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Table 73-1. Median annual salaries of U.S. residing full-time employed doctoral scientists and engineers, by occupation and primary or secondary work activity: 2015

(Dollars)

Occupation All full-time employed Computer applications Management, sales, or administrationa Professional services Any R&Db Teaching Otherc
Median salary SE Median salary SE Median salary SE Median salary SE Median salary SE Median salary SE Median salary SE
All occupations 106,000 1,000 120,000 500 120,000 500 110,000 500 110,000 1,000 85,000 500 99,000 2,000
Science occupations 97,000 1,000 120,000 500 107,000 2,000 100,000 500 100,000 500 81,000 1,500 85,000 2,000
Biological/agricultural/other life scientists 90,000 500 80,000 4,000 104,000 2,000 114,000 5,500 92,000 1,000 80,000 1,500 84,000 2,500
Agricultural/food scientists 100,000 2,500 93,000 15,500 109,000 2,500 98,000 4,500 100,000 4,000 105,000 14,500 78,000 10,500
Biochemists/biophysicists 90,000 4,000 61,000 6,000 114,000 4,000 124,000 22,000 88,000 5,500 74,000 20,500 58,000 19,500
Biological scientists 78,000 2,500 54,000 5,000 92,000 3,000 103,000 20,500 75,000 3,500 69,000 8,500 79,000 5,000
Forestry/conservation scientists 88,000 5,500 90,000 39,000 91,000 9,500 81,000 9,500 89,000 5,500 D D 81,000 11,000
Medical scientists 103,000 3,000 83,000 9,500 120,000 4,500 140,000 8,000 100,000 2,000 119,000 14,500 103,000 9,000
Postsecondary teachers, agricultural/other natural sciences 91,000 3,000 D D 93,000 4,500 92,000 30,500 96,000 3,500 88,000 2,500 80,000 6,000
Postsecondary teachers, biological sciences 82,000 2,000 104,000 15,500 86,000 3,000 123,000 23,500 91,000 2,500 76,000 2,000 70,000 2,000
Other biological/agricultural/life scientists 96,000 4,000 81,000 5,000 114,000 6,500 102,000 8,000 93,000 3,500 78,000 23,000 100,000 6,500
Computer/information scientists 129,000 2,500 129,000 2,500 140,000 3,500 122,000 12,000 130,000 1,000 100,000 3,000 115,000 8,000
Computer/information scientists 132,000 3,500 129,000 1,000 145,000 5,500 123,000 15,500 135,000 2,500 122,000 6,500 118,000 6,000
Postsecondary teachers, computer science 103,000 4,500 85,000 3,000 113,000 6,500 D D 109,000 4,000 100,000 1,000 96,000 2,500
Mathematical scientists 100,000 1,500 119,000 4,000 110,000 6,000 133,000 11,000 105,000 2,000 80,000 1,000 80,000 5,000
Mathematical scientists 125,000 4,000 120,000 4,500 139,000 5,000 134,000 11,000 126,000 3,500 94,000 12,000 99,000 4,500
Postsecondary teachers, mathematics/statistics 81,000 1,500 78,000 14,000 84,000 3,500 D D 86,000 2,000 80,000 1,000 73,000 3,000
Physical scientists 100,000 1,000 92,000 5,000 110,000 1,000 119,000 15,000 104,000 1,500 80,000 2,000 89,000 3,500
Chemists, except biochemists 112,000 4,000 84,000 27,000 119,000 4,000 124,000 27,500 114,000 3,500 90,000 11,500 99,000 6,500
Earth/atmospheric/ocean scientists 111,000 5,000 91,000 6,500 135,000 5,500 110,000 14,500 111,000 5,000 145,000 20,000 99,000 11,000
Physicists/astronomers 119,000 1,000 95,000 9,500 139,000 5,000 147,000 7,000 119,000 2,500 83,000 21,500 107,000 5,500
Postsecondary teachers, chemistry 75,000 1,000 D D 80,000 3,500 S S 80,000 2,000 72,000 1,500 68,000 6,000
Postsecondary teachers, physics 88,000 3,000 89,000 10,500 90,000 3,500 187,000 33,000 92,000 3,500 85,000 2,000 72,000 4,000
Postsecondary teachers, other physical sciences 85,000 3,500 88,000 10,500 91,000 3,500 D D 90,000 2,000 84,000 1,500 76,000 7,500
Other physical scientists 108,000 2,000 123,000 11,000 115,000 8,500 80,000 24,500 109,000 2,500 88,000 37,000 91,000 17,500
Psychologists 90,000 500 58,000 13,500 94,000 3,500 95,000 2,000 90,000 500 82,000 2,000 77,000 3,500
Psychologists 96,000 2,000 56,000 12,500 98,000 3,500 96,000 2,500 97,000 2,500 100,000 1,000 94,000 6,500
Postsecondary teachers, psychology 80,000 1,500 D D 84,000 4,500 75,000 10,500 85,000 1,500 75,000 2,000 66,000 6,000
Social scientists 90,000 1,500 96,000 10,500 100,000 2,000 119,000 4,000 92,000 2,000 83,000 2,000 82,000 3,500
Economists 140,000 3,500 98,000 24,500 148,000 6,500 150,000 11,000 141,000 7,500 123,000 22,500 113,000 17,500
Political scientists 110,000 9,000 D D 135,000 11,500 104,000 50,500 109,000 9,000 D D 100,000 16,500
Postsecondary teachers, economics 103,000 3,500 D D 105,000 5,500 D D 109,000 1,500 100,000 500 87,000 8,500
Postsecondary teachers, political science 80,000 4,500 D D 78,000 10,000 D D 83,000 4,500 80,000 4,000 68,000 5,000
Postsecondary teachers, sociology 75,000 2,000 D D 91,000 12,000 D D 78,000 3,500 74,000 1,000 71,000 4,500
Postsecondary teachers, other social sciences 79,000 2,000 D D 84,000 3,500 89,000 12,500 79,000 2,000 78,000 2,000 78,000 5,500
Sociologists/anthropologists 94,000 9,000 D D 100,000 5,000 S S 91,000 9,000 112,000 28,500 98,000 19,500
Other social scientists 99,000 3,000 80,000 10,500 101,000 5,500 118,000 12,000 96,000 3,500 112,000 7,000 102,000 14,000
Engineering occupations 120,000 500 120,000 1,000 126,000 3,500 118,000 3,000 120,000 500 100,000 500 115,000 2,500
Aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineers 137,000 3,000 127,000 5,500 149,000 2,000 D D 135,000 3,500 S S 142,000 25,000
Chemical engineers 122,000 3,500 115,000 6,500 139,000 6,000 D D 121,000 4,000 D D 119,000 5,500
Civil/architectural/sanitary engineers 104,000 2,000 103,000 8,000 105,000 2,500 129,000 10,500 100,000 3,500 S S 110,000 16,500
Electrical engineers 134,000 3,000 130,000 3,500 136,000 4,000 96,000 34,500 134,000 3,000 D D 118,000 4,000
Industrial engineers 99,000 3,000 96,000 8,500 99,000 19,000 D D 99,000 3,000 D D 98,000 5,500
Mechanical engineers 113,000 3,500 104,000 3,000 126,000 10,500 S S 112,000 3,500 D D 111,000 12,500
Postsecondary teachers, engineering 101,000 2,000 95,000 3,500 109,000 3,000 92,000 9,000 104,000 2,500 100,000 500 89,000 6,500
Other engineers 121,000 3,000 124,000 4,000 125,000 3,500 118,000 4,000 122,000 3,500 120,000 23,500 115,000 3,500
S&E-related occupations 120,000 2,500 125,000 2,500 140,000 1,000 145,000 8,000 125,000 2,000 89,000 1,000 110,000 7,000
Health occupations, except postsecondary teachers and managers 126,000 4,500 96,000 21,500 128,000 5,000 139,000 8,000 120,000 5,000 128,000 13,000 120,000 9,000
Postsecondary teachers, health and related sciences 98,000 2,500 D D 107,000 4,500 150,000 12,500 99,000 2,500 93,000 2,000 84,000 3,500
S&E managers, including health 152,000 4,000 158,000 14,000 153,000 4,500 183,000 29,500 153,000 4,000 107,000 29,000 149,000 7,500
S&E precollege teachers 63,000 3,000 D D 63,000 5,500 D D 64,000 2,000 63,000 3,500 64,000 7,000
S&E technicians and technologists 112,000 6,500 119,000 8,000 103,000 17,000 S S 114,000 8,000 D D 109,000 7,500
Other S&E-related occupations 119,000 14,000 98,000 33,000 123,000 12,000 153,000 8,000 110,000 14,000 D D D D
Non-S&E occupations 126,000 2,500 126,000 16,000 140,000 500 124,000 7,500 134,000 3,000 86,000 2,500 103,000 5,000
Arts/humanities-related occupations 80,000 4,500 156,000 20,000 80,000 7,000 80,000 7,000 76,000 6,000 64,000 18,500 80,000 6,000
Management-related occupations 125,000 4,000 131,000 15,500 129,000 4,500 131,000 17,000 129,000 6,500 124,000 19,000 109,000 6,500
Non-S&E managers 160,000 2,500 141,000 4,500 159,000 3,000 149,000 12,500 170,000 5,500 100,000 8,000 150,000 4,500
Non-S&E postsecondary teachers 90,000 2,000 D D 90,000 4,500 84,000 16,000 98,000 2,500 88,000 1,500 74,000 1,500
Non-S&E precollege/other teachers 64,000 3,500 D D 63,000 7,500 75,000 31,000 71,000 8,000 59,000 4,500 71,000 10,000
Sales/marketing occupations 128,000 4,500 116,000 12,000 129,000 3,000 136,000 14,500 129,000 5,000 87,000 9,000 139,000 28,500
Social service–related occupations 63,000 5,000 D D 72,000 5,000 69,000 4,000 54,000 12,000 63,000 4,500 44,000 5,500
Other non-S&E occupations 110,000 7,500 94,000 29,500 109,000 13,500 157,000 5,000 90,000 8,000 74,000 6,000 74,000 8,000
Codes used in data tables: * = suppressed when population estimate < 25. D = suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information. S = suppressed for reliability; coefficient of variation exceeds publication standards.
S&E = science and engineering; 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.
NOTES: Median annual salaries are for principal job and are rounded to nearest $1,000. Standard errors are rounded up to the nearest $500. Designation of full-time and part-time employment status is based on principal job only, not on all jobs held in labor force. Primary and secondary work activities were self-described by respondent in 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. Residence location is based on reported living location on 1 February 2015.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Doctorate Recipients, 2015.