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The national median salary for Natural Sciences Managers is $161,179 per year ($77.49/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $114,109 and $214,822 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $257,887 per year. There are approximately 100,870 natural sciences managers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.7%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
9K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
104K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
5% from new growth95% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
5 years or more
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
42K
$196,740
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
12K
$139,380
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
5K
$84,360
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing
NAICS 325400
5K
$182,170
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
5K
$101,730
Wage range across top 5 industries: $84,360 to $196,740 (133% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$38.38
$79,830
P25
$54.86
$114,109
P50MEDIAN
$77.49
$161,179
P75
$103.28
$214,822
P90
$123.98
$257,887
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average natural sciences managers salary?
The national median salary for Natural Sciences Managers is $161,179 per year ($77.49/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $114,109 and $214,822 annually.
How much do top-earning natural sciences managers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Natural Sciences Managers is $257,887 per year ($123.98/hr). The 75th percentile is $214,822 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for natural sciences managers?
Entry-level Natural Sciences Managers (10th percentile) earn approximately $79,830 per year ($38.38/hr). The 25th percentile is $114,109 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.