Natural Sciences Managers: salary, outlook & degrees
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.
Middle half $119,430–$221,540. 108,690 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
94% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $72,618.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 9,200 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 16% | Biology |
| Psychology | 13% | Psychology |
| Chemistry | 5% | Chemistry |
| Biochemical Sciences | 4% | Biochemistry |
| Community And Public Health | 3% | Public Health |
| Economics | 3% | Economics |
| English Language And Literature | 3% | English |
| Neuroscience | 2% | — |
| Family And Consumer Sciences | 2% | Human Development and Family Studies · Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services |
| Commercial Art And Graphic Design | 2% | Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $267,290 |
| Connecticut | $210,670 |
| California | $210,230 |
| New Jersey | $207,030 |
| Washington | $182,480 |
| North Carolina | $173,870 |
| Maryland | $168,620 |
| Illinois | $159,670 |
| District of Columbia | $156,730 |
| Kansas | $153,820 |
| Colorado | $152,730 |
| Virginia | $150,570 |
| Oregon | $143,120 |
| Maine | $141,360 |
| West Virginia | $138,010 |
| Pennsylvania | $137,900 |
| Ohio | $137,170 |
| Minnesota | $136,450 |
| New York | $134,680 |
| New Hampshire | $134,010 |
| Alabama | $133,470 |
| North Dakota | $131,370 |
| Vermont | $131,290 |
| South Carolina | $131,140 |
| Alaska | $130,590 |
| Rhode Island | $130,480 |
| Texas | $129,960 |
| Missouri | $129,410 |
| Michigan | $129,070 |
| Wisconsin | $128,890 |
| South Dakota | $128,140 |
| Kentucky | $126,440 |
| Arizona | $124,920 |
| Idaho | $124,800 |
| Tennessee | $124,530 |
| Nebraska | $120,620 |
| Arkansas | $119,430 |
| Mississippi | $119,430 |
| Montana | $119,430 |
| PR | $119,430 |
| Utah | $119,430 |
| Louisiana | $115,950 |
| Nevada | $112,260 |
| Oklahoma | $112,260 |
| Florida | $112,220 |
| Iowa | $109,760 |
| Wyoming | $109,300 |
| Indiana | $108,250 |
| Hawaii | $107,810 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$119,700
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$130,010
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$99,660
- Tallahassee$79,460
- Jacksonville$108,890
- Gainesville$119,410
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$120,040
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$133,620
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$169,060
- Richmond$126,610
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$128,340
- Charlottesville$124,800
- Roanoke$109,480
California metro areas
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$225,230
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$207,200
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$193,340
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$263,810
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$170,010
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$169,370
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$176,740
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara$175,400
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Science
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Knowledge used
- Biology
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
- Administrative
Work styles
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Leadership Orientation
- Dependability
- Innovation
- Achievement Orientation
People in this job tend to have Investigative (analytical), Enterprising (leading), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Natural Sciences Managers: questions
How much do natural Sciences Managers make?
Natural Sciences Managers earn a U.S. median $167,220 a year; the middle half earn $119,430 to $221,540 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $73,098 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is natural Sciences Managers a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 8.2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a natural Sciences Manager?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 93% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is biology (16%).
How much do natural Sciences Managers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $112,220 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $167,220 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 11-9121. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Natural Sciences Managers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/natural-sciences-managers.