National Salary Info » Social Scientists and Related Workers

Highest Paying Industries for Social Scientists and Related Workers

The top 58 highest paying industries for social scientists and related workers (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 $105,400, computer systems design and related services is the highest paying industry for social scientists and related workers. It is followed by management, scientific, and technical consulting services industry (average annual salary $97,390). 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 social scientists and related workers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 58 Highest Paying Industries for Social Scientists and Related Workers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$105,400	$60,800	190
2	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$97,390	$54,330	1,270
3	Employment Services	$93,880	$38,830	50
4	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$88,180	$50,330	5,800
5	Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities	$87,590	$52,010	2,940
6	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$87,390	$44,620	70
7	Engineering Services	$87,290	$44,880	120
8	Educational Support Services - Privately owned	$86,150	$52,160	150
9	Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services	$86,000	$54,010	50
10	Educational Support Services	$85,740	$51,340	150
11	Scientific Research and Development Services	$85,020	$50,300	3,690
12	Administrative and Support Services	$84,430	$51,330	n/a
13	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$84,430	$51,330	n/a
14	Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$83,980	$35,290	490
15	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$83,850	$44,520	140
16	Information	$79,970	$52,050	110
17	Federal government, including USPS	$79,680	$55,600	17,180
18	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$79,680	$55,600	17,180
19	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$77,800	$51,430	20,140
20	Federal, State, and Local Government	$77,800	$51,430	20,140
21	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$75,380	$46,400	23,130
22	Software Publishers	$74,270	$49,180	40
23	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$73,910	$45,040	750
24	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$73,120	$43,290	50
25	Publishing Industries (except Internet)	$72,410	$50,680	60
26	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$69,620	$41,310	1,100
27	Manufacturing	$68,550	$39,690	30
28	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$68,200	$40,250	1,270
29	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$67,490	$46,680	240
30	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$67,490	$46,680	240
31	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$66,380	$40,260	50
32	Outpatient Care Centers	$65,460	$32,630	60
33	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$63,290	$35,030	1,860
34	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$62,270	$34,280	190
35	Social Advocacy Organizations	$61,980	$48,690	170
36	Educational Services - Privately owned	$60,840	$43,220	1,900
37	Hospitals - Privately owned	$60,750	$33,560	170
38	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$60,670	$33,580	170
39	Individual and Family Services	$60,100	$34,480	40
40	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$59,950	$42,930	1,720
41	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$59,790	$33,230	160
42	Social Assistance	$59,310	$34,030	50
43	Health Care and Social Assistance	$58,900	$34,190	480
44	Junior colleges - Local government owned	$57,830	$38,690	30
45	Junior Colleges (including private, state, and local government schools)	$57,660	$40,260	40
46	Educational Services	$56,270	$36,020	4,860
47	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$55,950	$35,210	120
48	Educational Services - Local government owned	$55,920	$35,410	150
49	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$55,680	$35,740	4,520
50	State government, including schools and hospitals	$55,560	$33,750	4,690
51	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$54,730	$35,160	120
52	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$51,730	$34,150	240
53	Educational Services - State government owned	$51,590	$32,650	2,810
54	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$51,530	$32,620	2,800
55	Offices of Other Health Practitioners	$50,090	$33,930	140
56	Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)	$47,770	$33,610	130
57	Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation	$26,770	$20,650	40
58	Transportation and Warehousing	$26,770	$20,650	40