other$98,920
Bachelor's degree
$60,430 – $168,01055,850
4School Psychologists$95,990
Master's degree
$63,070 – $142,33063,940
5Chemists$91,240
Bachelor's degree
$58,460 – $160,83082,770
6Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$90,150
Bachelor's degree
$55,000 – $134,950140,610
7Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$82,220
Bachelor's degree
$52,520 – $140,01089,250
8Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$62,280
Associate's degree
$39,000 – $102,69073,910
9Chemical Technicians$60,390
Associate's degree
$41,740 – $92,04057,540
10Biological Technicians$57,510
Bachelor's degree
$40,330 – $84,94069,620

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

#	Occupation	MedianAmerica	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$103,410	$64,800 – $177,780	172,340
2	Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$100,580	$55,170 – $180,960	75,990
3	Biological Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$98,920	$60,430 – $168,010	55,850
4	School PsychologistsMaster's degree	$95,990	$63,070 – $142,330	63,940
5	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$91,240	$58,460 – $160,830	82,770
6	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$90,150	$55,000 – $134,950	140,610
7	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$82,220	$52,520 – $140,010	89,250
8	Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All OtherAssociate's degree	$62,280	$39,000 – $102,690	73,910
9	Chemical TechniciansAssociate's degree	$60,390	$41,740 – $92,040	57,540
10	Biological TechniciansBachelor's degree	$57,510	$40,330 – $84,940	69,620

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

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Without a degree

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

High paying science jobs in America

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Without a degree

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