210 metro areas
Natural Sciences Manager Salary by City (2026)
Natural sciences managers earn the most in Worcester, MA, an average of $231,750 a year, against $180,250 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Midland, MI ($236,650 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $180,250BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $231,750Worcester, MA
- Best after cost of living
- $236,650Midland, MI
- Metro areas
- 210With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for natural sciences managers
Top 10 metro areas
- Worcester, MA$231,750
- New Haven, CT$228,050
- Norwich, CT$224,290
- San Diego, CA$218,170
- Midland, MI$217,530
- Boulder, CO$214,660
- Kennewick, WA$214,610
- Seattle, WA$213,950
- Bridgeport, CT$213,490
- Santa Cruz, CA$211,060
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Worcester, MA | $231,750 |
| New Haven, CT | $228,050 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $224,290 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $218,170 |
| Midland, MI | $217,530 |
| Boulder, CO | $214,660 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $214,610 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $213,950 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $213,490 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $211,060 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Midland, MI$217,530 nominal$236,650
- Worcester, MA$231,750 nominal$226,050
- Norwich, CT$224,290 nominal$223,300
- Fayetteville, AR$200,010 nominal$218,940
- New Haven, CT$228,050 nominal$218,110
- Kennewick, WA$214,610 nominal$214,440
- Bay City, MI$192,210 nominal$209,100
- Durham, NC$200,320 nominal$205,300
- Trenton, NJ$210,640 nominal$204,150
- Boulder, CO$214,660 nominal$204,050
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Midland, MI | $236,650 |
| Worcester, MA | $226,050 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $223,300 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $218,940 |
| New Haven, CT | $218,110 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $214,440 |
| Bay City, MI | $209,100 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $205,300 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $204,150 |
| Boulder, CO | $204,050 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Natural Sciences Manager salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA-NH | $239,200+ | $175,860 | $301,580 | N/A |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $239,200+ | $167,110 | $294,320 | N/A |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $239,200+ | $167,650 | $290,470 | N/A |
| 4 | Worcester, MA | $231,750 | $143,270 | $275,350 | $226,050 |
| 5 | New Haven, CT | $228,050 | $155,900 | $263,600 | $218,110 |
| 6 | Norwich, CT | $224,290 | $161,620 | $255,150 | $223,300 |
| 7 | San Diego, CA | $218,170 | $141,770 | $255,800 | $194,990 |
| 8 | Midland, MI | $217,530 | $142,690 | $254,400 | $236,650 |
| 9 | Boulder, CO | $214,660 | $147,260 | $247,870 | $204,050 |
| 10 | Kennewick, WA | $214,610 | $153,520 | $244,710 | $214,440 |
| 11 | Seattle, WA | $213,950 | $139,900 | $250,430 | $192,520 |
| 12 | Bridgeport, CT | $213,490 | $140,710 | $249,350 | $199,780 |
| 13 | Santa Cruz, CA | $211,060 | $138,380 | $246,850 | $192,050 |
| 14 | Trenton, NJ | $210,640 | $153,130 | $238,970 | $204,150 |
| 15 | Oxnard, CA | $209,250 | $133,830 | $246,420 | $189,310 |
| 16 | Durham, NC | $200,320 | $127,340 | $236,270 | $205,300 |
| 17 | Fayetteville, AR | $200,010 | $109,990 | $244,340 | $218,940 |
| 18 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $199,530 | $138,110 | $229,800 | $183,740 |
| 19 | Hartford, CT | $199,200 | $133,950 | $231,340 | $193,880 |
| 20 | Los Angeles, CA | $196,290 | $117,190 | $235,270 | $172,840 |
| 21 | New York, NY-NJ | $195,750 | $106,750 | $239,600 | $173,900 |
| 22 | Bay City, MI | $192,210 | $129,980 | $222,850 | $209,100 |
| 23 | Raleigh, NC | $188,840 | $110,260 | $227,550 | $192,390 |
| 24 | Santa Maria, CA | $188,640 | $118,750 | $223,040 | $173,390 |
| 25 | Riverside, CA | $187,490 | $117,600 | $221,920 | $176,140 |
| 26 | Vallejo, CA | $187,300 | $141,730 | $209,750 | $172,660 |
| 27 | Manchester, NH | $186,240 | $124,590 | $216,590 | $176,270 |
| 28 | Salisbury, MD | $184,310 | $114,300 | $218,800 | $192,760 |
| 29 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $182,940 | $84,760 | $231,300 | $178,380 |
| 30 | Wilmington, NC | $182,560 | $116,630 | $215,030 | $189,330 |
| 31 | Stockton, CA | $182,230 | $123,180 | $211,330 | $173,410 |
| 32 | Sacramento, CA | $182,100 | $127,300 | $209,100 | $170,710 |
| 33 | Atlantic City, NJ | $181,210 | $121,830 | $210,480 | $183,310 |
| 34 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $180,670 | $100,030 | $220,380 | $185,590 |
| 35 | Portland, OR-WA | $178,210 | $122,260 | $205,770 | $169,050 |
| 36 | Grand Forks, ND-MN | $176,740 | $113,030 | $208,120 | $203,940 |
| 37 | Salinas, CA | $175,550 | $121,100 | $202,380 | $160,990 |
| 38 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $174,970 | $122,160 | $200,990 | $160,690 |
| 39 | Ann Arbor, MI | $174,760 | $111,050 | $206,150 | $173,240 |
| 40 | Chicago, IL-IN | $174,760 | $102,750 | $210,230 | $168,700 |
| 41 | Barnstable Town, MA | $172,810 | $84,910 | $216,110 | $175,710 |
| 42 | Utica, NY | $171,020 | $83,760 | $213,990 | $184,530 |
| 43 | Fayetteville, NC | $170,770 | $102,770 | $204,240 | $185,660 |
| 44 | Fort Collins, CO | $169,640 | $117,730 | $195,210 | $167,750 |
| 45 | Colorado Springs, CO | $169,600 | $108,760 | $199,560 | $168,410 |
| 46 | Pinehurst, NC | $169,500 | $76,840 | $215,130 | $191,880 |
| 47 | Medford, OR | $168,210 | $99,280 | $202,160 | $165,830 |
| 48 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | $167,900 | $108,060 | $197,370 | $194,370 |
| 49 | Santa Rosa, CA | $165,840 | $104,890 | $195,850 | $153,860 |
| 50 | Bakersfield, CA | $164,880 | $102,960 | $195,370 | $163,430 |
| 51 | Springfield, MA | $164,840 | $77,770 | $207,730 | $171,600 |
| 52 | Knoxville, TN | $164,690 | $87,920 | $202,510 | $177,910 |
| 53 | Modesto, CA | $164,650 | $107,580 | $192,750 | $158,150 |
| 54 | Burlington, NC | $163,630 | $90,380 | $199,720 | $175,580 |
| 55 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $163,510 | $101,590 | $194,000 | $171,450 |
| 56 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $163,240 | $89,360 | $199,640 | $177,090 |
| 57 | Winston, NC | $162,970 | $101,090 | $193,440 | $177,060 |
| 58 | Baltimore, MD | $162,390 | $106,020 | $190,150 | $155,420 |
| 59 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $162,200 | $93,180 | $196,210 | $170,580 |
| 60 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $161,990 | $95,310 | $194,850 | $154,540 |
| 61 | Greensboro, NC | $161,820 | $94,620 | $194,920 | $174,250 |
| 62 | Fresno, CA | $161,570 | $103,360 | $190,260 | $158,160 |
| 63 | Birmingham, AL | $160,950 | $95,140 | $193,360 | $175,630 |
| 64 | Bloomington, IN | $160,620 | $121,060 | $180,110 | $168,920 |
| 65 | Hickory, NC | $159,790 | $89,880 | $194,210 | $180,580 |
| 66 | Bremerton, WA | $159,470 | $109,140 | $184,270 | $151,000 |
| 67 | Buffalo, NY | $159,430 | $94,390 | $191,480 | $166,340 |
| 68 | Denver, CO | $158,700 | $94,390 | $190,380 | $150,030 |
| 69 | Portland, ME | $157,660 | $94,200 | $188,930 | $154,780 |
| 70 | Milwaukee, WI | $156,960 | $99,780 | $185,120 | $161,920 |
| 71 | Lexington Park, MD | $156,810 | $86,340 | $191,530 | $155,630 |
| 72 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $155,630 | $112,610 | $176,820 | $171,720 |
| 73 | Bend, OR | $154,980 | $111,740 | $176,260 | $149,580 |
| 74 | Palm Bay, FL | $154,960 | $74,070 | $194,790 | $154,950 |
| 75 | Albany, NY | $153,980 | $101,840 | $179,670 | $154,650 |
| 76 | Bozeman, MT | $153,840 | $90,900 | $184,850 | $150,070 |
| 77 | Corvallis, OR | $152,820 | $102,070 | $177,820 | $146,920 |
| 78 | Grand Rapids, MI | $152,690 | $86,280 | $185,410 | $159,810 |
| 79 | Columbus, OH | $152,320 | $103,310 | $176,450 | $159,550 |
| 80 | Providence, RI-MA | $151,940 | $81,970 | $186,410 | $149,290 |
| 81 | Spartanburg, SC | $151,880 | $89,770 | $182,460 | $166,810 |
| 82 | Amherst Town, MA | $151,110 | $105,980 | $173,350 | $150,740 |
| 83 | Olympia, WA | $150,720 | $114,440 | $168,580 | $145,380 |
| 84 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $149,930 | $75,590 | $186,560 | $149,980 |
| 85 | Rochester, NY | $149,840 | $86,650 | $180,960 | $154,420 |
| 86 | Asheville, NC | $148,840 | $92,930 | $176,380 | $154,230 |
| 87 | Lexington, KY | $148,840 | $79,930 | $182,770 | $160,230 |
| 88 | Madison, WI | $147,950 | $101,360 | $170,890 | $152,080 |
| 89 | New Orleans, LA | $147,680 | $96,530 | $172,850 | $159,490 |
| 90 | Syracuse, NY | $147,220 | $101,670 | $169,670 | $153,770 |
| 91 | Dayton, OH | $146,810 | $84,740 | $177,380 | $158,380 |
| 92 | Manhattan, KS | $145,910 | $113,360 | $161,970 | $161,830 |
| 93 | Logan, UT-ID | $145,870 | $96,080 | $170,410 | $152,060 |
| 94 | Morgantown, WV | $145,770 | $107,470 | $164,610 | $156,200 |
| 95 | Spokane, WA | $145,160 | $106,580 | $164,150 | $144,660 |
| 96 | Lafayette, IN | $145,120 | $110,720 | $162,070 | $155,320 |
| 97 | Eugene, OR | $144,680 | $102,880 | $165,280 | $142,450 |
| 98 | Miami, FL | $144,640 | $70,800 | $181,020 | $126,700 |
| 99 | Greenville, SC | $144,330 | $72,650 | $179,650 | $154,760 |
| 100 | Tampa, FL | $144,140 | $69,720 | $180,790 | $142,870 |
| 101 | Bellingham, WA | $143,690 | $110,780 | $159,910 | $139,050 |
| 102 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $143,640 | $77,310 | $176,300 | $155,210 |
| 103 | Austin, TX | $143,520 | $87,570 | $171,080 | $146,350 |
| 104 | Idaho Falls, ID | $142,690 | $102,170 | $162,640 | $151,140 |
| 105 | Huntsville, AL | $142,330 | $89,150 | $168,520 | $152,920 |
| 106 | North Port, FL | $142,250 | $71,800 | $176,970 | $138,890 |
| 107 | Rochester, MN | $142,080 | $107,120 | $159,310 | $156,440 |
| 108 | Detroit, MI | $141,560 | $73,150 | $175,260 | $141,140 |
| 109 | Houston, TX | $141,360 | $81,490 | $170,830 | $143,320 |
| 110 | Kalamazoo, MI | $141,320 | $86,990 | $168,080 | $149,010 |
| 111 | Rapid City, SD | $141,250 | $94,100 | $164,490 | $158,420 |
| 112 | Evansville, IN | $140,980 | $73,740 | $174,100 | $154,030 |
| 113 | Dallas, TX | $139,800 | $82,160 | $168,190 | $135,610 |
| 114 | Twin Falls, ID | $139,760 | $92,640 | $162,970 | $151,730 |
| 115 | Anchorage, AK | $139,320 | $100,170 | $158,620 | $132,160 |
| 116 | Burlington, VT | $139,030 | $82,990 | $166,650 | $137,720 |
| 117 | Akron, OH | $138,760 | $79,680 | $167,860 | $148,610 |
| 118 | Phoenix, AZ | $137,900 | $79,370 | $166,730 | $133,470 |
| 119 | Helena, MT | $137,840 | $99,610 | $156,670 | $144,070 |
| 120 | Beaumont, TX | $137,470 | $80,950 | $165,300 | $152,670 |
| 121 | Salem, OR | $137,360 | $111,920 | $149,860 | $132,520 |
| 122 | Alexandria, LA | $137,300 | $81,370 | $164,840 | $160,240 |
| 123 | State College, PA | $137,280 | $75,570 | $167,690 | $141,870 |
| 124 | Oshkosh, WI | $137,130 | $93,270 | $158,750 | $147,560 |
| 125 | Midland, TX | $136,840 | $88,610 | $160,600 | $142,860 |
| 126 | Charleston, SC | $136,470 | $75,210 | $166,650 | $135,170 |
| 127 | Des Moines, IA | $136,360 | $84,050 | $162,120 | $148,700 |
| 128 | Salt Lake City, UT | $136,140 | $74,280 | $166,590 | $134,970 |
| 129 | Crestview, FL | $136,050 | $75,230 | $166,000 | $140,210 |
| 130 | Cleveland, OH | $134,970 | $75,400 | $164,320 | $143,700 |
| 131 | Richmond, VA | $134,740 | $94,560 | $154,540 | $137,690 |
| 132 | Santa Fe, NM | $134,280 | $103,750 | $149,320 | $135,960 |
| 133 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $133,870 | $93,140 | $153,920 | $136,680 |
| 134 | Reading, PA | $132,970 | $73,900 | $162,070 | $137,000 |
| 135 | Oklahoma City, OK | $132,850 | $67,890 | $164,860 | $146,940 |
| 136 | Jacksonville, FL | $132,410 | $64,540 | $165,840 | $133,100 |
| 137 | Savannah, GA | $132,390 | $100,550 | $148,050 | $139,060 |
| 138 | Bismarck, ND | $132,350 | $107,080 | $144,810 | $145,400 |
| 139 | Columbia, SC | $132,270 | $83,140 | $156,460 | $141,220 |
| 140 | Missoula, MT | $132,200 | $86,260 | $154,840 | $137,070 |
| 141 | Boise City, ID | $132,060 | $84,010 | $155,730 | $134,220 |
| 142 | Dover, DE | $131,250 | $93,160 | $150,010 | $134,610 |
| 143 | Columbia, MO | $131,160 | $94,680 | $149,140 | $146,650 |
| 144 | Omaha, NE-IA | $130,270 | $79,210 | $155,420 | $141,730 |
| 145 | Naples, FL | $129,920 | $70,840 | $159,000 | $125,890 |
| 146 | Nashville, TN | $129,230 | $73,260 | $156,810 | $134,140 |
| 147 | Charlottesville, VA | $128,900 | $78,520 | $153,710 | $130,010 |
| 148 | Tucson, AZ | $128,540 | $74,280 | $155,270 | $132,660 |
| 149 | Lakeland, FL | $128,500 | $64,110 | $160,240 | $132,280 |
| 150 | Davenport, IA-IL | $128,170 | $92,600 | $145,680 | $143,880 |
| 151 | La Crosse, WI-MN | $128,020 | $99,650 | $141,980 | $139,500 |
| 152 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $127,900 | $76,170 | $153,380 | $143,770 |
| 153 | Fargo, ND-MN | $127,520 | $80,000 | $150,950 | $140,330 |
| 154 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $127,360 | $70,160 | $155,520 | $136,840 |
| 155 | Baton Rouge, LA | $127,150 | $90,150 | $145,370 | $140,060 |
| 156 | Ames, IA | $126,980 | $76,920 | $151,650 | $142,950 |
| 157 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $126,880 | $70,120 | $154,840 | $115,950 |
| 158 | Lincoln, NE | $126,860 | $83,010 | $148,470 | $138,520 |
| 159 | Harrisburg, PA | $126,240 | $77,850 | $150,070 | $127,970 |
| 160 | Green Bay, WI | $126,110 | $80,330 | $148,660 | $135,480 |
| 161 | Provo, UT | $126,010 | $72,360 | $152,440 | $128,280 |
| 162 | York, PA | $125,720 | $77,850 | $149,300 | $130,960 |
| 163 | San Antonio, TX | $125,340 | $76,250 | $149,510 | $132,330 |
| 164 | Las Cruces, NM | $125,280 | $85,740 | $144,770 | $138,870 |
| 165 | Kahului, HI | $123,660 | $81,350 | $144,500 | $113,040 |
| 166 | Killeen, TX | $123,610 | $84,590 | $142,830 | $135,640 |
| 167 | Gainesville, FL | $123,180 | $68,850 | $149,930 | $127,340 |
| 168 | Mobile, AL | $122,080 | $78,480 | $143,560 | $138,570 |
| 169 | Orlando, FL | $121,720 | $65,000 | $149,640 | $120,020 |
| 170 | Reno, NV | $121,260 | $80,520 | $141,360 | $120,040 |
| 171 | Fairbanks, AK | $121,140 | $93,370 | $134,830 | $117,370 |
| 172 | Springfield, MO | $120,830 | $62,030 | $149,780 | $136,400 |
| 173 | Springfield, IL | $120,810 | $86,400 | $137,740 | $130,260 |
| 174 | Deltona, FL | $120,520 | $58,860 | $150,880 | $121,290 |
| 175 | Roanoke, VA | $119,350 | $86,150 | $135,680 | $127,490 |
| 176 | Lubbock, TX | $118,000 | $67,540 | $142,850 | $129,220 |
| 177 | Ogden, UT | $117,250 | $66,040 | $142,460 | $116,840 |
| 178 | Duluth, MN-WI | $117,230 | $71,950 | $139,530 | $132,060 |
| 179 | San Juan, PR | $117,170 | $74,760 | $138,050 | N/A |
| 180 | Lancaster, PA | $117,060 | $76,770 | $136,910 | $119,140 |
| 181 | Tulsa, OK | $116,130 | $65,730 | $140,940 | $130,170 |
| 182 | Bangor, ME | $116,110 | $71,530 | $138,070 | $120,310 |
| 183 | Flagstaff, AZ | $115,690 | $77,380 | $134,580 | $115,320 |
| 184 | Corpus Christi, TX | $115,110 | $72,530 | $136,070 | $124,210 |
| 185 | Champaign, IL | $115,090 | $73,340 | $135,640 | $124,150 |
| 186 | Cape Coral, FL | $115,020 | $67,620 | $138,380 | $112,380 |
| 187 | Jackson, MS | $114,710 | $77,380 | $133,100 | $128,820 |
| 188 | Cheyenne, WY | $114,170 | $101,360 | $120,470 | $118,320 |
| 189 | Pensacola, FL | $113,880 | $65,150 | $137,880 | $116,540 |
| 190 | Flint, MI | $113,460 | $66,580 | $136,550 | $121,960 |
| 191 | Toledo, OH | $112,940 | $69,260 | $134,450 | $123,490 |
| 192 | Indianapolis, IN | $112,490 | $60,090 | $138,280 | $117,550 |
| 193 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $111,860 | $63,630 | $135,640 | $111,610 |
| 194 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $111,300 | $69,870 | $131,730 | $100,310 |
| 195 | Brownsville, TX | $111,240 | $67,350 | $132,850 | $129,390 |
| 196 | Scranton, PA | $111,010 | $63,840 | $134,240 | $118,660 |
| 197 | Lansing, MI | $110,680 | $76,520 | $127,500 | $116,520 |
| 198 | El Paso, TX | $110,220 | $68,310 | $130,870 | $122,590 |
| 199 | Waco, TX | $109,990 | $66,270 | $131,520 | $118,840 |
| 200 | Iowa City, IA | $109,320 | $79,730 | $123,880 | $119,460 |
| 201 | Fort Wayne, IN | $105,850 | $60,720 | $128,070 | $114,340 |
| 202 | Little Rock, AR | $105,160 | $66,410 | $124,260 | $117,680 |
| 203 | College Station, TX | $104,960 | $71,410 | $121,470 | $115,400 |
| 204 | McAllen, TX | $103,380 | $58,700 | $125,380 | $120,360 |
| 205 | Lafayette, LA | $99,610 | $61,920 | $118,160 | $114,220 |
| 206 | Panama City, FL | $96,910 | $62,770 | $113,730 | $99,600 |
| 207 | Williamsport, PA | $95,040 | $62,940 | $110,820 | $102,910 |
| 208 | Tallahassee, FL | $93,850 | $64,400 | $108,370 | $99,930 |
| 209 | South Bend, IN-MI | $92,960 | $55,580 | $111,360 | $100,110 |
| 210 | Erie, PA | $91,690 | $52,000 | $111,220 | $100,810 |
More
More on natural sciences managers
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Natural Sciences Manager salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays natural sciences managers the most?
Worcester, MA, where the average (mean) wage is $231,750 a year, followed by New Haven, CT ($228,050), Norwich, CT ($224,290), San Diego, CA ($218,170). The national mean is $180,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do natural sciences managers earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Midland, MI ($236,650 at national prices, $217,530 nominal), Worcester, MA ($226,050 at national prices, $231,750 nominal), Norwich, CT ($223,300 at national prices, $224,290 nominal).
How much do natural sciences managers make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $195,750; Los Angeles, CA: $196,290; Chicago, IL-IN: $174,760; Dallas, TX: $139,800; Houston, TX: $141,360 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do natural sciences managers earn the least?
Of the 210 metro areas with their own estimate, Erie, PA has the lowest mean wage, $91,690. At local prices that is worth $100,810.