Average Life Scientist Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Life Scientist salary for 2024 in United States 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 United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Life Scientist Make in United States?

A Life Scientist working in United States will typically earn around 156,200 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 75,100 USD to the highest average salary of 245,600 USD.

Average Annual Salary
156,200 USD
Average Monthly Salary
13,016 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
75,100 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
6,258 USD

Highest Annual Salary
245,600 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
20,466 USD

These are average salaries for a Life Scientist in United States 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 States

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

Salary ranges

We already know that a Life Scientist can earn between 75,100 USD and 245,600 USD on average in United States. 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 States is 160,700 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 160,700 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 160,700 USD.

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 States, 25% of the population are earning less than 107,700 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 107,700 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 206,100 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 206,100 USD.

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 States

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 States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 90,600 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Life Scientist salary would increase to 115,600 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Life Scientist, the average salary would be 161,300 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 200,600 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Life Scientist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 213,800 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Life Scientist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 228,200 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
90,600 USD
2-5 Years +29%
115,600 USD
5-10 Years +38%
161,300 USD
10-15 Years +24%
200,600 USD
15-20 Years +7%
213,800 USD
20+ Years +7%
228,200 USD

Life Scientist Salary by Education Level in United States

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 States 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 States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 107,700 USD.

  • Master's Degree. A Life Scientist in United States with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 148,300 USD.

  • PhD. A Life Scientist in United States with a phd education can earn an average salary of 241,200 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
107,700 USD
Master's Degree +38%
148,300 USD
PhD +64%
241,200 USD

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 States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD 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 States, a male life scientist will earn an average of 160,700 USD, while a female life scientist will earn around 152,900 USD.

This means that a male life scientist earns approximately 5% more than a female life scientist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
160,700 USD
Female -5%
152,900 USD

Life Scientist Average Pay Raise in United States

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 States is around 12% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 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 = ( 12 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Life Scientist in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

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

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

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Life Scientist Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

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 59% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

41% 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 3% to 6%.

Received Bonus
59%
No Bonus
41%

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 States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

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 States.

Job Title Category Salary
3D Lab Technologist Science and Technical Services 93,100 USD
Algorithm Developer Science and Technical Services 125,400 USD
Analytical Chemist Science and Technical Services 172,100 USD
Anthropologist Science and Technical Services 139,100 USD
Archeologist Science and Technical Services 125,400 USD
Assistant Breeder Science and Technical Services 62,100 USD
Astronomer Science and Technical Services 218,700 USD
Atmospheric and Space Scientist Science and Technical Services 172,100 USD
Behavior Analyst Science and Technical Services 118,900 USD
Behavior Intervention Specialist Science and Technical Services 134,700 USD
Behavior Specialist Science and Technical Services 115,600 USD
Biochemist Science and Technical Services 187,500 USD
Biofuels Processing Technician Science and Technical Services 78,200 USD
Biofuels Production Manager Science and Technical Services 142,100 USD
Biologist Science and Technical Services 197,600 USD
Biomedical Laboratory Officer Science and Technical Services 80,700 USD
Biomedical Scientist Science and Technical Services 205,400 USD
Biophysicist Science and Technical Services 210,600 USD
Chemical Engineer Science and Technical Services 97,600 USD
Chemical Technologist Science and Technical Services 85,500 USD
Chemist Science and Technical Services 192,600 USD
Chief Technologist Science and Technical Services 163,800 USD
Climate Change Analyst Science and Technical Services 130,400 USD
Clinical Laboratory Scientist Science and Technical Services 213,800 USD
Computer Scientist Science and Technical Services 156,200 USD
Conservation Scientist Science and Technical Services 169,700 USD
Data Science Specialist Science and Technical Services 127,600 USD
Data Scientist Science and Technical Services 153,700 USD
DNA Analyst Science and Technical Services 210,600 USD
Ecologist Science and Technical Services 151,800 USD
Economic Development Specialist Science and Technical Services 157,600 USD
Flavourist Science and Technical Services 63,500 USD
Food Scientist Science and Technical Services 130,500 USD
Forensic Scientist Science and Technical Services 157,600 USD
Formulation Technologist Science and Technical Services 79,000 USD
Fraud Investigator Science and Technical Services 93,100 USD
Genomics Scientist Science and Technical Services 199,700 USD
Geographer Science and Technical Services 111,700 USD
Geographic Information Systems Technician Science and Technical Services 66,700 USD
Geological Data Technician Science and Technical Services 68,800 USD
Geological Technician Science and Technical Services 87,400 USD
Geologist Science and Technical Services 172,200 USD
Geomatics Scientist Science and Technical Services 166,600 USD
Geophysical Data Technician Science and Technical Services 64,300 USD
Geospatial Information Scientist and Technologist Science and Technical Services 153,700 USD
Global Technical Lead Science and Technical Services 206,100 USD
Hydrologist Science and Technical Services 132,000 USD
Industrial Ecologist Science and Technical Services 142,300 USD
Intelligence Analyst Science and Technical Services 114,900 USD
Knowledge Management Specialist Science and Technical Services 100,700 USD
Lab Analyst Science and Technical Services 85,100 USD
Lab Manager Science and Technical Services 140,200 USD
Lab Technician Science and Technical Services 59,800 USD
Laboratory Manager Science and Technical Services 139,100 USD
Laboratory Researcher Science and Technical Services 91,900 USD
Laboratory Technician Science and Technical Services 58,700 USD
Life Sciences Analyst Science and Technical Services 134,100 USD
Marine Architect Science and Technical Services 128,200 USD
Marine Biologist Science and Technical Services 150,100 USD
Marine Superintendent Science and Technical Services 79,500 USD
Materials Analyst Science and Technical Services 83,000 USD
Materials Scientist Science and Technical Services 152,700 USD
Mathematician Science and Technical Services 153,800 USD
Medical Scientist Science and Technical Services 206,700 USD
Metallurgist Science and Technical Services 147,900 USD
Meteorologist Science and Technical Services 151,800 USD
Microbiologist Science and Technical Services 206,100 USD
Natural Language Processing Researcher Science and Technical Services 132,000 USD
Natural Resource Specialist Science and Technical Services 114,600 USD
Natural Resources Analyst Science and Technical Services 123,800 USD
Natural Sciences Manager Science and Technical Services 200,600 USD
Nuclear Engineer Science and Technical Services 215,100 USD
Physical Scientist Science and Technical Services 160,600 USD
Physicist Science and Technical Services 205,700 USD
Political Scientist Science and Technical Services 153,800 USD
Polygraph Examiner Science and Technical Services 54,100 USD
Polysomnographic Technologist Science and Technical Services 97,400 USD
Product Development Scientist Science and Technical Services 158,900 USD
Quantitative Research Analyst Science and Technical Services 134,700 USD
Quantitative Researcher Science and Technical Services 140,700 USD
Radiation Protection Specialist Science and Technical Services 105,800 USD
Refrigeration Technician Science and Technical Services 45,400 USD
Research Scientist Science and Technical Services 151,800 USD
Risk Safety Engineer Science and Technical Services 94,100 USD
Scientific Photographer Science and Technical Services 87,200 USD
Scientific Programmer Science and Technical Services 123,800 USD
Scientist Science and Technical Services 148,300 USD
Service Engineer Science and Technical Services 90,600 USD
Service Technician Science and Technical Services 61,400 USD
Social Science Research Assistant Science and Technical Services 79,800 USD
Social Scientist Science and Technical Services 153,700 USD
Sociologist Science and Technical Services 152,700 USD
Soil Scientist Science and Technical Services 119,700 USD
Statistical Analyst Science and Technical Services 86,800 USD
Statistical Assistant Science and Technical Services 64,400 USD
Statistician Science and Technical Services 134,100 USD
Survey Analyst Science and Technical Services 87,300 USD
Survey Researcher Science and Technical Services 80,500 USD
Surveying and Mapping Technician Science and Technical Services 57,100 USD
Team Leader Science and Technical Services 123,800 USD
Technical Manager Science and Technical Services 134,700 USD
Technical Officer Science and Technical Services 61,700 USD
Technical Service Director Science and Technical Services 175,100 USD
Technical Services Regulatory Affairs Specialist Science and Technical Services 93,100 USD
Technical Services Research and Development Manager Science and Technical Services 206,700 USD
Technical Services Research Associate Science and Technical Services 102,700 USD
Technical Services Research Coordinator Science and Technical Services 103,600 USD
Technician Science and Technical Services 58,000 USD
Water Ecologist Science and Technical Services 166,600 USD
Wildlife Biologist Science and Technical Services 141,000 USD

Salary Comparison by City

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

City Average Salary
Atlanta 153,700 USD
Austin 169,700 USD
Baltimore 160,600 USD
Boston 160,600 USD
Bristol 132,000 USD
Chicago 177,100 USD
Cincinnati 134,100 USD
Cleveland 140,200 USD
Dallas 175,200 USD
Denver 158,700 USD
Detroit 160,600 USD
Honolulu 128,400 USD
Houston 190,400 USD
Indianapolis 164,100 USD
Iowa City 125,400 USD
Jacksonville 175,200 USD
Kansas City 152,900 USD
Kent 127,600 USD
Las Vegas 164,100 USD
Long Beach 140,200 USD
Los Angeles 183,900 USD
Memphis 160,700 USD
Miami 146,900 USD
Minneapolis 146,700 USD
New Orleans 138,700 USD
New York 195,500 USD
Oakland 151,800 USD
Oklahoma City 163,500 USD
Orlando 128,200 USD
Philadelphia 172,200 USD
Phoenix 184,700 USD
Sacramento 150,100 USD
San Antonio 184,700 USD
San Diego 169,700 USD
San Francisco 172,100 USD
San Jose 182,400 USD
Seattle 158,700 USD
Tampa 138,700 USD
Vancouver 130,400 USD
Washington D.C. 171,300 USD

Salary Comparison by State

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

City Average Salary
Alabama 158,900 USD
Alaska 134,700 USD
Arizona 172,200 USD
Arkansas 158,900 USD
California 177,100 USD
Colorado 156,200 USD
Connecticut 151,800 USD
Delaware 151,800 USD
District of Columbia 146,700 USD
Florida 175,100 USD
Georgia 169,700 USD
Hawaii 142,300 USD
Idaho 153,700 USD
Illinois 177,200 USD
Indiana 167,100 USD
Iowa 152,900 USD
Kansas 151,800 USD
Kentucky 151,800 USD
Louisiana 163,500 USD
Maine 146,900 USD
Maryland 163,500 USD
Massachusetts 160,600 USD
Michigan 163,500 USD
Minnesota 167,100 USD
Mississippi 153,700 USD
Missouri 163,500 USD
Montana 140,200 USD
Nebraska 142,300 USD
Nevada 158,700 USD
New Hampshire 151,800 USD
New Jersey 171,300 USD
New Mexico 150,100 USD
New York 169,700 USD
North Carolina 164,100 USD
North Dakota 142,300 USD
Ohio 176,300 USD
Oklahoma 157,600 USD
Oregon 152,900 USD
Pennsylvania 165,900 USD
Rhode Island 146,900 USD
South Carolina 164,100 USD
South Dakota 142,300 USD
Tennessee 164,100 USD
Texas 169,700 USD
Utah 156,200 USD
Vermont 142,300 USD
Virginia 169,700 USD
Washington 163,800 USD
West Virginia 142,300 USD
Wisconsin 171,300 USD
Wyoming 140,200 USD

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