Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
North Carolina employs 43,710 Life, Physical & Social Science professionals across 37 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 North Carolina, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Life, Physical & Social Science industry in North Carolina, 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 | $174,180 | $153,120 | 150 | $83/hr |
| 2 | Economists | $136,150 | $136,220 | 290 | $65/hr |
| 3 | Sociologists | $126,760 | $129,740 | 170 | $60/hr |
| 4 | Nuclear Technicians | $110,430 | $113,240 | 420 | $53/hr |
| 5 | Materials Scientists | $106,470 | $110,700 | 490 | $51/hr |
| 6 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $102,980 | $112,360 | 5,730 | $49/hr |
| 7 | Survey Researchers | $96,560 | $102,230 | 350 | $46/hr |
| 8 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $95,260 | $100,170 | 570 | $45/hr |
| 9 | Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $92,130 | $106,270 | 2,770 | $44/hr |
| 10 | Atmospheric and Space Scientists | $91,560 | $93,080 | 170 | $44/hr |
| 11 | Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $86,650 | $91,730 | 4,670 | $41/hr |
| 12 | Microbiologists | $85,860 | $95,490 | 1,050 | $41/hr |
| 13 | Epidemiologists | $84,770 | $105,560 | 220 | $40/hr |
| 14 | Chemists | $82,620 | $90,800 | 4,530 | $39/hr |
| 15 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | $82,220 | $102,050 | 570 | $39/hr |
| 16 | Hydrologists | $81,770 | $86,330 | 150 | $39/hr |
| 17 | Urban and Regional Planners | $81,230 | $83,610 | 1,630 | $39/hr |
| 18 | Food Scientists and Technologists | $79,840 | $86,800 | 230 | $38/hr |
| 19 | Foresters | $77,870 | $70,850 | N/A | $37/hr |
| 20 | Soil and Plant Scientists | $76,330 | $85,790 | 570 | $36/hr |
| 21 | Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $74,130 | $80,230 | 4,150 | $35/hr |
| 22 | Historians | $73,440 | $74,300 | 120 | $35/hr |
| 23 | School Psychologists | $73,220 | $73,080 | 1,540 | $35/hr |
| 24 | Anthropologists and Archeologists | $73,130 | $79,060 | 200 | $35/hr |
| 25 | Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | $64,620 | $75,060 | 350 | $31/hr |
| 26 | Conservation Scientists | $64,460 | $72,190 | 540 | $30/hr |
| 27 | Social Science Research Assistants | $63,710 | $65,260 | 2,930 | $30/hr |
| 28 | Occupational Health and Safety Technicians | $61,760 | $66,040 | 720 | $29/hr |
| 29 | Biological Technicians | $61,720 | $60,370 | 2,460 | $29/hr |
| 30 | Hydrologic Technicians | $59,590 | $64,530 | 110 | $28/hr |
| 31 | Forensic Science Technicians | $59,240 | $60,930 | 520 | $28/hr |
| 32 | Chemical Technicians | $59,030 | $61,120 | 2,660 | $28/hr |
| 33 | Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | $51,630 | $55,580 | 1,100 | $24/hr |
| 34 | Agricultural Technicians | $51,470 | $50,170 | 550 | $24/hr |
| 35 | Food Science Technicians | $48,640 | $51,740 | 130 | $23/hr |
| 36 | Forest and Conservation Technicians | $48,360 | $51,660 | 650 | $23/hr |
| 37 | Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians | $48,090 | $49,550 | 250 | $23/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across North Carolina:
North Carolina has 37 Life, Physical & Social Science occupations with 43,710 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Life, Physical & Social Science occupation in North Carolina is Physicists with a median salary of $174,180/year.
The average median salary across 37 Life, Physical & Social Science occupations in North Carolina is $80,754/year.
Salaries in Life, Physical & Social Science in North Carolina range from $35,460 (entry-level) to $256,860 (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 North Carolina. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources