Average Life Scientists, All Other Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Life Scientists, All Other is $93,750 per year. The middle 50% earn between $68,990 and $131,910, with 7,460 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 33 states and 29 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Life Scientists, All Other pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $58,670
- 25th
- $68,990
- Median
- $93,750
- 75th
- $131,910
- 90th
- $186,260
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
Pay varies significantly across workers. Seniority, employer size, and specialization all move the needle, so it is normal for two life scientists, all other at different points in their careers to earn very different salaries.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for life scientists, all other from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +3.7%
- 300 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 400
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for life scientists, all other.
Where Life Scientists, All Other earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where life scientists, all other work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is South Carolina at $169,440, about 80.7% above the national median. At the metro level, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA leads with a median of $134,810.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $169,440 | N/A |
| District of Columbia | $167,640 | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $125,260 | 100 |
| Arizona | $122,580 | N/A |
| Oregon | $113,450 | 160 |
| Alabama | $110,560 | 50 |
| Maryland | $109,700 | 420 |
| Tennessee | $108,770 | 40 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $134,810 | 170 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $126,120 | 340 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $125,430 | 60 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $124,260 | 70 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $115,230 | 100 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $109,580 | 120 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $105,900 | 170 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $105,850 | 460 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see life scientists, all other pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Life Scientists, All Other rose from $75,910 to $93,750, a gain of +23.5% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $75,910 would need to be worth $95,592 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $93,750 is −$1,842 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -1.9% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 23.5%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +23.5%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -1.9%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Life Scientists, All Other median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $93,750
- 2024
- $87,800
- 2023
- $86,950
- 2022
- $83,930
- 2021
- $81,500
- 2020
- $82,000
- 2019
- $75,910
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Biological Scientists, All Other
- $98,920
- Microbiologists
- $87,990
- Epidemiologists
- $87,220
- Soil And Plant Scientists
- $78,850
- Foresters
- $76,400
Common salary questions for Life Scientists, All Other
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Life Scientists, All Other workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.