Natural Sciences Managers Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for natural sciences managerss 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 $180,250 ≈ $87/hr
National median salary $167,220
Total employment 108,690 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +3.7% About as fast as average
Annual openings 8,500 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 104,300 → 108,200 (+3,900)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. Massachusetts$257,010
  2. California$223,850
  3. Connecticut$217,800
  4. New Jersey$217,190
  5. Washington$200,200

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Hawaii$111,710
  2. Wyoming$113,810
  3. Nevada$118,090
  4. Indiana$119,950
  5. Oklahoma$121,420
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 Massachusetts $257,010 $267,290 $124 +42.6% 10,590
2 California $223,850 $210,230 $108 +24.2% 14,950
3 Connecticut $217,800 $210,670 $105 +20.8% 1,190
4 New Jersey $217,190 $207,030 $104 +20.5% 10,040
5 Washington $200,200 $182,480 $96 +11.1% 2,490
6 North Carolina $186,890 $173,870 $90 +3.7% 6,010
7 Maryland $180,280 $168,620 $87 +0% 4,820
8 Colorado $172,180 $152,730 $83 -4.5% 1,640
9 Illinois $167,700 $159,670 $81 -7% 2,810
10 Oregon $165,300 $143,120 $79 -8.3% 1,700
11 Pennsylvania $161,580 $137,900 $78 -10.4% 7,980
12 Kansas $161,130 $153,820 $77 -10.6% 240
13 Minnesota $158,980 $136,450 $76 -11.8% 1,530
14 Maine $156,560 $141,360 $75 -13.1% 430
15 New York $153,570 $134,680 $74 -14.8% 5,690

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 276 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $291,000 $260,090 9,570
2 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $263,810 $252,350 1,160
3 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $225,230 $249,930 5,530
4 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR $220,120 $200,000 100
5 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT $217,480 $224,280 300
6 Kennewick-Richland, WA $215,860 $214,620 110
7 Worcester, MA $212,600 $231,760 490
8 Midland, MI $212,130 $217,530 60
9 New Haven, CT $210,670 $228,050 350
10 Boulder, CO $210,340 $214,660 310

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing natural sciences managerss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing $251,740 $239,570 130
2 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing $251,380 $237,990 130
3 Animal Slaughtering and Processing $225,060 $212,620 60
4 Machinery Manufacturing $222,770 $224,930 110
5 Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) $221,020 $235,130
6 Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services $219,340 $198,430 1,240
7 Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods $219,180 $232,630 3,760
8 Computer Systems Design and Related Services $218,430 $216,040 430
9 Sector 42 - Wholesale Trade $216,890 $223,610 4,840
10 Management of Companies and Enterprises $211,990 $214,450 5,080
11 Management of Companies and Enterprises $211,990 $214,450 5,080
12 Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises $211,990 $214,450 5,080

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
4,778
$10-20k
503
$20-30k
1,909
$30-40k
1,842
$40-50k
1,720
$50-60k
3,391
$60-70k
5,034
$70-80k
3,251
$80-90k
3,226
$90-100k
3,013
$100-110k
1,762
$110-120k
2,621
$120-130k
1,332
$130-140k
2,010
$140-150k
1,648
$150-160k
1,829
$160-170k
365
$170-180k
1,170
$180-190k
535
$190-200k
408
$200k+
4,570

Pay by age band

16-24
$43,765
25-34
$72,947
35-44
$126,405
45-54
$123,592
55-64
$112,412
65+
$69,322

Education level

Bachelors Degree
$87,944
Masters Degree
$96,740
Doctorate degree
$147,212
Associates Degree
$63,132
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$88,176
Professional degree
$123,460
Regular high school diploma
$62,386
GED or alternative credential
$50,606
No schooling completed
Some college, but less than 1 year
$61,171

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
39,777 · $114,739
Part-time
1,516 · $57,768

Race / ethnicity

White
$102,700
Asian
$128,871
Black
$79,265
Two or More Races
$89,908
Other
$71,904
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$117,245
American Indian
$54,614

Top fields of study

Biology
$93,265
Psychology
$79,448
Chemistry
$101,806
Biochemical Sciences
$67,104
Business Management And Administration
$101,946
Communications
$160,488
Molecular Biology
$143,540
Community And Public Health
$95,300

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Reading Comprehension
4.0
Active Listening
4.0
Writing
3.9
Critical Thinking
3.9
Speaking
3.9
Monitoring
3.8
Complex Problem Solving
3.8
Judgment and Decision Making
3.7
Coordination
3.6
Management of Personnel Resources
3.6
Science
3.6
Social Perceptiveness
3.5

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do natural sciences managers make in the U.S.?

The median natural sciences managers salary in the United States is $167,220 per year (mean $180,250), and about 80% earn between $79,710 and $316,850.

How much do natural sciences managers make per hour?

Roughly $87 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $180,250 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays natural sciences managers the most?

Massachusetts has the highest average pay for natural sciences managers at $257,010 per year (median $267,290).

What is the job outlook for natural sciences managers?

Employment is projected to change +3.7% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 8,500 openings per year.

What People Search

Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.

caris life sciences manager salaryhow much do natural sciences managers makehow much does a natural science manager makelife sciences project manager salarynatural science manager average salarynatural science manager salarynatural science manager starting salarynatural sciences managers salarytrinity life sciences manager salary