Highest-paying science jobs in Durham

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

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-paying science jobs in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 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.

#17. Environmental science and protection technicians, including health

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $48,700
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

#16. Biological technicians

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $52,270
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 800

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)

#15. Chemical technicians

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $52,650
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

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)

#14. School psychologists

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $66,520
- #195 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

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. Occupational health and safety technicians

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $69,470
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

#12. Urban and regional planners

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $72,660
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160

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)

#11. Conservation scientists

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $80,230
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

#10. Chemists

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $87,380
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,300

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)

#9. Occupational health and safety specialists

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $88,310
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180

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)

#8. Environmental scientists and specialists, including health

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $90,800
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390

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)

#7. Microbiologists

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $92,870
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190

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)

#6. Economists

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $93,990
- #40 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#5. Sociologists

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $100,680
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

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)

#4. Clinical and counseling psychologists

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $102,000
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

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)

#3. Biochemists and biophysicists

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $108,980
- #16 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)

#2. Soil and plant scientists

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $111,450
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560

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)

#1. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- Annual mean salary: $116,720
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,500

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)

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