Career field
Science & Research careers
Life, physical, and social science occupations grounded in research and analysis. CampusPin lists 48 science & research occupations, with median pay ranging from $46,790 to $166,290 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
48
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$46,790–$166,290
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$84,065
median of these medians
Most common entry education
Bachelor's degree
across 48 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
Typical entry-level education
How many of these occupations BLS classifies at each typical entry-level education. Many roles also have experience or licensure requirements beyond a degree.
- Bachelor's degree: 22
- Master's degree: 11
- Associate's degree: 9
- Doctoral or professional degree: 5
- High school diploma or equivalent: 1
Occupations in this field
Every occupation BLS places in this field, with median pay, the openings each is projected to average per year, its projected employment change, and the education most entrants hold. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first, which is the measure of how much hiring a field actually does rather than how much it pays.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational health and safety specialists | $83,910 | 14,900 | +12.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other | $60,130 | 10,600 | +3.5% | Associate's degree |
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | $100,590 | 9,600 | +8.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Biological technicians | $52,000 | 9,100 | +3.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health | $80,060 | 8,500 | +4.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Chemical technicians | $57,790 | 6,700 | +3.7% | Associate's degree |
| Chemists | $84,150 | 6,300 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental science and protection technicians, including health | $49,490 | 5,600 | +4% | Associate's degree |
| Social science research assistants | $58,040 | 5,200 | +4.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological scientists, all other | $93,330 | 4,800 | +1.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Clinical and counseling psychologists | $95,830 | 4,800 | +11.2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Forest and conservation technicians | $54,310 | 3,900 | -3.2% | Associate's degree |
| Psychologists, all other | $117,580 | 3,900 | +4.3% | Master's degree |
| School psychologists | $86,930 | 3,800 | +0.7% | Master's degree |
| Occupational health and safety technicians | $58,440 | 3,400 | +8.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Urban and regional planners | $83,720 | 3,400 | +3.4% | Master's degree |
| Food science technicians | $49,430 | 3,200 | +4.8% | Associate's degree |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | $100,340 | 3,200 | -1.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Agricultural technicians | $46,790 | 2,900 | +4.3% | Associate's degree |
| Biochemists and biophysicists | $103,650 | 2,900 | +5.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Forensic science technicians | $67,440 | 2,900 | +12.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Conservation scientists | $67,950 | 2,500 | +3.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers | $99,240 | 2,000 | +3.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Physical scientists, all other | $117,960 | 2,000 | +0.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Microbiologists | $87,330 | 1,700 | +4.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Physicists | $166,290 | 1,700 | +4% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Soil and plant scientists | $71,410 | 1,700 | +5.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Zoologists and wildlife biologists | $72,860 | 1,400 | +1.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians | $48,390 | 1,300 | +1.5% | Associate's degree |
| Food scientists and technologists | $85,310 | 1,200 | +6.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Foresters | $70,660 | 1,100 | +1.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Economists | $115,440 | 900 | +1.2% | Master's degree |
| Anthropologists and archeologists | $64,910 | 800 | +3.7% | Master's degree |
| Epidemiologists | $83,980 | 800 | +16.2% | Master's degree |
| Atmospheric and space scientists | $97,450 | 700 | +0.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Nuclear technicians | $104,240 | 700 | -7.7% | Associate's degree |
| Survey researchers | $63,380 | 700 | -5.2% | Master's degree |
| Materials scientists | $104,160 | 600 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Hydrologists | $92,060 | 500 | -0.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Political scientists | $139,380 | 500 | -3.1% | Master's degree |
| Hydrologic technicians | $58,570 | 400 | -2.1% | Associate's degree |
| Industrial-organizational psychologists | $109,840 | 400 | +6.3% | Master's degree |
| Life scientists, all other | $87,800 | 400 | +3.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Historians | $74,050 | 300 | +2.2% | Master's degree |
| Sociologists | $101,690 | 300 | +3.6% | Master's degree |
| Animal scientists | $79,120 | 200 | +5.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Astronomers | $132,170 | 100 | +2.2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Geographers | $97,200 | 100 | -3.1% | Bachelor's degree |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 wages and Employment Projections. “Most entrants hold” describes the education people already working in the occupation typically have. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Majors that lead into this field
CampusPin majors whose program maps to occupations in this field via the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk.
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Economics
- Criminal Justice
- History
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Environmental Science
- Statistics
- Urban Planning
- Geology
- Kinesiology
- Anthropology
- Geography
- Astronomy
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Forestry
- Forensic Science
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Agricultural Science
- International Relations
- Public Policy
- Criminology
- Epidemiology
- Biotechnology
- Marine Biology
- Geographic Information Science
- Occupational Health and Safety
- Meteorology
- Zoology
- Oceanography
- Archaeology
- Geophysics
- Food Science
- Botany
- Agricultural Economics
- Environmental Health
- Wildlife Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Animal Science
- Horticulture
- Toxicology
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
- Conservation Science
- Forensic Psychology
- Biostatistics
- Agronomy
- Materials Science
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the science & research field?
CampusPin lists 48 science & research occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including Physicists, Political scientists, Astronomers, Physical scientists, all other. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do science & research careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $46,790 to $166,290 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $84,065. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do science & research careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is bachelor's degree. 22 occupations list bachelor's degree; 11 occupations list master's degree; 9 occupations list associate's degree; 5 occupations list doctoral or professional degree; 1 occupation list high school diploma or equivalent.
Which science & research careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Epidemiologists (+16.2%), Forensic science technicians (+12.8%), Occupational health and safety specialists (+12.5%), Clinical and counseling psychologists (+11.2%), Medical scientists, except epidemiologists (+8.7%). Projections are BLS model estimates, not guarantees.
Put this field in context
The pay and growth numbers above are field-wide BLS medians and national projections across science & research occupations, not a starting salary or a guarantee for any single job. These CampusPin guides explain how to read them and how a field connects to majors and college choices.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
How one major connects to many careers
A major points toward several occupations in a field, not a single destination.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Compare cost, earnings, and debt together
Weigh price, earnings, and debt side by side without reducing a field to one number.
Occupation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (Employment Projections); wages are 2024 and projections cover 2024–2034. Figures are national, not institution-specific, and projections are estimates, not guarantees.