Life Scientists, All Other Pay Across the Range
May 2024 national BLS data. Figures are national medians and percentiles from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS (May 2024); your local market, employer and experience will differ. Wage data ages — this reflects the May 2024 release, verified June 2026. Informational only, not career, salary-negotiation or financial advice.
Pay for Life Scientists, All Other spreads across a wide band. As of the May 2024 BLS data, the lowest-paid tenth of the field earn around $52,360 a year, the middle (median) sits at $87,800, and the highest-paid tenth reach about $168,860. The 25th-to-75th percentile range captures the typical middle of the field.
Treat this as a wage DISTRIBUTION, not a years-of-experience ladder: BLS reports where pay falls across everyone in the occupation, and the lower end tends to reflect newer or lower-paying roles and regions while the upper end reflects more senior or higher-paying ones — but it is a proxy, not a literal step-by-experience table. National figures; your market differs. Informational, not salary advice.
| Pay percentile | Annual wage (May 2024) |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry) | $52,360 |
| 25th percentile | $66,340 |
| Median (50th) | $87,800 |
| 75th percentile | $123,720 |
| 90th percentile (top) | $168,860 |
A distribution, not a ladder. BLS OES reports the wage distribution, not pay by years of experience. The percentile band is a proxy for experience and seniority, not a literal years-of-experience table.
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