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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

19-2099 Physical Scientists, All Other

All physical scientists not listed separately.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
17,550 2.8 % $53.88 $112,070 1.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $24.85 $37.24 $52.84 $66.97 $79.46
Annual Wage (2) $51,680 $77,460 $109,910 $139,300 $165,270


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 7,800 0.39 $55.09 $114,590
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,870 0.41 $61.49 $127,890
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,250 0.07 $33.87 $70,440
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 1,560 0.07 $39.07 $81,260
Management of Companies and Enterprises 550 0.02 (8) (8)

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,870 0.41 $61.49 $127,890
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 7,800 0.39 $55.09 $114,590
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 1,560 0.07 $39.07 $81,260
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,250 0.07 $33.87 $70,440
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 110 0.04 $44.21 $91,950

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 100 0.03 $75.12 $156,240
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 140 0.01 $74.48 $154,920
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 40 0.01 $70.75 $147,170
Scientific Research and Development Services 2,870 0.41 $61.49 $127,890
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 410 0.03 $59.90 $124,600


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 1,850 0.11 0.89 $63.07 $131,180
Maryland 1,830 0.68 5.67 $63.19 $131,440
Texas 1,740 0.14 1.17 $41.41 $86,130
Virginia 1,700 0.44 3.66 $61.75 $128,440
New York 910 0.10 0.80 $52.09 $108,350




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 740 1.02 8.56 $65.69 $136,640
Maryland 1,830 0.68 5.67 $63.19 $131,440
New Mexico 470 0.57 4.77 $57.19 $118,970
Virginia 1,700 0.44 3.66 $61.75 $128,440
Idaho 270 0.36 3.05 $30.87 $64,210




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 740 1.02 8.56 $65.69 $136,640
Maryland 1,830 0.68 5.67 $63.19 $131,440
California 1,850 0.11 0.89 $63.07 $131,180
Virginia 1,700 0.44 3.66 $61.75 $128,440
Alabama 110 0.05 0.46 $57.99 $120,610





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,970 0.93 7.82 $67.10 $139,560
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 630 0.06 0.54 $49.90 $103,790
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 570 1.26 10.51 $46.86 $97,470
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 550 0.40 3.35 $55.77 $116,010
College Station-Bryan, TX 530 4.73 39.58 $25.38 $52,800
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 490 0.20 1.65 $61.37 $127,650
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 480 0.08 0.65 $64.80 $134,790
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 440 0.09 0.79 $50.76 $105,570
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 350 0.23 1.91 $61.15 $127,200
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 320 0.11 0.95 $55.36 $115,140




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
College Station-Bryan, TX 530 4.73 39.58 $25.38 $52,800
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS 250 1.65 13.79 $42.26 $87,910
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 570 1.26 10.51 $46.86 $97,470
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,970 0.93 7.82 $67.10 $139,560
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 240 0.77 6.45 $56.86 $118,260
Missoula, MT 40 0.70 5.86 $24.75 $51,470
Charlottesville, VA 70 0.62 5.16 $47.64 $99,090
Trenton, NJ 110 0.47 3.96 $46.95 $97,660
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 550 0.40 3.35 $55.77 $116,010
Corpus Christi, TX 70 0.36 2.97 $28.21 $58,680




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 40 0.03 0.26 $99.34 $206,620
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 250 0.22 1.83 $91.03 $189,340
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,970 0.93 7.82 $67.10 $139,560
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 480 0.08 0.65 $64.80 $134,790
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 300 0.10 0.87 $61.84 $128,630
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 490 0.20 1.65 $61.37 $127,650
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 210 0.19 1.59 $61.25 $127,410
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 350 0.23 1.91 $61.15 $127,200
Knoxville, TN 50 0.14 1.15 $61.02 $126,920
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 240 0.77 6.45 $56.86 $118,260

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area 200 2.92 24.46 $25.88 $53,830
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 90 0.65 5.41 $34.26 $71,250
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 80 1.55 12.97 $55.26 $114,950
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 30 0.19 1.57 $56.57 $117,670

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area 200 2.92 24.46 $25.88 $53,830
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 80 1.55 12.97 $55.26 $114,950
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 90 0.65 5.41 $34.26 $71,250
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 30 0.19 1.57 $56.57 $117,670

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 30 0.19 1.57 $56.57 $117,670
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 80 1.55 12.97 $55.26 $114,950
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 90 0.65 5.41 $34.26 $71,250
Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area 200 2.92 24.46 $25.88 $53,830


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020