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| Table 54. Median annual salaries of full-time employed doctoral scientists and engineers, by field of doctorate and sector of employment: 2010 |
| (Dollars) |
| Field | All full-time employed | 4-year educational institutiona | Other educational institutionb | Private, for-profitc | Private, nonprofit | Federal government | State or local goverment | Self-employedd | Other sectore | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median salary | SE | Median salary | SE | 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 | 80,000 | 1,000 | 70,000 | 1,000 | 120,000 | 500 | 104,000 | 2,000 | 112,000 | 2,000 | 84,000 | 1,500 | 90,000 | 3,000 | 147,000 | 19,000 |
| Science | 95,000 | 1,000 | 80,000 | 1,500 | 70,000 | 1,500 | 120,000 | 500 | 101,000 | 3,000 | 110,000 | 500 | 84,000 | 1,500 | 90,000 | 5,000 | 151,000 | 30,500 |
| Biological/ agricultural/ environmental life sciences | 91,000 | 2,000 | 76,000 | 2,000 | 60,000 | 2,500 | 120,000 | 500 | 100,000 | 6,000 | 105,000 | 2,000 | 82,000 | 6,500 | 73,000 | 12,000 | 58,000 | 8,000 |
| Agricultural/ food sciences | 90,000 | 2,000 | 80,000 | 3,000 | 60,000 | 12,000 | 103,000 | 4,500 | 87,000 | 8,500 | 106,000 | 4,500 | 67,000 | 4,500 | S | S | D | D |
| Biochemistry/ biophysics | 99,000 | 500 | 80,000 | 4,500 | 60,000 | 6,500 | 119,000 | 6,500 | 92,000 | 15,500 | 108,000 | 15,000 | 96,000 | 16,000 | 77,000 | 21,500 | D | D |
| Cell/ molecular biology | 89,000 | 4,000 | 69,000 | 2,000 | 62,000 | 4,500 | 119,000 | 4,000 | 93,000 | 12,000 | 104,000 | 6,500 | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Environmental life sciences | 80,000 | 1,500 | 69,000 | 3,500 | S | S | 87,000 | 7,500 | 125,000 | 11,500 | 99,000 | 3,000 | 77,000 | 10,000 | D | D | D | D |
| Microbiology | 98,000 | 5,500 | 74,000 | 5,000 | 53,000 | 5,500 | 122,000 | 8,000 | 131,000 | 22,500 | 103,000 | 7,000 | 93,000 | 17,000 | D | D | D | D |
| Zoology | 84,000 | 2,500 | 79,000 | 4,000 | 52,000 | 5,000 | 100,000 | 7,000 | 73,000 | 13,000 | 108,000 | 7,500 | 70,000 | 7,000 | D | D | D | D |
| Other biological sciences | 92,000 | 2,500 | 76,000 | 2,500 | 62,000 | 5,000 | 125,000 | 2,500 | 99,000 | 6,000 | 106,000 | 5,000 | 86,000 | 5,500 | 73,000 | 14,500 | D | D |
| Computer/ information sciences | 115,000 | 3,500 | 90,000 | 2,000 | D | D | 128,000 | 3,000 | 117,000 | 15,000 | 126,000 | 9,000 | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Mathematics/ statistics | 97,000 | 2,500 | 82,000 | 3,000 | 70,000 | 4,000 | 124,000 | 2,000 | 109,000 | 7,000 | 120,000 | 7,500 | 82,000 | 12,500 | D | D | D | D |
| Physical sciences | 102,000 | 1,500 | 77,000 | 1,500 | 67,000 | 3,500 | 120,000 | 500 | 120,000 | 3,500 | 117,000 | 3,500 | 75,000 | 3,000 | 84,000 | 12,000 | D | D |
| Astronomy/ astrophysics | 95,000 | 6,000 | 70,000 | 6,000 | D | D | 125,000 | 7,500 | 119,000 | 13,000 | 150,000 | 15,000 | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Chemistry, except biochemistry | 102,000 | 2,000 | 73,000 | 2,500 | 68,000 | 3,500 | 119,000 | 3,500 | 106,000 | 7,500 | 110,000 | 5,500 | 73,000 | 7,000 | 87,000 | 15,500 | D | D |
| Earth/ atmospheric/ ocean sciencesf | 92,000 | 2,000 | 78,000 | 2,000 | 54,000 | 5,500 | 120,000 | 5,500 | 91,000 | 8,500 | 110,000 | 6,500 | 74,000 | 4,500 | 75,000 | 27,500 | D | D |
| Physics | 110,000 | 1,000 | 84,000 | 3,500 | 67,000 | 3,000 | 125,000 | 4,500 | 126,000 | 4,500 | 126,000 | 9,000 | 95,000 | 13,000 | 69,000 | 19,500 | D | D |
| Psychology | 86,000 | 1,500 | 75,000 | 2,000 | 78,000 | 2,500 | 100,000 | 1,500 | 90,000 | 2,000 | 102,000 | 3,000 | 85,000 | 2,000 | 95,000 | 4,000 | D | D |
| Social sciences | 90,000 | 1,000 | 80,000 | 2,000 | 73,000 | 4,000 | 125,000 | 6,500 | 117,000 | 11,000 | 123,000 | 3,500 | 84,000 | 5,500 | 91,000 | 15,500 | 193,000 | 12,000 |
| Economics | 119,000 | 2,500 | 102,000 | 4,000 | 65,000 | 12,500 | 148,000 | 6,000 | 122,000 | 12,000 | 132,000 | 9,000 | 106,000 | 18,500 | 104,000 | 25,000 | 201,000 | 11,500 |
| Political sciences | 85,000 | 2,500 | 79,000 | 2,000 | 80,000 | 6,500 | 127,000 | 12,000 | 141,000 | 17,500 | 121,000 | 13,000 | 83,000 | 12,500 | 102,000 | 20,000 | D | D |
| Sociology | 82,000 | 4,000 | 78,000 | 2,500 | 60,000 | 8,000 | 109,000 | 12,000 | 101,000 | 11,500 | 135,000 | 7,000 | 85,000 | 6,000 | 52,000 | 24,500 | D | D |
| Other social sciences | 77,000 | 2,000 | 72,000 | 1,500 | 72,000 | 3,500 | 107,000 | 5,500 | 94,000 | 14,000 | 105,000 | 4,500 | 71,000 | 8,500 | S | S | D | D |
| Engineering | 115,000 | 1,000 | 97,000 | 2,000 | 59,000 | 6,000 | 120,000 | 500 | 121,000 | 6,000 | 119,000 | 1,000 | 87,000 | 4,500 | 70,000 | 17,000 | 124,000 | 18,500 |
| Aerospace/ aeronautical/ astronautical engineering | 120,000 | 5,500 | 98,000 | 10,000 | D | D | 125,000 | 4,000 | D | D | 133,000 | 9,000 | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Chemical engineering | 119,000 | 1,000 | 94,000 | 6,000 | D | D | 122,000 | 3,500 | 126,000 | 17,000 | 115,000 | 13,000 | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Civil engineering | 102,000 | 3,500 | 96,000 | 5,500 | D | D | 119,000 | 5,000 | D | D | 109,000 | 7,500 | 79,000 | 4,000 | D | D | D | D |
| Electrical/ computer engineering | 120,000 | 1,000 | 103,000 | 4,000 | 53,000 | 14,500 | 130,000 | 3,000 | 133,000 | 11,500 | 117,000 | 2,000 | D | D | S | S | D | D |
| Materials/ metallurgical engineering | 110,000 | 2,000 | 87,000 | 6,500 | D | D | 119,000 | 2,500 | 83,000 | 6,000 | 118,000 | 2,500 | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Mechanical engineering | 105,000 | 3,500 | 91,000 | 5,500 | D | D | 110,000 | 3,500 | 110,000 | 23,000 | 120,000 | 6,500 | D | D | S | S | D | D |
| Other engineering | 110,000 | 2,000 | 94,000 | 4,000 | 72,000 | 10,500 | 120,000 | 500 | 117,000 | 11,500 | 118,000 | 3,500 | 91,000 | 11,500 | 52,000 | 23,500 | D | D |
| Health | 93,000 | 2,000 | 85,000 | 1,500 | 72,000 | 4,500 | 129,000 | 5,500 | 105,000 | 7,000 | 110,000 | 7,500 | 79,000 | 5,000 | 96,000 | 12,000 | D | D |
| D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information. S = suppressed for reliability; coefficient of variation exceeds publication standards. SE = standard error. |
| a Includes 4-year colleges or universities, medical schools (including university-affiliated hospitals or medical centers), and university-affiliated research institutes. b Includes 2-year colleges, community colleges, technical institutes, precollege institutions, and other educational institutions. c Includes those self-employed in an incorporated business. d Self-employed or business owner in a nonincorporated business. e Includes employers not broken out separately. |
| f Includes other physical sciences. |
| NOTE: 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. |
| 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. |
