Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
New York employs 68,440 Life, Physical & Social Science professionals across 36 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 New York, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Life, Physical & Social Science industry in New York, 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 | $181,970 | $182,580 | 1,140 | $87/hr |
| 2 | Economists | $136,660 | $168,580 | 910 | $65/hr |
| 3 | Materials Scientists | $131,740 | $138,200 | 530 | $63/hr |
| 4 | Nuclear Technicians | $129,780 | $136,950 | 260 | $62/hr |
| 5 | Atmospheric and Space Scientists | $117,540 | $154,830 | 370 | $56/hr |
| 6 | Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $114,400 | $124,380 | 8,420 | $55/hr |
| 7 | School Psychologists | $106,550 | $112,460 | 9,070 | $51/hr |
| 8 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | $101,080 | $108,140 | 980 | $48/hr |
| 9 | Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $95,720 | $98,740 | 6,840 | $46/hr |
| 10 | Food Scientists and Technologists | $94,070 | $96,840 | 660 | $45/hr |
| 11 | Chemists | $90,600 | $100,920 | 4,230 | $43/hr |
| 12 | Urban and Regional Planners | $89,630 | $98,560 | 2,420 | $43/hr |
| 13 | Hydrologists | $88,100 | $95,000 | 160 | $42/hr |
| 14 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $87,760 | $109,260 | 7,690 | $42/hr |
| 15 | Survey Researchers | $86,890 | $90,370 | 380 | $41/hr |
| 16 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $86,410 | $97,780 | 600 | $41/hr |
| 17 | Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | $82,640 | $85,340 | 370 | $39/hr |
| 18 | Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $82,160 | $91,410 | 3,700 | $39/hr |
| 19 | Forensic Science Technicians | $81,670 | $84,050 | 1,140 | $39/hr |
| 20 | Microbiologists | $81,090 | $93,220 | 1,050 | $38/hr |
| 21 | Epidemiologists | $80,220 | $97,120 | 670 | $38/hr |
| 22 | Soil and Plant Scientists | $77,800 | $89,490 | 260 | $37/hr |
| 23 | Conservation Scientists | $76,990 | $80,440 | 640 | $37/hr |
| 24 | Foresters | $73,710 | $79,600 | 280 | $35/hr |
| 25 | Occupational Health and Safety Technicians | $69,640 | $70,000 | 1,410 | $33/hr |
| 26 | Anthropologists and Archeologists | $67,220 | $77,420 | 120 | $32/hr |
| 27 | Hydrologic Technicians | $65,190 | $68,050 | 50 | $31/hr |
| 28 | Historians | $62,960 | $68,200 | 410 | $30/hr |
| 29 | Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | $62,400 | $68,320 | 1,960 | $30/hr |
| 30 | Biological Technicians | $61,210 | $60,960 | 5,050 | $29/hr |
| 31 | Social Science Research Assistants | $61,210 | $66,500 | 3,040 | $29/hr |
| 32 | Chemical Technicians | $60,900 | $62,830 | 2,200 | $29/hr |
| 33 | Forest and Conservation Technicians | $58,030 | $59,980 | 190 | $27/hr |
| 34 | Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians | $57,150 | $59,330 | 280 | $27/hr |
| 35 | Food Science Technicians | $55,470 | $58,580 | 580 | $26/hr |
| 36 | Agricultural Technicians | $45,830 | $51,120 | 380 | $22/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across New York:
New York has 36 Life, Physical & Social Science occupations with 68,440 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Life, Physical & Social Science occupation in New York is Physicists with a median salary of $181,970/year.
The average median salary across 36 Life, Physical & Social Science occupations in New York is $86,178/year.
Salaries in Life, Physical & Social Science in New York range from $34,300 (entry-level) to $300,530 (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 New York. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources