Life Scientists, All Other pay in the U.S.
$107,860avg. a year
$51.86 an hour · 7,460 employed
Life Scientists, All Other in the U.S. earn an average of $107,860 a year and a median of $93,750. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($174,210) and lowest in Minnesota ($67,320).
$93,750Median pay
$51.86Average hourly
+17%Avg. pay since 2020
7,460Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for life scientists, all other
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
150 jobs
District of Columbia
$174,210
$83.76 an hour
2
South Carolina
$166,780
$80.18 an hour
3100 jobs
Massachusetts
$131,800
$63.37 an hour
4
Arizona
$128,220
$61.64 an hour
5420 jobs
Maryland
$121,910
$58.61 an hour
6160 jobs
Oregon
$119,470
$57.44 an hour
7860 jobs
California
$117,510
$56.50 an hour
850 jobs
Alabama
$112,420
$54.05 an hour
9110 jobs
New Jersey
$110,390
$53.07 an hour
1040 jobs
Tennessee
$109,650
$52.72 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Life Scientists, All Other pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $81k$81k–$94k$94k–$112k$112k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $139,970 | $67.29 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $139,090 | $66.87 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $126,430 | $60.78 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $126,380 | $60.76 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $119,330 | $57.37 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $116,440 | $55.98 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $114,780 | $55.19 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $114,200 | $54.91 |
Related jobs
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$116,840
- Biological Scientists, All Other$106,330
- Biochemists and Biophysicists$129,840
- Conservation Scientists$77,130
- Microbiologists$97,600
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$83,020
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Life Scientists, All Other pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $112,420 | $110,560 | 50 |
| Alaska | $88,150 | $82,220 | 40 |
| Arizona | $128,220 | $122,580 | – |
| California | $117,510 | $102,830 | 860 |
| Colorado | $84,230 | $66,250 | 40 |
| District of Columbia | $174,210 | $167,640 | 50 |
| Florida | $109,110 | $91,900 | 80 |
| Georgia | $82,600 | $83,990 | 170 |
| Hawaii | $80,190 | $71,990 | 50 |
| Idaho | $76,170 | $68,990 | 80 |
| Illinois | $67,660 | $66,190 | 160 |
| Indiana | $82,880 | $69,410 | 30 |
| Iowa | $75,540 | $64,270 | 110 |
| Kentucky | $77,670 | $75,670 | 100 |
| Louisiana | $88,280 | $76,480 | 430 |
| Maryland | $121,910 | $109,700 | 420 |
| Massachusetts | $131,800 | $125,260 | 100 |
| Michigan | $73,250 | $63,960 | 90 |
| Minnesota | $67,320 | $64,610 | – |
| Missouri | $88,490 | $79,780 | 190 |
| New Hampshire | $81,100 | $81,610 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $110,390 | $103,890 | 110 |
| New York | $99,780 | $86,790 | 250 |
| Ohio | $89,080 | $62,950 | 50 |
| Oregon | $119,470 | $113,450 | 160 |
| Pennsylvania | $94,010 | $83,680 | 290 |
| South Carolina | $166,780 | $169,440 | – |
| Tennessee | $109,650 | $108,770 | 40 |
| Texas | $77,130 | $81,230 | 510 |
| Virginia | $96,770 | $81,600 | 350 |
| Washington | $100,550 | $100,420 | 240 |
| Wisconsin | $96,060 | $85,080 | – |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$119,330
460 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$139,090
340 jobsNew Orleans-Metairie, LA
$78,360
270 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$68,880
230 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$126,380
230 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$111,020
220 jobsRichmond, VA
$78,200
210 jobsBaltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
$116,440
170 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do life scientists, all other make?
The average is $107,860 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $93,750 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $51.86, and the median is $45.07 an hour.
Which state pays life scientists, all other the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $174,210 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $139,970.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $58,670 a year, and the top 10% earn over $186,260.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-1099. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.