Highest-paying science jobs in Chicago

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

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-paying science jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 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.

#30. Food science technicians

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $53,940
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

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)

#29. Anthropologists and archeologists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $54,720
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $66,800
- Employment: 6,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($85,120)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($84,300)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($81,990)

#28. Chemical technicians

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $57,120
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,780

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)

#27. Soil and plant scientists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $57,860
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 690

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)

#26. Geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $60,490
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,080
- Employment: 9,210
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tulsa, OK ($89,210)
--- Anchorage, AK ($88,050)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($86,860)

#25. Conservation scientists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $62,270
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 520

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)

#24. Zoologists and wildlife biologists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $65,340
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

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)

#23. Animal scientists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $70,480
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $80,390
- Employment: 2,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($98,830)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($95,360)
--- Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN ($81,970)

#22. Occupational health and safety technicians

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $71,150
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600

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)

#21. School psychologists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $77,460
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,670

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)

#20. Chemists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $78,880
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,600

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)

#19. Microbiologists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $79,020
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430

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)

#18. Survey researchers

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $81,090
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420

National
- Annual mean salary: $64,690
- Employment: 8,850
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($90,860)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($88,580)
--- Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY ($86,230)

#17. Atmospheric and space scientists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $82,590
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $96,880
- Employment: 8,520
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($118,860)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($118,420)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($114,860)

#16. Occupational health and safety specialists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $83,940
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,340

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)

#15. Forensic science technicians

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $84,250
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250

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)

#14. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $84,300
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190

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)

#13. Foresters

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $84,930
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

National
- Annual mean salary: $67,710
- Employment: 9,500
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($96,820)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($96,220)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($90,320)

#12. Biochemists and biophysicists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $85,150
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

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)

#11. Urban and regional planners

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $86,600
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 790

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)

#10. Political scientists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $87,190
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $120,430
- Employment: 5,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($151,830)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($129,130)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($121,250)

#9. Epidemiologists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $95,020
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

National
- Annual mean salary: $86,740
- Employment: 8,180
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($145,410)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($139,240)
--- Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY ($124,460)

#8. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $95,110
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,090

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)

#7. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $95,820
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,010

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)

#6. Food scientists and technologists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $96,850
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 860

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)

#5. Clinical and counseling psychologists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $102,580
- #70 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,750

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)

#4. Materials scientists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $108,690
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470

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)

#3. Sociologists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $117,170
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $96,260
- Employment: 2,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($129,870)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($117,170)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,760)

#2. Economists

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $127,640
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

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

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Annual mean salary: $137,660
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

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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