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Science & Research Salaries (2025)
✓ Sourced directly from ONS ASHE & BLS OES · Checked for accuracy at every rebuild · First published: 2026-08-25 · Last updated: 2026-10-25
✓ ONS & BLS Verified Rates — Updated July 2026
ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional) · BLS OES May 2025
47 job titles, sorted by UK median salary.
Science & Research pay at a glance
In the UK, the 9 science & research occupations with ONS data have median pay ranging from £38,591 (Social and Humanities Scientists) to £55,106 (Business, Research and Administrative Professionals N.E.C.); the average of those medians is about £45,473.
In the US, the 43 occupations with BLS data range from $49,630 (Agricultural Technicians) to $193,950 (Industrial-Organizational Psychologists), averaging about $91,944.
These are unweighted averages of the occupation medians listed below, not official category-wide figures, and UK and US figures are never converted or combined.
| Job title | UK median | US median |
|---|
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologists (US) |
— |
$193,950 |
| Physicists (US) |
— |
$172,250 |
| Political Scientists (US) |
— |
$142,080 |
| Astronomers (US) |
— |
$128,820 |
| Economists (US) |
— |
$124,720 |
| Materials Scientists (US) |
— |
$117,790 |
| Nuclear Technicians (US) |
— |
$110,240 |
| Sociologists (US) |
— |
$106,030 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (US) |
— |
$103,410 |
| Geographers (US) |
— |
$102,040 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers (US) |
— |
$101,920 |
| Atmospheric and Space Scientists (US) |
— |
$99,070 |
| Hydrologists (US) |
— |
$96,600 |
| School Psychologists (US) |
— |
$95,990 |
| Life Scientists, All Other (US) |
— |
$93,750 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Specialists (US) |
— |
$90,150 |
| Urban and Regional Planners (US) |
— |
$89,320 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists (US) |
— |
$88,720 |
| Microbiologists (US) |
— |
$87,990 |
| Epidemiologists (US) |
— |
$87,220 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists (US) |
— |
$78,850 |
| Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (US) |
— |
$76,780 |
| Historians (US) |
— |
$76,750 |
| Foresters (US) |
— |
$76,400 |
| Forensic Science Technicians (US) |
— |
$72,060 |
| Anthropologists and Archeologists (US) |
— |
$70,770 |
| Survey Researchers (US) |
— |
$69,460 |
| Animal Scientists (US) |
— |
$68,940 |
| Hydrologic Technicians (US) |
— |
$64,790 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other (US) |
— |
$62,280 |
| Social Science Research Assistants (US) |
— |
$61,990 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Technicians (US) |
— |
$61,560 |
| Chemical Technicians (US) |
— |
$60,390 |
| Business, Research and Administrative Professionals N.E.C. |
£55,106 |
— |
| Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health (US) |
— |
$55,090 |
| Research and Development (R&D) Managers |
£54,857 |
$141,900 |
| Forest and Conservation Technicians (US) |
— |
$54,560 |
| Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians (US) |
— |
$53,350 |
| Physical Scientists |
£53,142 |
$122,570 |
| Food Science Technicians (US) |
— |
$52,130 |
| Agricultural Technicians (US) |
— |
$49,630 |
| Biological Scientists |
£43,781 |
$98,920 |
| Other Researchers, Unspecified Discipline |
£42,463 |
— |
| Natural and Social Science Professionals N.E.C. |
£41,706 |
— |
| Business and Related Research Professionals |
£39,941 |
— |
| Chemical Scientists |
£39,668 |
$91,240 |
| Social and Humanities Scientists |
£38,591 |
$101,110 |
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Figures are gross annual pay before tax, for reference only. Sources: ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), BLS OES May 2025.
Data: ONS ASHE Table 14/15, 2025 provisional · BLS OES, May 2025 · Page built 2026-10-25