Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for life, physical, and social science occupationss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $94,600 ≈ $45/hr
National median salary $82,530
Total employment 1,473,260 nationwide
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$134,080
- Massachusetts$115,250
- Maryland$110,310
- California$109,910
- Connecticut$106,880
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$70,990
- Arkansas$72,300
- Mississippi$74,000
- Nebraska$75,570
- Wyoming$75,630
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $134,080 | $128,610 | $64 | +41.7% | 17,790 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $115,250 | $104,050 | $55 | +21.8% | 78,090 |
| 3 | Maryland | $110,310 | $103,560 | $53 | +16.6% | 48,980 |
| 4 | California | $109,910 | $101,700 | $53 | +16.2% | 206,700 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $106,880 | $98,140 | $51 | +13% | 12,940 |
| 6 | Virginia | $103,000 | $85,670 | $50 | +8.9% | 43,270 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $100,900 | $90,180 | $49 | +6.7% | 41,540 |
| 8 | Washington | $100,090 | $94,160 | $48 | +5.8% | 46,720 |
| 9 | Colorado | $99,060 | $84,960 | $48 | +4.7% | 35,940 |
| 10 | New York | $97,660 | $83,800 | $47 | +3.2% | 84,540 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $96,790 | $89,210 | $47 | +2.3% | 4,290 |
| 12 | Illinois | $95,640 | $82,870 | $46 | +1.1% | 46,560 |
| 13 | Delaware | $94,520 | $84,180 | $45 | -0.1% | 6,150 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $94,370 | $80,980 | $45 | -0.2% | 59,660 |
| 15 | Alaska | $92,390 | $86,380 | $44 | -2.3% | 6,930 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $91,330 | $80,720 | $44 | -3.5% | 10,050 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $90,530 | $83,150 | $44 | -4.3% | 32,040 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $87,980 | $79,590 | $42 | -7% | 5,990 |
| 19 | Arizona | $87,910 | $80,120 | $42 | -7.1% | 23,520 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $87,820 | $78,850 | $42 | -7.2% | 54,090 |
| 21 | Ohio | $87,610 | $79,160 | $42 | -7.4% | 41,950 |
| 22 | Georgia | $87,190 | $78,730 | $42 | -7.8% | 33,250 |
| 23 | Oregon | $85,850 | $80,330 | $41 | -9.2% | 23,810 |
| 24 | Texas | $85,790 | $77,010 | $41 | -9.3% | 109,140 |
| 25 | Florida | $85,680 | $75,330 | $41 | -9.4% | 55,480 |
| 26 | Nevada | $85,220 | $80,310 | $41 | -9.9% | 11,020 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $84,650 | $75,900 | $41 | -10.5% | 16,650 |
| 28 | Michigan | $83,820 | $76,620 | $40 | -11.4% | 34,260 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $83,260 | $76,400 | $40 | -12% | 22,100 |
| 30 | Missouri | $83,030 | $75,870 | $40 | -12.2% | 22,860 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $82,690 | $75,360 | $40 | -12.6% | 15,350 |
| 32 | Vermont | $81,850 | $75,330 | $39 | -13.5% | 3,240 |
| 33 | Alabama | $81,380 | $74,070 | $39 | -14% | 14,570 |
| 34 | Maine | $81,320 | $75,340 | $39 | -14% | 5,640 |
| 35 | Kansas | $81,020 | $72,690 | $39 | -14.4% | 12,580 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $80,740 | $73,920 | $39 | -14.7% | 12,020 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $80,620 | $75,520 | $39 | -14.8% | 26,220 |
| 38 | Utah | $80,420 | $76,700 | $39 | -15% | 16,790 |
| 39 | Indiana | $80,040 | $73,160 | $38 | -15.4% | 27,030 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $79,710 | $72,140 | $38 | -15.7% | 13,790 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $79,620 | $74,070 | $38 | -15.8% | 7,530 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $79,400 | $71,750 | $38 | -16.1% | 4,630 |
| 43 | Iowa | $78,890 | $72,690 | $38 | -16.6% | 14,290 |
| 44 | Idaho | $78,440 | $67,560 | $38 | -17.1% | 12,580 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $76,610 | $68,400 | $37 | -19% | 7,300 |
| 46 | Montana | $75,950 | $70,810 | $37 | -19.7% | 8,860 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $75,630 | $73,490 | $36 | -20.1% | 4,410 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $75,570 | $66,950 | $36 | -20.1% | 9,410 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $74,000 | $64,770 | $36 | -21.8% | 8,200 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $72,300 | $62,820 | $35 | -23.6% | 7,800 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $70,990 | $65,570 | $34 | -25% | 4,700 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 521 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $132,880 | $139,150 | 40,630 |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $122,990 | $126,610 | 58,940 |
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $121,530 | $129,000 | 10,850 |
| 4 | Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $111,050 | $110,270 | 840 |
| 5 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $107,240 | $118,240 | 2,620 |
| 6 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $106,490 | $114,780 | 3,290 |
| 7 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $106,280 | $116,000 | 1,660 |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $105,530 | $116,950 | 66,650 |
| 9 | Boulder, CO | $103,310 | $114,500 | 5,970 |
| 10 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $102,320 | $107,250 | 25,810 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do life, physical, and social science occupations make in the U.S.?
The median life, physical, and social science occupations salary in the United States is $82,530 per year (mean $94,600), and about 80% earn between $48,420 and $155,830.
How much do life, physical, and social science occupations make per hour?
Roughly $45 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $94,600 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays life, physical, and social science occupations the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for life, physical, and social science occupations at $134,080 per year (median $128,610).