Highest-paying science jobs in San Jose

Written by:
February 9, 2023
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Highest-paying science jobs in San Jose

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-paying science jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage. Jobs the BLS lists as "life, physical, and social science occupations" were included.

#24. Environmental science and protection technicians, including health

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $57,150
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,550
- Employment: 34,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($79,780)
--- Huntsville, AL ($78,320)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($76,970)

#23. Chemical technicians

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $58,240
- #45 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600

National
- Annual mean salary: $55,040
- Employment: 57,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Billings, MT ($86,340)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($78,000)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($77,020)

#22. Food science technicians

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $58,580
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,870
- Employment: 11,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- St. Louis, MO-IL ($66,580)
--- Owensboro, KY ($63,700)
--- Columbus, OH ($61,420)

#21. Conservation scientists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $63,030
- #125 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $68,230
- Employment: 22,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($108,670)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($106,200)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($101,900)

#20. Biological technicians

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $64,050
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 570

National
- Annual mean salary: $51,770
- Employment: 76,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($69,050)
--- Boulder, CO ($68,640)
--- Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ($65,940)

#19. Occupational health and safety technicians

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $68,840
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $57,560
- Employment: 21,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Evansville, IN-KY ($77,880)
--- Anchorage, AK ($77,690)
--- Oklahoma City, OK ($77,100)

#18. Soil and plant scientists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $90,890
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $76,290
- Employment: 15,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($111,450)
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($109,490)
--- Raleigh, NC ($109,320)

#17. Zoologists and wildlife biologists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $93,000
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $70,300
- Employment: 15,930
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($109,570)
--- Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS ($106,800)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($100,350)

#16. Food scientists and technologists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $95,780
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $84,150
- Employment: 13,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($138,600)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,970)
--- Wichita, KS ($102,100)

#15. Chemists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $101,230
- #18 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 650

National
- Annual mean salary: $89,130
- Employment: 80,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($131,290)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($115,790)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($108,330)

#14. School psychologists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $102,070
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430

National
- Annual mean salary: $82,770
- Employment: 57,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boulder, CO ($116,280)
--- El Centro, CA ($116,010)
--- Fresno, CA ($115,360)

#13. Forensic science technicians

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $106,600
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

National
- Annual mean salary: $66,850
- Employment: 17,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,600)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($96,980)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($96,410)

#12. Occupational health and safety specialists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $108,240
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470

National
- Annual mean salary: $78,740
- Employment: 106,340
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($111,950)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($108,240)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($108,020)

#11. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $109,190
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380

National
- Annual mean salary: $81,240
- Employment: 76,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($116,630)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($109,190)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($107,710)

#10. Microbiologists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $112,420
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180

National
- Annual mean salary: $87,820
- Employment: 19,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Knoxville, TN ($125,380)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($121,530)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($115,340)

#9. Urban and regional planners

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $112,760
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420

National
- Annual mean salary: $81,310
- Employment: 38,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boulder, CO ($119,680)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,760)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($112,740)

#8. Biochemists and biophysicists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $118,040
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 550

National
- Annual mean salary: $113,460
- Employment: 35,050
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($135,070)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($133,520)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($133,390)

#7. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $124,520
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240

National
- Annual mean salary: $103,550
- Employment: 23,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($161,290)
--- Corpus Christi, TX ($156,870)
--- Midland, TX ($156,270)

#6. Clinical and counseling psychologists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $134,200
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410

National
- Annual mean salary: $99,640
- Employment: 58,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($136,630)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($134,200)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($133,060)

#5. Materials scientists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $135,480
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

National
- Annual mean salary: $104,790
- Employment: 6,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($142,410)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($135,480)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($133,380)

#4. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $138,190
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,120

National
- Annual mean salary: $104,050
- Employment: 108,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Memphis, TN-MS-AR ($176,770)
--- Columbia, SC ($155,570)
--- Danbury, CT ($151,970)

#3. Astronomers

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $145,820
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $139,410
- Employment: 1,930
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($145,820)
--- Boulder, CO ($139,090)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($136,250)

#2. Economists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $156,360
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $120,830
- Employment: 15,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($162,870)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($161,320)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($156,360)

#1. Physicists

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
- Annual mean salary: $175,490
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 510

National
- Annual mean salary: $151,580
- Employment: 20,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($199,830)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($195,300)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($188,250)

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