National Salary Info » Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians

Highest Paying Industries for Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians

The top 100 highest paying industries for life, physical, and social science technicians (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $74,680, electric power generation, transmission and distribution is the highest paying industry for life, physical, and social science technicians. It is followed by utilities industry (average annual salary $73,460). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of life, physical, and social science technicians in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$74,680	$47,700	5,560
2	Utilities	$73,460	$43,700	6,090
3	Other Pipeline Transportation	$67,630	$28,690	50
4	Waste Treatment and Disposal	$66,720	$34,650	1,260
5	Oil and Gas Extraction	$65,990	$33,830	4,050
6	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$63,530	$34,640	330
7	Publishing Industries (except Internet)	$62,220	$34,650	80
8	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$61,770	$26,620	2,160
9	Repair and Maintenance	$60,910	$34,450	70
10	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$60,370	$31,680	2,070
11	Natural Gas Distribution	$59,630	$30,790	270
12	Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services	$59,110	$28,970	n/a
13	Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance	$58,630	$19,430	60
14	Information	$58,560	$31,980	170
15	Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers	$58,500	$21,730	n/a
16	Pipeline Transportation	$58,030	$29,100	360
17	Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	$58,020	$31,860	60
18	Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing	$57,450	$33,170	200
19	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$56,460	$31,900	180
20	Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	$55,950	$28,820	250
21	Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$55,590	$32,180	350
22	Mining	$55,370	$28,460	12,260
23	Support Activities for Road Transportation	$55,010	$21,980	160
24	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$54,770	$35,180	2,710
25	Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing	$54,630	$45,540	170
26	Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers	$54,160	$30,040	100
27	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$53,670	$32,820	80
28	Insurance Carriers	$53,580	$32,580	70
29	Transportation and Warehousing	$53,580	$27,740	900
30	Tobacco Manufacturing	$52,970	$29,740	120
31	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$52,890	$25,440	770
32	Hospitals - Local government owned	$52,890	$25,440	770
33	Offices of Physicians	$52,780	$28,690	980
34	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	$52,620	$34,950	100
35	Ship and Boat Building	$52,550	$38,540	n/a
36	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$52,280	$31,400	4,010
37	Warehousing and Storage	$51,950	$31,070	n/a
38	Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing	$51,880	$32,410	210
39	Support Activities for Transportation	$51,720	$26,790	290
40	Finance and Insurance	$51,610	$32,520	130
41	Machinery Manufacturing	$51,590	$32,160	850
42	Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing	$51,220	$38,030	30
43	Metal Ore Mining	$50,990	$34,730	1,170
44	Support Activities for Mining	$50,880	$25,230	6,440
45	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$50,770	$29,640	500
46	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$50,420	$30,380	5,890
47	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$50,400	$26,370	640
48	Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	$50,060	$22,110	850
49	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$49,980	$29,550	930
50	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$49,820	$32,750	40
51	Coal Mining	$49,690	$29,710	140
52	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$49,510	$33,450	1,770
53	Lime and Gypsum Product Manufacturing	$49,440	$39,910	30
54	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$48,900	$31,720	1,000
55	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$48,380	$30,810	n/a
56	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	$47,990	$29,210	70
57	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	$47,990	$33,530	310
58	Wood Product Manufacturing	$47,800	$23,660	30
59	Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing	$47,710	$31,770	970
60	Specialized Design Services	$47,580	$34,380	n/a
61	Office Administrative Services	$47,470	$25,960	170
62	Chemical Manufacturing	$47,470	$30,120	27,150
63	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$47,300	$29,650	21,390
64	Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing	$47,300	$30,980	210
65	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$47,110	$28,310	890
66	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	$47,070	$36,750	120
67	Support Activities for Water Transportation	$47,030	$31,410	n/a
68	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	$46,980	$33,720	150
69	Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing	$46,840	$30,800	1,940
70	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$46,740	$28,830	24,340
71	Waste Collection	$46,630	$30,330	60
72	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	$46,510	$30,790	530
73	Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers	$46,490	$29,790	650
74	Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel	$46,170	$35,040	60
75	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$46,170	$29,950	12,230
76	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$46,120	$27,650	930
77	Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing	$46,010	$30,320	1,730
78	Paper Manufacturing	$45,990	$32,080	370
79	All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$45,950	$27,190	190
80	Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$45,950	$27,190	190
81	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	$45,930	$33,060	160
82	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$45,930	$32,290	460
83	Traveler Accommodation	$45,730	$29,470	60
84	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$45,710	$32,830	300
85	Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	$45,640	$22,500	50
86	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$45,560	$27,460	560
87	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$45,410	$26,490	13,870
88	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$45,160	$30,910	210
89	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$45,080	$27,050	2,960
90	Individual and Family Services	$45,060	$27,780	160
91	Manufacturing	$45,060	$28,110	45,490
92	Water, Sewage and Other Systems	$44,830	$28,830	260
93	Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$44,710	$31,730	190
94	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$44,610	$26,280	2,020
95	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$44,610	$26,770	40,890
96	Construction	$44,500	$30,430	290
97	Scientific Research and Development Services	$44,410	$25,700	49,740
98	Engineering Services	$44,330	$26,780	7,710
99	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$44,210	$22,640	2,000
100	Accommodation	$44,060	$26,140	80