Best Natural Sciences Manager programs in Massachusetts, ranked by enrollment
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these.
68 schools in Massachusetts run programs that feed this job, graduating 12,234 people a year. The job pays a median of $267,290 in Massachusetts across about 10,590 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
82 programs in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Massachusetts (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Massachusetts page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 26.0101In Massachusetts → | 2,944 | 24.1% | 61 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 27.0101In Massachusetts → | 1,069 | 8.7% | 46 | $48,772 | $21,544 |
| 3 | CIP 26.1501In Massachusetts → | 871 | 7.1% | 20 | $31,687 | $22,936 |
| 4 | CIP 40.0501In Massachusetts → | 807 | 6.6% | 40 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 5 | CIP 27.0305In Massachusetts → | 740 | 6.0% | 11 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 6 | CIP 40.0801In Massachusetts → | 616 | 5.0% | 29 | $47,156 | $23,490 |
| 7 | Biotechnologymain feeder CIP 26.1201In Massachusetts → | 533 | 4.4% | 16 | $49,023 | $21,309 |
| 8 | CIP 30.3301In Massachusetts → | 497 | 4.1% | 5 | $37,223 | $20,968 |
| 9 | CIP 26.0202In Massachusetts → | 418 | 3.4% | 21 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 10 | CIP 30.7001In Massachusetts → | 357 | 2.9% | 11 | — | — |
| 11 | CIP 30.1901In Massachusetts → | 256 | 2.1% | 8 | $30,508 | $24,586 |
| 12 | CIP 27.0301In Massachusetts → | 252 | 2.1% | 11 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 13 | CIP 26.0210In Massachusetts → | 239 | 2.0% | 4 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 14 | CIP 26.0406In Massachusetts → | 223 | 1.8% | 6 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 15 | CIP 27.0501In Massachusetts → | 220 | 1.8% | 9 | $59,718 | $20,150 |
| 16 | CIP 26.9999In Massachusetts → | 200 | 1.6% | 5 | $31,278 | $23,000 |
| 17 | CIP 40.0601In Massachusetts → | 144 | 1.2% | 14 | $39,678 | $24,864 |
| 18 | CIP 30.2501In Massachusetts → | 134 | 1.1% | 4 | $41,362 | $17,750 |
| 19 | CIP 26.1102In Massachusetts → | 126 | 1.0% | 4 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 20 | CIP 30.1001In Massachusetts → | 112 | 0.9% | 2 | $43,343 | $22,125 |
| 21 | CIP 26.0204In Massachusetts → | 98 | 0.8% | 3 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 22 | Natural Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.1801In Massachusetts → | 91 | 0.7% | 4 | $29,587 | $21,610 |
| 23 | CIP 26.1303In Massachusetts → | 88 | 0.7% | 2 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 24 | CIP 54.0104In Massachusetts → | 73 | 0.6% | 1 | $31,217 | $24,000 |
| 25 | CIP 51.1401In Massachusetts → | 69 | 0.6% | 2 | $223,926 | $16,250 |
| 26 | CIP 26.0502In Massachusetts → | 67 | 0.5% | 2 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 27 | CIP 30.0801In Massachusetts → | 66 | 0.5% | 4 | $89,651 | $23,175 |
| 28 | CIP 40.0201In Massachusetts → | 66 | 0.5% | 7 | $39,728 | $24,678 |
| 29 | CIP 26.1302In Massachusetts → | 65 | 0.5% | 2 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 30 | CIP 14.1201In Massachusetts → | 64 | 0.5% | 6 | $57,457 | $24,706 |
| 31 | CIP 26.1104In Massachusetts → | 60 | 0.5% | 2 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 32 | CIP 30.4901In Massachusetts → | 58 | 0.5% | 1 | — | — |
| 33 | Biological and Physical Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.0101In Massachusetts → | 40 | 0.3% | 5 | $28,446 | $11,000 |
| 34 | CIP 30.4401In Massachusetts → | 36 | 0.3% | 2 | — | — |
| 35 | CIP 14.3701In Massachusetts → | 34 | 0.3% | 3 | $92,531 | $15,000 |
| 36 | CIP 26.1310In Massachusetts → | 28 | 0.2% | 2 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 37 | CIP 26.0299In Massachusetts → | 27 | 0.2% | 1 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 38 | CIP 27.0303In Massachusetts → | 25 | 0.2% | 2 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 39 | CIP 30.3201In Massachusetts → | 24 | 0.2% | 4 | $27,337 | $22,400 |
| 40 | CIP 26.1503In Massachusetts → | 22 | 0.2% | 1 | $31,687 | $22,936 |
| 41 | CIP 40.0202In Massachusetts → | 22 | 0.2% | 4 | $39,728 | $24,678 |
| 42 | CIP 40.0299In Massachusetts → | 22 | 0.2% | 1 | $39,728 | $24,678 |
| 43 | CIP 26.0203In Massachusetts → | 21 | 0.2% | 3 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 44 | CIP 40.0203In Massachusetts → | 21 | 0.2% | 3 | $39,728 | $24,678 |
| 45 | CIP 26.0507In Massachusetts → | 20 | 0.2% | 2 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 46 | CIP 26.1001In Massachusetts → | 19 | 0.2% | 3 | $39,202 | $18,000 |
| 47 | CIP 27.0199In Massachusetts → | 19 | 0.2% | 5 | $48,772 | $21,544 |
| 48 | CIP 40.0599In Massachusetts → | 18 | 0.1% | 3 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 49 | CIP 40.0607In Massachusetts → | 18 | 0.1% | 1 | $39,678 | $24,864 |
| 50 | CIP 26.0499In Massachusetts → | 17 | 0.1% | 2 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 51 | CIP 26.1199In Massachusetts → | 15 | 0.1% | 1 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
| 52 | Physical Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 40.0101In Massachusetts → | 14 | 0.1% | 4 | $27,007 | $9,000 |
| 53 | CIP 40.0508In Massachusetts → | 13 | 0.1% | 2 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 54 | Science, Technology and Societymain feeder CIP 30.1501In Massachusetts → | 12 | 0.1% | 2 | $44,736 | $18,593 |
| 55 | CIP 26.0209In Massachusetts → | 12 | 0.1% | 1 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 56 | CIP 26.0403In Massachusetts → | 12 | 0.1% | 1 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 57 | CIP 40.0510In Massachusetts → | 12 | 0.1% | 2 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 58 | CIP 27.0503In Massachusetts → | 9 | 0.1% | 1 | $59,718 | $20,150 |
| 59 | CIP 40.0401In Massachusetts → | 8 | 0.1% | 2 | $41,430 | $25,500 |
| 60 | CIP 26.0504In Massachusetts → | 5 | 0.0% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 61 | CIP 26.0508In Massachusetts → | 5 | 0.0% | 2 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 62 | CIP 26.1599In Massachusetts → | 5 | 0.0% | 1 | $31,687 | $22,936 |
| 63 | CIP 27.0601In Massachusetts → | 5 | 0.0% | 2 | — | — |
| 64 | CIP 27.9999In Massachusetts → | 5 | 0.0% | 1 | $59,063 | $21,500 |
| 65 | CIP 40.0807In Massachusetts → | 5 | 0.0% | 1 | $47,156 | $23,490 |
| 66 | CIP 26.0301In Massachusetts → | 4 | 0.0% | 1 | $33,009 | $21,975 |
| 67 | CIP 26.0807In Massachusetts → | 4 | 0.0% | 1 | $31,800 | $21,424 |
| 68 | CIP 40.0603In Massachusetts → | 4 | 0.0% | 1 | $39,678 | $24,864 |
| 69 | CIP 40.0899In Massachusetts → | 4 | 0.0% | 2 | $47,156 | $23,490 |
| 70 | CIP 26.0401In Massachusetts → | 3 | 0.0% | 1 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 71 | CIP 26.0910In Massachusetts → | 3 | 0.0% | 1 | $31,146 | $23,384 |
| 72 | CIP 27.0399In Massachusetts → | 3 | 0.0% | 2 | $60,930 | $21,143 |
| 73 | CIP 30.3001In Massachusetts → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $50,745 | $27,000 |
| 74 | CIP 30.3501In Massachusetts → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | — | — |
| 75 | CIP 40.0699In Massachusetts → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $39,678 | $24,864 |
| 76 | CIP 40.9999In Massachusetts → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $47,513 | $24,000 |
| 77 | CIP 51.2006In Massachusetts → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $48,728 | $23,761 |
| 78 | CIP 52.0216In Massachusetts → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $43,506 | $25,000 |
| 79 | CIP 26.0804In Massachusetts → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $31,800 | $21,424 |
| 80 | CIP 40.0404In Massachusetts → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $41,430 | $25,500 |
| 81 | CIP 40.0810In Massachusetts → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $47,156 | $23,490 |
| 82 | CIP 52.0210In Massachusetts → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $43,506 | $25,000 |
Top 25 schools in Massachusetts
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 33 of the 68 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 34 feeder programs | 1,830 | Sustainability Studies | — | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 2 | Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 16 feeder programs | 1,423 | Biotechnology | — | 91% | $18,925 | 5% |
| 3 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 30 feeder programs | 1,406 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $40,165 | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 4 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 23 feeder programs | 1,257 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $40,427 | 83% | — | 60% |
| 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 18 feeder programs | 733 | Financial Mathematics | — | 96% | $11,666 | 5% |
| 6 | Tufts University Medford, MA Private not-for-profit · 25 feeder programs | 700 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $39,016 | 94% | $23,570 | 11% |
| 7 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 538 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $38,592 | 91% | $21,126 | 16% |
| 8 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA Private not-for-profit · 11 feeder programs | 390 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $37,475 | 86% | $25,074 | 40% |
| 9 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 16 feeder programs | 345 | Data Science, General | — | 90% | $32,926 | 60% |
| 10 | University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA Public · 11 feeder programs | 327 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $46,526 | 65% | — | 83% |
| 11 | University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA Public · 11 feeder programs | 314 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $42,721 | 49% | — | 84% |
| 12 | College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 200 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $43,276 | 87% | $24,533 | 18% |
| 13 | Smith College Northampton, MA Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 199 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,747 | 89% | $17,183 | 21% |
| 14 | Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 158 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $39,270 | 84% | $26,083 | 36% |
| 15 | Clark University Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 150 | Financial Mathematics | — | 77% | $23,332 | 40% |
| 16 | Wellesley College Wellesley, MA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 147 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $36,621 | 92% | $19,292 | 14% |
| 17 | Amherst College Amherst, MA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 140 | Mathematics, General | $78,500 | 94% | $16,081 | 9% |
| 18 | Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA Public · 8 feeder programs | 135 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $44,626 | 53% | — | 88% |
| 19 | University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA Public · 9 feeder programs | 135 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $41,204 | 52% | — | 91% |
| 20 | Williams College Williamstown, MA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 131 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $41,213 | 94% | $10,747 | 8% |
| 21 | Simmons University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 9 feeder programs | 117 | Nutrition Sciences | — | 72% | $24,848 | 70% |
| 22 | Salem State University Salem, MA Public · 5 feeder programs | 97 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $45,670 | 50% | — | 96% |
| 23 | Emmanuel College Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 94 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $45,275 | 68% | $29,723 | 76% |
| 24 | Babson College Wellesley, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 88 | Financial Mathematics | — | 93% | $30,326 | 17% |
| 25 | Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton, MA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 84 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $26,661 | 73% | $26,445 | 68% |
All 68 schools in Massachusetts
Every school in Massachusetts with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | 1,830 | 34 |
| Northeastern University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 1,423 | 16 |
| Boston University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 1,406 | 30 |
| University of Massachusetts - Amherst | Amherst | Public | 1,257 | 23 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | 733 | 18 |
| Tufts University | Medford | Private not-for-profit | 700 | 25 |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill | Private not-for-profit | 538 | 9 |
| Brandeis University | Waltham | Private not-for-profit | 390 | 11 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester | Private not-for-profit | 345 | 16 |
| University of Massachusetts - Lowell | Lowell | Public | 327 | 11 |
| University of Massachusetts - Boston | Boston | Public | 314 | 11 |
| College of the Holy Cross | Worcester | Private not-for-profit | 200 | 5 |
| Smith College | Northampton | Private not-for-profit | 199 | 10 |
| Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley | Private not-for-profit | 158 | 10 |
| Clark University | Worcester | Private not-for-profit | 150 | 9 |
What natural sciences managers earn in Massachusetts
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $167,220. Massachusetts pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Massachusetts employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Massachusetts
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Natural Sciences Managers page.
How to become a Natural Sciences Manager
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- 5 years or more
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Massachusetts
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Natural Sciences Managers24 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 14.1201Engineering Physics/Applied Physics
- 14.3701Operations Research
- 26.0101Biology/Biological Sciences, General
- 26.0202Biochemistry
- 26.0203Biophysics
- 26.0204Molecular Biology
- 26.0205Molecular Biochemistry
- 26.0206Molecular Biophysics
- 26.0207Structural Biology
- 26.0208Photobiology(no graduates reported)
- 26.0209Radiation Biology/Radiobiology
- 26.0210Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- 26.0299Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other
- 26.0301Botany/Plant Biology
- 26.0305Plant Pathology/Phytopathology
- 26.0307Plant Physiology
- 26.0399Botany/Plant Biology, Other
- 26.0401Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology
- 26.0403Anatomy
- 26.0406Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
- 26.0499Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other
- 26.0502Microbiology, General
- 26.0503Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
- 26.0504Virology
- 26.0505Parasitology
Common questions
Answers for people weighing natural sciences managers programs in Massachusetts.
What degree do you need to become a Natural Sciences Manager?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which awarded 2,944 degrees in Massachusetts in 2024-25, 24.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Natural Sciences Manager?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 82 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Neurobiology and Neurosciences, plus 41 more. Together they graduate about 12,234 people a year in Massachusetts.
How much do natural sciences managers earn in Massachusetts?+
The median is $267,290 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 59.8% above the U.S. median of $167,220. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for natural sciences managers growing?+
BLS projects a +3.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 8,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Massachusetts?+
68 institutions in Massachusetts reported graduates from at least one of the 82 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do natural sciences managers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Research Coordinator, Clinical Trial Manager, Water Resources Planner, Clinical Program Manager, Natural Sciences Manager, Clinical Research Coordinator among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-9121.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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