Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Kentucky employs 11,850 Life, Physical & Social Science professionals across 33 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 Kentucky, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Life, Physical & Social Science industry in Kentucky, 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 | $180,910 | $179,250 | 50 | $86/hr |
| 2 | Sociologists | $136,870 | $121,880 | 30 | $65/hr |
| 3 | Atmospheric and Space Scientists | $103,240 | $106,230 | 100 | $49/hr |
| 4 | Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $99,140 | $109,760 | 710 | $47/hr |
| 5 | Food Scientists and Technologists | $98,710 | $96,080 | 170 | $47/hr |
| 6 | Chemists | $84,090 | $86,740 | 530 | $40/hr |
| 7 | Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $83,730 | $87,530 | 2,480 | $40/hr |
| 8 | Epidemiologists | $78,810 | $78,110 | 120 | $37/hr |
| 9 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $77,580 | $95,680 | 670 | $37/hr |
| 10 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $77,510 | $79,810 | 170 | $37/hr |
| 11 | School Psychologists | $75,370 | $80,220 | 590 | $36/hr |
| 12 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | $74,710 | $97,830 | 40 | $35/hr |
| 13 | Anthropologists and Archeologists | $72,230 | $74,230 | 70 | $34/hr |
| 14 | Conservation Scientists | $71,980 | $74,970 | 180 | $34/hr |
| 15 | Economists | $71,400 | $83,920 | 100 | $34/hr |
| 16 | Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $71,040 | $71,160 | 1,000 | $34/hr |
| 17 | Soil and Plant Scientists | $67,340 | $76,110 | 140 | $32/hr |
| 18 | Microbiologists | $66,500 | $75,570 | 80 | $31/hr |
| 19 | Social Science Research Assistants | $66,390 | $70,300 | 1,190 | $31/hr |
| 20 | Hydrologic Technicians | $65,170 | $69,440 | 30 | $31/hr |
| 21 | Urban and Regional Planners | $65,000 | $73,590 | 180 | $31/hr |
| 22 | Food Science Technicians | $64,770 | $66,530 | 160 | $31/hr |
| 23 | Historians | $63,530 | $64,840 | 50 | $30/hr |
| 24 | Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | $61,950 | $64,970 | 150 | $29/hr |
| 25 | Forensic Science Technicians | $61,470 | $60,590 | 60 | $29/hr |
| 26 | Occupational Health and Safety Technicians | $61,120 | $68,730 | 650 | $29/hr |
| 27 | Chemical Technicians | $60,830 | $63,000 | 700 | $29/hr |
| 28 | Agricultural Technicians | $59,860 | $57,890 | 210 | $28/hr |
| 29 | Foresters | $56,460 | $63,560 | 120 | $27/hr |
| 30 | Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians | $49,840 | $58,980 | 60 | $23/hr |
| 31 | Biological Technicians | $48,910 | $52,530 | 260 | $23/hr |
| 32 | Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | $46,840 | $53,230 | 560 | $22/hr |
| 33 | Forest and Conservation Technicians | $43,660 | $48,670 | 240 | $20/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Kentucky:
Kentucky has 33 Life, Physical & Social Science occupations with 11,850 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Life, Physical & Social Science occupation in Kentucky is Physicists with a median salary of $180,910/year.
The average median salary across 33 Life, Physical & Social Science occupations in Kentucky is $74,756/year.
Salaries in Life, Physical & Social Science in Kentucky range from $30,460 (entry-level) to $282,000 (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 Kentucky. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources