Updated October 15, 2026
Science, Engineering & Lab Salary Guide: Pay for 47 Careers
Median annual pay, hourly wage, pay range and job growth for 47 science and engineering careers, from official Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Click a column to sort.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
The typical median wage across these 47 careers is $91,240 a year. The highest-paying is physicist at $172,250.
| Career | Median/yr | Median/hr | 10th pct | 90th pct | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicist | $172,250 | $82.81 | $82,110 | $274,110 | +7.2% |
| Engineering Manager | $171,270 | $82.34 | $120,810 | $262,760 | +5.5% |
| Natural Sciences Manager | $167,220 | $80.39 | $79,710 | $316,850 | +8.2% |
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,960 | $64.89 | $86,700 | $205,890 | +8.3% |
| Electronics Engineer | $130,220 | $62.60 | $81,840 | $206,960 | +3.7% |
| Astronomer | $128,820 | $61.94 | $78,010 | $195,190 | +7.8% |
| Biochemist | $127,410 | $61.26 | $74,290 | $201,110 | +12.3% |
| Mathematician | $126,710 | $60.92 | $69,240 | $195,190 | +0.6% |
| Chemical Engineer | $125,040 | $60.12 | $79,420 | $182,880 | +4.7% |
| Electrical Engineer | $120,630 | $58.00 | $76,550 | $184,300 | +9.9% |
| Materials Scientist | $117,790 | $56.63 | $66,820 | $197,290 | +8.3% |
| Materials Engineer | $112,860 | $54.26 | $72,300 | $175,720 | +7.5% |
| Marine Engineer | $112,230 | $53.96 | $83,010 | $173,330 | +6.7% |
| Biomedical Engineer | $109,370 | $52.58 | $71,850 | $168,180 | +7.6% |
| Sociologist | $106,030 | $50.98 | $65,160 | $172,550 | +3.8% |
| Statistician | $105,650 | $50.79 | $64,000 | $174,050 | +11.0% |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 | $50.05 | $73,990 | $164,340 | +11.2% |
| Medical Scientist | $103,410 | $49.72 | $64,800 | $177,780 | +12.6% |
| Geographer | $102,040 | $49.06 | $66,770 | $136,660 | -2.1% |
| Geoscientist | $101,920 | $49.00 | $59,330 | $200,230 | +5.1% |
| Civil Engineer | $100,840 | $48.48 | $68,240 | $163,220 | +6.4% |
| Architect | $99,280 | $47.73 | $62,300 | $161,420 | +4.3% |
| Meteorologist | $99,070 | $47.63 | $53,060 | $161,890 | +2.6% |
| Chemist | $91,240 | $43.87 | $58,460 | $160,830 | +6.4% |
| Food Scientist | $88,720 | $42.65 | $52,920 | $145,280 | +6.2% |
| Microbiologist | $87,990 | $42.30 | $54,670 | $150,000 | +6.2% |
| Epidemiologist | $87,220 | $41.93 | $61,270 | $138,800 | +18.7% |
| Aerospace Engineering Technician | $82,890 | $39.85 | $59,050 | $125,160 | +11.9% |
| Cartographer | $81,390 | $39.13 | $53,740 | $126,950 | +7.4% |
| Electrical Drafter | $76,870 | $36.96 | $50,040 | $120,290 | -3.4% |
| Historian | $76,750 | $36.90 | $42,730 | $131,810 | +3.0% |
| Surveyor | $75,440 | $36.27 | $46,880 | $125,590 | +5.8% |
| Mechanical Engineering Technician | $74,510 | $35.82 | $48,400 | $106,050 | +1.3% |
| Mechatronics Technician | $73,900 | $35.53 | $47,840 | $109,890 | +2.6% |
| Forensic Science Technician | $72,060 | $34.65 | $48,250 | $117,250 | +13.3% |
| Mechanical Drafter | $71,550 | $34.40 | $48,360 | $106,580 | -6.0% |
| Archaeologist | $70,770 | $34.02 | $49,050 | $108,060 | +6.0% |
| Calibration Technician | $67,820 | $32.61 | $46,680 | $106,550 | +4.8% |
| CAD Drafter | $66,150 | $31.80 | $46,260 | $99,710 | +5.2% |
| Civil Engineering Technician | $64,950 | $31.23 | $44,220 | $98,980 | +3.2% |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | $62,930 | $30.26 | $38,910 | $100,990 | +2.7% |
| Social Science Research Assistant | $61,990 | $29.81 | $38,090 | $102,070 | +5.0% |
| Chemical Technician | $60,390 | $29.03 | $41,740 | $92,040 | +4.9% |
| Biological Technician | $57,510 | $27.65 | $40,330 | $84,940 | +7.4% |
| Surveying Technician | $54,240 | $26.08 | $37,520 | $81,630 | +5.8% |
| Food Science Technician | $52,130 | $25.06 | $39,820 | $78,820 | +4.8% |
| Semiconductor Processing Technician | $51,430 | $24.73 | $37,690 | $82,540 | +8.2% |
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