Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
California employs 176,170 Life, Physical & Social Science professionals across 39 occupations. Explore salary ranges, top paying jobs, and career opportunities within the Life, Physical & Social Science industry.
The best-compensated occupations within Life, Physical & Social Science in California, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Life, Physical & Social Science industry in California, sorted by median salary (highest to lowest). Click any job title for state-specific salary details.
| # | Job Title | Median Salary | Mean Salary | Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicists | $207,490 | $201,930 | 5,930 | $99/hr |
| 2 | Materials Scientists | $177,030 | $189,460 | 1,030 | $85/hr |
| 3 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | $139,580 | $148,550 | 3,240 | $67/hr |
| 4 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $136,990 | $140,120 | 29,830 | $65/hr |
| 5 | School Psychologists | $127,780 | $127,830 | 8,340 | $61/hr |
| 6 | Sociologists | $125,770 | $123,090 | 590 | $60/hr |
| 7 | Atmospheric and Space Scientists | $124,920 | $127,330 | 510 | $60/hr |
| 8 | Astronomers | $123,540 | $128,340 | 110 | $59/hr |
| 9 | Hydrologists | $122,110 | $122,940 | 540 | $58/hr |
| 10 | Economists | $119,410 | $133,680 | 860 | $57/hr |
| 11 | Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $116,000 | $123,570 | 12,840 | $55/hr |
| 12 | Geographers | $114,460 | $114,310 | 80 | $55/hr |
| 13 | Epidemiologists | $110,760 | $118,540 | 1,480 | $53/hr |
| 14 | Urban and Regional Planners | $109,610 | $116,480 | 7,460 | $52/hr |
| 15 | Microbiologists | $108,530 | $114,790 | 2,600 | $52/hr |
| 16 | Foresters | $107,120 | $110,770 | 820 | $51/hr |
| 17 | Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $106,510 | $112,360 | 12,490 | $51/hr |
| 18 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $106,500 | $108,910 | 3,350 | $51/hr |
| 19 | Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $102,840 | $106,470 | 16,230 | $49/hr |
| 20 | Forensic Science Technicians | $102,100 | $104,960 | 2,800 | $49/hr |
| 21 | Nuclear Technicians | $99,270 | $94,690 | N/A | $47/hr |
| 22 | Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | $98,530 | $111,800 | 2,210 | $47/hr |
| 23 | Chemists | $97,860 | $106,810 | 9,820 | $47/hr |
| 24 | Historians | $97,420 | $100,750 | 210 | $46/hr |
| 25 | Food Scientists and Technologists | $93,950 | $97,980 | 2,210 | $45/hr |
| 26 | Soil and Plant Scientists | $91,930 | $99,260 | 1,440 | $44/hr |
| 27 | Survey Researchers | $83,520 | $102,180 | 1,180 | $40/hr |
| 28 | Conservation Scientists | $79,810 | $88,030 | 2,110 | $38/hr |
| 29 | Anthropologists and Archeologists | $72,240 | $77,230 | 2,060 | $34/hr |
| 30 | Biological Technicians | $71,440 | $78,170 | 9,210 | $34/hr |
| 31 | Hydrologic Technicians | $70,790 | $74,760 | 300 | $34/hr |
| 32 | Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians | $69,410 | $83,050 | 480 | $33/hr |
| 33 | Occupational Health and Safety Technicians | $61,360 | $71,450 | 2,650 | $29/hr |
| 34 | Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | $61,220 | $67,750 | 6,010 | $29/hr |
| 35 | Agricultural Technicians | $60,320 | $58,530 | 2,420 | $29/hr |
| 36 | Social Science Research Assistants | $60,250 | $70,260 | 5,300 | $28/hr |
| 37 | Chemical Technicians | $59,510 | $64,570 | 6,800 | $28/hr |
| 38 | Forest and Conservation Technicians | $58,120 | $63,680 | 6,640 | $27/hr |
| 39 | Food Science Technicians | $54,200 | $56,850 | 3,990 | $26/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across California:
California has 39 Life, Physical & Social Science occupations with 176,170 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Life, Physical & Social Science occupation in California is Physicists with a median salary of $207,490/year.
The average median salary across 39 Life, Physical & Social Science occupations in California is $100,774/year.
Salaries in Life, Physical & Social Science in California range from $37,670 (entry-level) to $300,330 (senior) across all occupations.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes organize jobs into groups. Life, Physical & Social Science occupations use SOC prefix 19. Data comes from BLS OEWS.
Data: BLS OEWS 2025. Salary figures represent May 2025 compensation for occupations classified under SOC code 19* in California. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources