SALARY DATA — SOC 19-3099
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other
19-0000 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
The 90/10 ratio for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other is 2.42× — the national median is $101,110 but top decile earns $160,300. The spread exists; it's concentrated in geography, specialization, and industry sector. Knowing which end of the band you're on is the whole negotiation.
BLS OEWS reference period: May 2025. Employment: 37,100.
Wage distribution — the receipts
National OEWS annual wage percentiles. "vs. median" column shows each percentile relative to the occupation's own national median — this is where your position in the band lives. Source and series IDs: methodology page.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs. median | Hourly (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th pct — bottom decile | $66,120 | -35% | ~$32 |
| 25th pct — lower quartile | $80,860 | -20% | ~$39 |
| Median — 50th pct | $101,110 | — | $48.61/hr |
| Mean — average | $107,690 | +7% | $51.78/hr |
| 75th pct — upper quartile | $129,960 | +29% | ~$62 |
| 90th pct — top decile | $160,300 | +59% | ~$77 |
Source: BLS OEWS national estimates. Annual wage ÷ 2,080 hrs = hourly estimate. Hourly-median is direct from OEWS when available; others are estimates only.
Pay by metro area
BLS publishes May 2025 wage estimates for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other in 113 metro areas; the 10 with the most jobs are below, ranked by employment.
| Metro | Jobs | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 6,220 | $138,250 | $84,590 | $195,190 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,700 | $107,170 | $74,520 | $135,880 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 1,070 | $124,590 | $59,660 | $170,980 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 890 | $88,610 | $78,180 | $126,300 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 860 | $103,330 | $65,120 | $130,330 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 800 | $105,140 | $73,460 | $163,230 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 760 | $105,670 | $77,340 | $169,520 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 710 | $100,550 | $68,150 | $160,020 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 680 | $120,220 | $67,600 | $161,470 |
| Columbus, OH | 570 | $83,100 | $53,270 | $120,020 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — metropolitan area estimates (oesm25ma/MSA_M2025_dl.xlsx). Jobs are rounded to the nearest ten and exclude the self-employed; a dash means BLS suppressed that percentile.
Pay by industry
Across 22 detailed industries with a publishable estimate, the 5 that employ the most Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other are below, with the median wage each one pays.
| Industry | NAICS | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | 999100 | 19,770 | $104,420 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 611300 | 4,320 | $85,000 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 541700 | 3,550 | $109,290 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 999300 | 2,040 | $107,170 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 999200 | 1,940 | $82,380 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — national 4-digit NAICS industry estimates (oesm25in4/nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx), all ownerships combined. Industries where BLS suppresses the wage are omitted rather than shown as zero.
What it pays vs. what it buys
The wage is only half the number. Below, the metro median for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other is divided by that metro's BEA Regional Price Parity — the federal measure of what a dollar actually buys there. Nominal is what the job pays. Real is what it buys at local prices. Which reorders the answer: Los Angeles ranks #19 of 47 on the paycheck and #38 once you spend it.
| Metro | Nominal | Prices | Real | Rank shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $138,250 | 102.3 | $135,169 | — |
| Baltimore | $124,590 | 101.5 | $122,808 | — |
| San Antonio | $110,490 | 96.2 | $114,846 | — |
| Houston | $108,350 | 95.6 | $113,369 | +2 |
| Denver | $109,640 | 99.4 | $110,338 | -1 |
| New Orleans | $106,550 | 97.2 | $109,583 | +3 |
| Virginia Beach | $107,910 | 98.6 | $109,452 | — |
| Hartford | $108,430 | 100.8 | $107,521 | -3 |
| Austin | $102,540 | 96.2 | $106,638 | +8 |
| Dallas | $104,420 | 99.7 | $104,697 | +4 |
Top 10 of 47 metros by real wage. Rank shift = places gained or lost against the nominal ranking. Kansas City gains 11 places. Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan estimates; BEA Regional Price Parities (national = 100). Metros where BLS suppresses the estimate are omitted rather than shown as zero. Full data at /salaries-metro.json.
Is this job growing or dying?
BLS projects employment in Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other to move from 41,500 to 41,400 over 2025–2035 — -0.2% , with about 2,700 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted . Typical entry requirement: bachelor's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (2025–2035). Openings count growth and replacement need together, which is why a shrinking occupation can still hire. Full data at /employment-projections.json.
Salary FAQ
- What is the median salary for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other?
- The median annual salary for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other is $101,110, and the mean is $107,690 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025).
- What is the salary range for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other?
- Most Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other earn between $66,120 and $160,300 a year. The wage gap inside the occupation is a 2.42× ratio — workers at the 90th percentile earn 2.42 times those at the 10th (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
- Where does pay for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other fall the most after adjusting for cost of living?
- Local prices reorder the ranking. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ranks #19 by nominal pay but #38 of 47 metros once local prices are applied (BEA Regional Price Parities).
- Is employment for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other growing or shrinking?
- BLS projects Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other employment to shrink 0.2% over the 2025–2035 window, with about 2,700 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).
- How many Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other jobs are there in the US?
- BLS counts about 37,100 workers in Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Figures from this page's OEWS / Employment Projections / BEA data, above. Methodology at /methodology#oews-salaries.
Related occupations
Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations whose national median wage is closest to that of Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other: same SOC major group, nearest median first.
- Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $100,580
- Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $101,920
- Geographers $102,040
- Atmospheric and Space Scientists $99,070
- Biological Scientists, All Other $98,920
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $103,410
- Hydrologists $96,600
- Sociologists $106,030
The national wage distribution and the metro and industry tables above are BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other (SOC 19-3099): percentiles from the OEWS API series, metro and industry rows from the published bulk tables — how they are fetched, what OEWS leaves out (equity, bonuses, benefits) and how the 90/10 ratio is read are documented at /methodology#oews-salaries and #oews-breakdown. The other sections keep their own sources and periods: the cost-adjusted metro table divides OEWS metro medians by BEA Regional Price Parities (/methodology#burnout-index); the outlook and its FAQ entry are BLS Employment Projections for 2025–2035.
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