Natural Sciences Managers: Career Overview
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.
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What Do Natural Sciences Managers Perform?
Typical responsibilities of natural sciences managers include:
- Hire, supervise, or evaluate engineers, technicians, researchers, or other staff.
- Design or coordinate successive phases of problem analysis, solution proposals, or testing.
- Plan or direct research, development, or production activities.
- Review project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports.
- Confer with scientists, engineers, regulators, or others to plan or review projects or to provide technical assistance.
- Develop client relationships and communicate with clients to explain proposals, present research findings, establish specifications, or discuss project status.
- Determine scientific or technical goals within broad outlines provided by top management and make detailed plans to accomplish these goals.
- Prepare project proposals.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful natural sciences managers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Natural Sciences Managers Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Agricultural Research Director
- Agriculture Research Director
- Analytical Services Manager
- Chemical Engineer Supervisor
- Chemical Plant Technical Director
- Chemical Process Exploration Manager
- Clinical Project Manager
- Clinical Trials Manager
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 165,141 natural sciences managers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +8.7% over the projection horizon.
Natural Sciences Managers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $132,227 |
| Hourly median | $63.57 |
| 10th percentile | $75,156 |
| 25th percentile | $103,692 |
| 75th percentile | $160,762 |
| 90th percentile | $189,297 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Natural Sciences Managers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $218,800 |
| California | $204,100 |
| New Jersey | $202,310 |
| Connecticut | $179,170 |
| Washington | $178,270 |
| North Carolina | $167,430 |
| District of Columbia | $164,650 |
| Maryland | $162,610 |
| Illinois | $158,690 |
| Kansas | $158,100 |
| Missouri | $143,730 |
| Colorado | $143,150 |
| South Carolina | $143,150 |
| Rhode Island | $141,380 |
| Tennessee | $140,430 |
| Virginia | $139,220 |
| Oregon | $136,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $136,700 |
| New Hampshire | $136,200 |
| Ohio | $135,990 |
| Maine | $135,900 |
| Michigan | $135,180 |
| Arkansas | $134,430 |
| West Virginia | $134,410 |
| North Dakota | $133,540 |
| Kentucky | $131,780 |
| Minnesota | $131,410 |
| New York | $131,180 |
| Texas | $130,140 |
| Alaska | $128,480 |
| Alabama | $127,210 |
| Arizona | $126,320 |
| Wisconsin | $125,050 |
| Idaho | $120,640 |
| South Dakota | $120,310 |
| New Mexico | $118,600 |
| Utah | $117,190 |
| Montana | $117,140 |
| Georgia | $116,560 |
| Puerto Rico | $115,270 |
| Mississippi | $113,730 |
| Nebraska | $113,730 |
| Guam | $111,270 |
| Wyoming | $109,600 |
| Hawaii | $106,580 |
| Nevada | $103,500 |
| Iowa | $102,880 |
| Oklahoma | $100,990 |
| Florida | $100,640 |
| Indiana | $88,610 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for natural sciences managers shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $204,301 | 10.9% | 3.20 |
| Far Western US | $188,481 | 20.3% | 1.26 |
| Middle Atlantic | $161,559 | 27.6% | 2.36 |
| Great Lakes | $135,087 | 8.2% | 0.63 |
| Southeast | $134,493 | 16.7% | 1.18 |
| Plains States | $134,244 | 3.4% | 0.62 |
| Southwest | $128,246 | 9.0% | 0.77 |
| Rocky Mountains | $127,754 | 3.7% | 0.92 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $222,840 | 5,160 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $221,480 | 1,100 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $219,380 | 7,670 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | AR | $211,880 | 100 |
| Worcester, MA | MA | $211,400 | 340 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | CT | $210,890 | 140 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $209,260 | 110 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $208,230 | 2,260 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of natural sciences managers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 49,690 | $180,800 |
| Manufacturing | 8,090 | $176,600 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 6,670 | $101,730 |
| Educational Services | 5,200 | $84,360 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 4,340 | $178,300 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3,930 | $207,590 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,200 | $120,890 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 900 | $139,840 |
Below are examples of industries where natural sciences managers work:
Software Natural Sciences Managers Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for natural sciences managers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Education and Training
Entry-level natural sciences managers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (Supplemental)
- Clinical Research Coordinators (Primary-Long)
- Water Resource Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Project Management Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Computer and Information Research Scientists (Supplemental)
- Data Scientists (Primary-Short)
- Clinical Data Managers (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Future natural sciences managers often complete programs in:
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
57 programs across 15 majors
- General Biology
- Biochemistry & Biophysics
- Neurobiology & Neurosciences
- Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences
- Ecology & Systematics Biology
- Other Biological Sciences
- Microbiology Science & Immunology
- Biotechnology
- Zoology
- Biomathematics & Bioinformatics
- Botany/Plant Biology
- Pharmacology & Toxicology
- Genetics
- Physiology & Pathology Sciences
- Molecular Medicine
Physical Sciences
44 programs across 9 majors
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Geological & Earth Sciences
- General Physical Sciences
- Astronomy & Astrophysics
- Atmospheric Sciences
- Other Physical Science
- Physics and Astronomy
- Materials Sciences
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
22 programs across 20 majors
- Biological & Physical Science
- Data Science
- Nutrition Science
- Sustainability Science
- Cognitive Science
- Natural Sciences
- Computational Science
- Human Biology
- Mathematics & Computer Science
- Geography and Environmental Studies
- Science, Technology & Society
- Marine Science
- Biopsychology
- Mathematical Economics
- Climate Science
- Environmental Geosciences
- Anthrozoology
- Earth Systems Science
- Geobiology
- Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science
Mathematics and Statistics
17 programs across 5 majors
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
3 programs across 1 majors
Engineering
2 programs across 2 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-9121.00 (Natural Sciences Managers).
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