Highest-Paying Science Jobs (2026)
All 11 science careers we track, ranked by median salary. The highest-paying science job is Pharmaceutical Data Scientist at $142,000/year (top earners: $228,000+).
| # | Job title | Median | Top 10% | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical Data Scientist | $142,000 | $228,000 | +7.5% |
| 2 | Physicist | $112,000 | $200,000 | +4% |
| 3 | Research Scientist | $98,000 | $175,000 | +4.5% |
| 4 | Epidemiologist | $90,000 | $152,000 | +4.5% |
| 5 | Biochemist | $88,000 | $162,000 | +4.2% |
| 6 | Geologist | $88,000 | $155,000 | +3.8% |
| 7 | Laboratory Manager | $88,000 | $148,000 | +3.8% |
| 8 | Chemist | $80,000 | $142,000 | +3.2% |
| 9 | Biologist | $78,000 | $140,000 | +3.5% |
| 10 | Environmental Scientist | $76,000 | $132,000 | +4.8% |
| 11 | Clinical Research Coordinator | $62,000 | $102,000 | +5.5% |
See all Science salaries by city → · Highest-paying jobs overall →