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NCSES SDR FY2010 DST 57_2 SAS Output Newer information icon. Newer information is available.
Table 57-2. Median annual salaries of full-time employed doctoral scientists and engineers, by field of doctorate and primary work activity: 2010
(Dollars)

Field            All full-time employed
Computer applications
Management, sales, or administrationa Professional services
Any R&Db Teaching
Other work activityc
Median salary SE Median salary SE Median salary SE Median salary SE Median salary SE Median salary SE Median salary SE
All fields 100,000 500 110,000 1,000 120,000 2,000 100,000 2,500 100,000 500 72,000 500 94,000 2,500
Science 95,000 1,000 110,000 2,000 118,000 2,500 100,000 500 100,000 500 70,000 500 90,000 3,000
Biological/ agricultural/ environmental life sciences 91,000 2,000 94,000 6,000 114,000 4,000 136,000 8,000 90,000 1,000 67,000 1,500 83,000 5,000
Agricultural/ food sciences 90,000 2,000 D D 115,000 6,500 84,000 12,500 92,000 3,000 71,000 3,500 71,000 8,000
Biochemistry/ biophysics 99,000 500 85,000 11,000 118,000 9,000 148,000 7,000 91,000 3,500 71,000 3,500 98,000 9,500
Cell/ molecular biology 89,000 4,000 D D 109,000 7,500 157,000 9,500 76,000 4,000 62,000 4,500 77,000 19,000
Environmental life sciences 80,000 1,500 D D 105,000 12,500 86,000 5,000 81,000 7,000 60,000 4,500 89,000 12,000
Microbiology 98,000 5,500 D D 113,000 9,000 139,000 23,000 90,000 7,500 64,000 2,000 90,000 33,000
Zoology 84,000 2,500 D D 103,000 5,000 101,000 25,000 86,000 4,500 65,000 3,500 59,000 10,500
Other biological sciences 92,000 2,500 91,000 5,500 117,000 5,000 133,000 9,500 90,000 500 67,000 1,500 81,000 7,000
Computer/ information sciences 115,000 3,500 121,000 3,500 149,000 4,000 127,000 28,500 120,000 1,000 83,000 2,500 99,000 19,500
Mathematics/ statistics 97,000 2,500 109,000 1,500 142,000 10,000 110,000 12,500 105,000 4,500 72,000 2,500 105,000 11,000
Physical sciences 102,000 1,500 103,000 5,000 125,000 3,000 127,000 7,500 105,000 1,500 69,000 1,500 97,000 5,000
Astronomy/ astrophysics 95,000 6,000 116,000 7,000 138,000 20,000 D D 95,000 8,500 74,000 10,500 115,000 20,500
Chemistry, except biochemistry 102,000 2,000 100,000 7,500 120,000 4,500 124,000 7,000 105,000 1,000 65,000 1,500 79,000 7,500
Earth/ atmospheric/ ocean sciencesd 92,000 2,000 93,000 4,500 111,000 6,000 86,000 18,500 100,000 4,500 71,000 4,000 96,000 12,000
Physics 110,000 1,000 104,000 8,000 147,000 6,500 158,000 14,500 110,000 1,500 73,000 3,000 109,000 6,500
Psychology 86,000 1,500 90,000 19,000 100,000 1,500 87,000 2,500 92,000 2,500 69,000 1,500 85,000 6,500
Social sciences 90,000 1,000 96,000 8,000 115,000 6,000 120,000 6,500 100,000 500 71,000 1,500 92,000 6,000
Economics 119,000 2,500 95,000 10,000 138,000 10,000 161,000 25,000 126,000 4,500 86,000 2,500 149,000 25,000
Political sciences 85,000 2,500 D D 118,000 10,000 133,000 16,500 99,000 4,000 70,000 1,500 97,000 18,000
Sociology 82,000 4,000 D D 107,000 7,000 109,000 22,000 92,000 4,000 67,000 2,500 83,000 13,000
Other social sciences 77,000 2,000 104,000 23,000 97,000 4,000 71,000 11,500 79,000 1,500 66,000 1,500 68,000 11,000
Engineering 115,000 1,000 110,000 2,000 134,000 2,000 130,000 7,500 111,000 2,500 90,000 2,000 101,000 4,000
Aerospace/ aeronautical/ astronautical engineering 120,000 5,500 114,000 12,500 128,000 19,500 D D 119,000 7,500 95,000 9,500 D D
Chemical engineering 119,000 1,000 111,000 9,000 139,000 4,500 144,000 21,500 112,000 2,500 92,000 13,000 108,000 9,000
Civil engineering 102,000 3,500 101,000 31,000 130,000 10,500 99,000 7,000 100,000 2,500 90,000 5,500 100,000 7,500
Electrical/ computer engineering 120,000 1,000 113,000 4,500 140,000 5,500 160,000 16,000 121,000 3,000 91,000 4,500 108,000 6,500
Materials/ metallurgical engineering 110,000 2,000 D D 134,000 6,500 D D 105,000 3,000 71,000 8,500 97,000 13,500
Mechanical engineering 105,000 3,500 95,000 6,500 131,000 4,500 131,000 9,500 100,000 3,500 80,000 5,500 86,000 4,500
Other engineering 110,000 2,000 108,000 5,000 124,000 5,000 113,000 26,000 107,000 4,000 93,000 6,500 101,000 10,000
Health 93,000 2,000 93,000 16,000 119,000 5,500 99,000 2,000 95,000 1,500 75,000 2,000 89,000 6,500

D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information.
SE = standard error.
a Administration includes accounting, finance, contracts, and human resources.
b R&D includes applied and basic research, design, and development.
c Includes production, operations, maintenance, and other activities not broken out separately.
d Includes other physical sciences.
NOTES: Median annual salaries are for the principal job and are rounded to the nearest $1,000. Standard errors are rounded up to the nearest 500. Primary and secondary work activities were based on response to the question: "On which two activities...did you work the most hours during a typical week on this job?" If respondent reported more than one category of activity as primary or secondary work activity, respondent's salary appears in both categories.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Doctorate Recipients, 2010.
Data from survey cycle 2010, as of August 21, 2013.