Average Life Scientist Salary in United Kingdom for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Life Scientist salary for 2024 in United Kingdom and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the British pound. To keep things simple, we are using the GBP currency code instead of the currency symbol £.

How Much Does a Life Scientist Make in United Kingdom?

A Life Scientist working in United Kingdom will typically earn around 119,700 GBP per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 54,200 GBP to the highest average salary of 190,400 GBP.

Average Annual Salary
119,700 GBP
Average Monthly Salary
9,975 GBP

Lowest Annual Salary
54,200 GBP
Lowest Monthly Salary
4,516 GBP

Highest Annual Salary
190,400 GBP
Highest Monthly Salary
15,866 GBP

These are average salaries for a Life Scientist in United Kingdom and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Life Scientist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Life Scientist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Life Scientist Salaries in United Kingdom

So we've looked at the average salaries a Life Scientist will earn in United Kingdom. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Life Scientist can earn between 54,200 GBP and 190,400 GBP on average in United Kingdom. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Life Scientist in United Kingdom is 130,500 GBP. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 130,500 GBP, and 50% of the population earn more than 130,500 GBP.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Life Scientist salary in United Kingdom, 25% of the population are earning less than 81,300 GBP while 75% of the population earn more than 81,300 GBP.

75% of the population earn less than 172,100 GBP, and 25% of the population earn more than 172,100 GBP.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Life Scientist Salary by Experience Level in United Kingdom

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average life scientist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Life Scientist in United Kingdom that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 61,700 GBP.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Life Scientist salary would increase to 84,500 GBP.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Life Scientist, the average salary would be 125,400 GBP.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 151,800 GBP.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Life Scientist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 163,500 GBP.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Life Scientist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 177,100 GBP.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
61,700 GBP
2-5 Years +34%
84,500 GBP
5-10 Years +48%
125,400 GBP
10-15 Years +22%
151,800 GBP
15-20 Years +9%
163,500 GBP
20+ Years +8%
177,100 GBP

Life Scientist Salary by Education Level in United Kingdom

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Life Scientist in United Kingdom based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Life Scientist in United Kingdom with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 70,700 GBP.

  • Master's Degree. A Life Scientist in United Kingdom with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 112,700 GBP.

  • PhD. A Life Scientist in United Kingdom with a phd education can earn an average salary of 189,800 GBP.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
70,700 GBP
Master's Degree +57%
112,700 GBP
PhD +68%
189,800 GBP

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United Kingdom is around 29,600 to 88,700 GBP and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Life Scientist Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United Kingdom, a male life scientist will earn an average of 124,500 GBP, while a female life scientist will earn around 115,600 GBP.

This means that a male life scientist earns approximately 8% more than a female life scientist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United Kingdom

Male
124,500 GBP
Female -8%
115,600 GBP

Life Scientist Average Pay Raise in United Kingdom

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Life Scientist in United Kingdom is around 13% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United Kingdom is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 13 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 10%

What this means is that a Life Scientist in United Kingdom can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 10% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United Kingdom for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United Kingdom.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
3%
Energy
6%
Information Technology
9%
Healthcare
3%
Travel
6%
Construction
9%
Education
3%

Life Scientist Bonus and Incentive Rates in United Kingdom

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Life Scientist is a moderate bonus based job, with 63% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

37% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7%.

Received Bonus
63%
No Bonus
37%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United Kingdom earn approximately 7% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
72,700 GBP
Private Sector -7%
68,200 GBP

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Life Scientist

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Life Scientist in United Kingdom.

Job Title Category Salary
3D Lab Technologist Science and Technical Services 67,900 GBP
Algorithm Developer Science and Technical Services 95,000 GBP
Analytical Chemist Science and Technical Services 134,700 GBP
Anthropologist Science and Technical Services 105,800 GBP
Archeologist Science and Technical Services 86,100 GBP
Assistant Breeder Science and Technical Services 45,000 GBP
Astronomer Science and Technical Services 164,100 GBP
Atmospheric and Space Scientist Science and Technical Services 127,600 GBP
Behavior Analyst Science and Technical Services 86,100 GBP
Behavior Intervention Specialist Science and Technical Services 100,300 GBP
Behavior Specialist Science and Technical Services 93,600 GBP
Biochemist Science and Technical Services 146,700 GBP
Biofuels Processing Technician Science and Technical Services 61,700 GBP
Biofuels Production Manager Science and Technical Services 102,700 GBP
Biologist Science and Technical Services 153,800 GBP
Biomedical Laboratory Officer Science and Technical Services 57,800 GBP
Biomedical Scientist Science and Technical Services 158,700 GBP
Biophysicist Science and Technical Services 151,800 GBP
Chemical Engineer Science and Technical Services 68,900 GBP
Chemical Technologist Science and Technical Services 65,800 GBP
Chemist Science and Technical Services 148,300 GBP
Chief Technologist Science and Technical Services 127,700 GBP
Climate Change Analyst Science and Technical Services 98,900 GBP
Clinical Laboratory Scientist Science and Technical Services 156,200 GBP
Computer Scientist Science and Technical Services 117,100 GBP
Conservation Scientist Science and Technical Services 124,500 GBP
Data Science Specialist Science and Technical Services 90,600 GBP
Data Scientist Science and Technical Services 114,300 GBP
DNA Analyst Science and Technical Services 148,300 GBP
Ecologist Science and Technical Services 114,600 GBP
Economic Development Specialist Science and Technical Services 115,600 GBP
Flavourist Science and Technical Services 48,000 GBP
Food Scientist Science and Technical Services 98,000 GBP
Forensic Scientist Science and Technical Services 118,900 GBP
Formulation Technologist Science and Technical Services 62,600 GBP
Fraud Investigator Science and Technical Services 71,000 GBP
Genomics Scientist Science and Technical Services 150,100 GBP
Geographer Science and Technical Services 83,000 GBP
Geographic Information Systems Technician Science and Technical Services 51,600 GBP
Geological Data Technician Science and Technical Services 51,800 GBP
Geological Technician Science and Technical Services 65,500 GBP
Geologist Science and Technical Services 121,800 GBP
Geomatics Scientist Science and Technical Services 117,100 GBP
Geophysical Data Technician Science and Technical Services 47,100 GBP
Geospatial Information Scientist and Technologist Science and Technical Services 117,100 GBP
Global Technical Lead Science and Technical Services 151,800 GBP
Hydrologist Science and Technical Services 95,600 GBP
Industrial Ecologist Science and Technical Services 105,200 GBP
Intelligence Analyst Science and Technical Services 95,300 GBP
Knowledge Management Specialist Science and Technical Services 76,900 GBP
Lab Analyst Science and Technical Services 64,900 GBP
Lab Manager Science and Technical Services 109,700 GBP
Lab Technician Science and Technical Services 45,800 GBP
Laboratory Manager Science and Technical Services 107,300 GBP
Laboratory Researcher Science and Technical Services 68,200 GBP
Laboratory Technician Science and Technical Services 45,600 GBP
Life Sciences Analyst Science and Technical Services 100,700 GBP
Marine Architect Science and Technical Services 92,600 GBP
Marine Biologist Science and Technical Services 105,800 GBP
Marine Superintendent Science and Technical Services 61,400 GBP
Materials Analyst Science and Technical Services 61,700 GBP
Materials Scientist Science and Technical Services 115,600 GBP
Mathematician Science and Technical Services 114,300 GBP
Medical Scientist Science and Technical Services 158,900 GBP
Metallurgist Science and Technical Services 111,700 GBP
Meteorologist Science and Technical Services 102,700 GBP
Microbiologist Science and Technical Services 156,200 GBP
Natural Language Processing Researcher Science and Technical Services 97,400 GBP
Natural Resource Specialist Science and Technical Services 90,900 GBP
Natural Resources Analyst Science and Technical Services 91,200 GBP
Natural Sciences Manager Science and Technical Services 146,700 GBP
Nuclear Engineer Science and Technical Services 163,500 GBP
Physical Scientist Science and Technical Services 123,000 GBP
Physicist Science and Technical Services 153,700 GBP
Political Scientist Science and Technical Services 116,400 GBP
Polygraph Examiner Science and Technical Services 41,000 GBP
Polysomnographic Technologist Science and Technical Services 72,000 GBP
Product Development Scientist Science and Technical Services 124,500 GBP
Quantitative Research Analyst Science and Technical Services 98,000 GBP
Quantitative Researcher Science and Technical Services 100,700 GBP
Radiation Protection Specialist Science and Technical Services 81,900 GBP
Refrigeration Technician Science and Technical Services 35,100 GBP
Research Scientist Science and Technical Services 108,200 GBP
Risk Safety Engineer Science and Technical Services 66,900 GBP
Scientific Photographer Science and Technical Services 65,900 GBP
Scientific Programmer Science and Technical Services 95,900 GBP
Scientist Science and Technical Services 108,200 GBP
Service Engineer Science and Technical Services 65,400 GBP
Service Technician Science and Technical Services 45,200 GBP
Social Science Research Assistant Science and Technical Services 61,700 GBP
Social Scientist Science and Technical Services 118,900 GBP
Sociologist Science and Technical Services 107,700 GBP
Soil Scientist Science and Technical Services 93,100 GBP
Statistical Analyst Science and Technical Services 65,900 GBP
Statistical Assistant Science and Technical Services 49,800 GBP
Statistician Science and Technical Services 103,600 GBP
Survey Analyst Science and Technical Services 64,900 GBP
Survey Researcher Science and Technical Services 61,700 GBP
Surveying and Mapping Technician Science and Technical Services 38,000 GBP
Team Leader Science and Technical Services 90,900 GBP
Technical Manager Science and Technical Services 105,200 GBP
Technical Officer Science and Technical Services 45,000 GBP
Technical Service Director Science and Technical Services 140,700 GBP
Technical Services Regulatory Affairs Specialist Science and Technical Services 66,200 GBP
Technical Services Research and Development Manager Science and Technical Services 151,800 GBP
Technical Services Research Associate Science and Technical Services 74,600 GBP
Technical Services Research Coordinator Science and Technical Services 75,000 GBP
Technician Science and Technical Services 40,300 GBP
Water Ecologist Science and Technical Services 123,000 GBP
Wildlife Biologist Science and Technical Services 103,600 GBP

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United Kingdom, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Aberdeen 114,300 GBP
Abingdon 109,000 GBP
Armagh 115,600 GBP
Bangor 105,200 GBP
Belfast 123,000 GBP
Birmingham 130,400 GBP
Bradford 124,500 GBP
Brighton 128,400 GBP
Bristol 137,100 GBP
Cambridge 114,900 GBP
Canterbury 105,800 GBP
Cardiff 127,700 GBP
Chester 107,700 GBP
Coventry 134,100 GBP
Derby 127,600 GBP
Derry 117,100 GBP
Dundee 123,000 GBP
Durham 108,200 GBP
Edinburgh 132,000 GBP
Exeter 114,900 GBP
Glasgow 134,100 GBP
Gloucester 111,700 GBP
Hartlepool 115,600 GBP
Inverness 105,800 GBP
Kingston upon Hull 130,500 GBP
Kirkwall 100,500 GBP
Leeds 137,100 GBP
Leicester 127,600 GBP
Lincoln 114,600 GBP
Lisburn 112,700 GBP
Liverpool 128,200 GBP
London 141,000 GBP
Manchester 134,100 GBP
Newcastle 127,700 GBP
Newport 112,700 GBP
Newry 114,900 GBP
Norwich 114,600 GBP
Nottingham 123,000 GBP
Oxford 125,400 GBP
Peterborough 124,500 GBP
Plymouth 125,400 GBP
Poole 116,400 GBP
Portsmouth 115,600 GBP
Ripon 109,700 GBP
Salisbury 111,700 GBP
Sheffield 132,000 GBP
Somerset 128,400 GBP
Southampton 121,800 GBP
St Davids 107,300 GBP
Stirling 114,300 GBP
Stromness 105,800 GBP
Strontian 103,600 GBP
Swansea 125,400 GBP
Truro 102,700 GBP
Wakefield 105,800 GBP
Wells 107,700 GBP
Winchester 108,200 GBP
Wolverhampton 124,500 GBP
York 115,600 GBP

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United Kingdom.

City Average Salary
England 222,700 GBP
Northern Ireland 102,700 GBP
Scotland 161,300 GBP
Wales 114,900 GBP

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