Management Occupations·SOC 11-9121

Best degree programs for Natural Sciences Managers, ranked by enrollment

138 college programs and 2,014 schools train Natural Sciences Managers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $167,220 median wage, 108,690 U.S. jobs. Federal data.

138 college programs at 2,014 schools train natural sciences managers, graduating 313,888 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Biology/Biological Sciences, General. The job pays a median of $167,220 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Graduates / yr

313,888

from every feeder program

Median annual wage

$167,220

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

+3.7%

About as fast as average

Openings / yr

8,500

new plus replacement

Schools

2,014

with a feeder program

States with jobs

BLS reports wages

About natural sciences managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.

Also calledResearch CoordinatorClinical Trial ManagerWater Resources PlannerClinical Program ManagerNatural Sciences ManagerClinical Research CoordinatorEnvironmental Program ManagerChemical Process Exploration ManagerResearch and Development Director (R and D Director)Gravity ManagerHydrotechnicianClinical Manager

Fields of study that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.01

Biology

90,079graduates / yr

1,660 schools · 1 specialization · 28.7% of pipeline

Grad earnings $32,152

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.01

Biological and Physical Sciences

29,387graduates / yr

305 schools · 1 specialization · 9.4% of pipeline

Grad earnings $28,446

Mathematics And Statistics

CIP 27.01

Mathematics

23,891graduates / yr

1,300 schools · 4 specializations · 7.6% of pipeline

Grad earnings $48,772

1,168 schools · 11 specializations · 6.1% of pipeline

Grad earnings $42,620

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.02

Biochemistry

14,334graduates / yr

593 schools · 9 specializations · 4.6% of pipeline

Grad earnings $38,243

800 schools · 9 specializations · 4.2% of pipeline

Grad earnings $47,156

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.15

Neurobiology and Neurosciences

13,034graduates / yr

337 schools · 4 specializations · 4.3% of pipeline

Grad earnings $31,687

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.70

Data Science

11,111graduates / yr

297 schools · 2 specializations · 3.5% of pipeline

Grad earnings —

Mathematics And Statistics

CIP 27.03

Applied Mathematics

11,050graduates / yr

224 schools · 6 specializations · 3.5% of pipeline

Grad earnings $60,930

Mathematics And Statistics

CIP 27.05

Statistics

8,714graduates / yr

200 schools · 3 specializations · 2.8% of pipeline

Grad earnings $59,718

Physical Sciences

CIP 40.06

Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences

7,515graduates / yr

433 schools · 7 specializations · 2.5% of pipeline

Grad earnings $39,678

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.04

Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences

6,252graduates / yr

105 schools · 4 specializations · 1.9% of pipeline

Grad earnings $35,393

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.19

Nutrition Sciences

5,478graduates / yr

154 schools · 1 specialization · 1.7% of pipeline

Grad earnings $30,508

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.13

Ecology

5,465graduates / yr

84 schools · 6 specializations · 1.8% of pipeline

Grad earnings $29,460

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.99

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

4,868graduates / yr

131 schools · 1 specialization · 1.6% of pipeline

Grad earnings $31,278

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.05

Microbiological Sciences and Immunology

4,439graduates / yr

109 schools · 7 specializations · 1.5% of pipeline

Grad earnings $38,383

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.33

Sustainability Studies

4,424graduates / yr

226 schools · 1 specialization · 1.4% of pipeline

Grad earnings $37,223

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.12

Biotechnology

4,383graduates / yr

186 schools · 1 specialization · 1.4% of pipeline

Grad earnings $49,023

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.25

Cognitive Science

3,497graduates / yr

71 schools · 1 specialization · 1.1% of pipeline

Grad earnings $41,362

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.18

Natural Sciences

2,973graduates / yr

112 schools · 1 specialization · 0.9% of pipeline

Grad earnings $29,587

131 schools · 1 specialization · 0.9% of pipeline

Grad earnings $27,007

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.30

Computational Science

2,845graduates / yr

83 schools · 1 specialization · 0.9% of pipeline

Grad earnings $50,745

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.11

Biomathematics

2,578graduates / yr

90 schools · 4 specializations · 0.8% of pipeline

Grad earnings $72,338

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.07

Zoology/Animal Biology

2,429graduates / yr

48 schools · 4 specializations · 0.7% of pipeline

Grad earnings $28,266

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.27

Human Biology

2,282graduates / yr

33 schools · 1 specialization · 0.7% of pipeline

Grad earnings $31,690

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.08

Mathematics and Computer Science

1,855graduates / yr

77 schools · 1 specialization · 0.6% of pipeline

Grad earnings $89,651

33 schools · 1 specialization · 0.6% of pipeline

Grad earnings $92,531

Physical Sciences

CIP 40.02

Astronomy and Astrophysics

1,615graduates / yr

81 schools · 4 specializations · 0.5% of pipeline

Grad earnings $39,728

Physical Sciences

CIP 40.04

Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

1,280graduates / yr

70 schools · 4 specializations · 0.4% of pipeline

Grad earnings $41,430

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.44

Geography and Environmental Studies

1,229graduates / yr

70 schools · 1 specialization · 0.4% of pipeline

107 schools · 1 specialization · 0.4% of pipeline

Grad earnings $57,457

Health Professions And Related Programs

CIP 51.14

Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies

1,070graduates / yr

69 schools · 1 specialization · 0.3% of pipeline

Grad earnings $223,926

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.15

Science

789graduates / yr

46 schools · 1 specialization · 0.3% of pipeline

Grad earnings $44,736

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.03

Botany/Plant Biology

787graduates / yr

39 schools · 4 specializations · 0.3% of pipeline

Grad earnings $33,009

Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

CIP 52.02

Business Administration

717graduates / yr

29 schools · 2 specializations · 0.2% of pipeline

Grad earnings $43,506

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.10

Pharmacology and Toxicology

668graduates / yr

53 schools · 2 specializations · 0.3% of pipeline

Grad earnings $39,202

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.32

Marine Sciences

624graduates / yr

39 schools · 1 specialization · 0.2% of pipeline

Grad earnings $27,337

Mathematics And Statistics

CIP 27.06

Applied Statistics

562graduates / yr

38 schools · 1 specialization · 0.2% of pipeline

Grad earnings —

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.08

Genetics

555graduates / yr

20 schools · 5 specializations · 0.2% of pipeline

Grad earnings $31,800

Mathematics And Statistics

CIP 27.99

Mathematics and Statistics

548graduates / yr

31 schools · 1 specialization · 0.2% of pipeline

Grad earnings $59,063

29 schools · 1 specialization · 0.1% of pipeline

Grad earnings $47,513

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.09

Physiology

346graduates / yr

36 schools · 2 specializations · 0.1% of pipeline

Grad earnings $31,146

Health Professions And Related Programs

CIP 51.20

Pharmacy

250graduates / yr

13 schools · 1 specialization · 0.1% of pipeline

Grad earnings $48,728

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

CIP 26.14

Molecular Medicine

223graduates / yr

12 schools · 1 specialization · 0.1% of pipeline

19 schools · 1 specialization · 0.1% of pipeline

Grad earnings $31,217

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.49

Mathematical Economics

189graduates / yr

11 schools · 1 specialization · 0.1% of pipeline

Grad earnings —

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.10

Biopsychology

183graduates / yr

22 schools · 1 specialization · 0.1% of pipeline

Grad earnings $43,343

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.35

Climate Science

127graduates / yr

7 schools · 1 specialization · 0.0% of pipeline

Grad earnings —

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.41

Environmental Geosciences

90graduates / yr

11 schools · 1 specialization · 0.0% of pipeline

Grad earnings —

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.38

Earth Systems Science

62graduates / yr

7 schools · 1 specialization · 0.0% of pipeline

Grad earnings —

Physical Sciences

CIP 40.11

Physics and Astronomy

58graduates / yr

5 schools · 1 specialization · 0.0% of pipeline

Grad earnings —

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.34

Anthrozoology

50graduates / yr

3 schools · 1 specialization · 0.0% of pipeline

6 schools · 2 specializations · 0.0% of pipeline

Grad earnings $72,216

Philosophy And Religious Studies

CIP 38.01

Philosophy

19graduates / yr

4 schools · 1 specialization · 0.0% of pipeline

Grad earnings $31,618

CIP 30.43

Geobiology

2graduates / yr

1 schools · 1 specialization · 0.0% of pipeline

Grad earnings —

138 degree programs that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#	Program	Graduates / yr	Share of pipeline	Schools	Grad earnings (1 yr)	Median debt
1	Biology/Biological Sciences, General CIP 26.0101	90,079	28.7%	1,660	$32,152	$25,000
2	Biological and Physical Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.0101	29,387	9.4%	305	$28,446	$11,000
3	Mathematics, General CIP 27.0101	23,537	7.5%	1,300	$48,772	$21,544
4	Chemistry, General CIP 40.0501	18,075	5.8%	1,168	$42,620	$23,900
5	Physics, General CIP 40.0801	12,137	3.9%	800	$47,156	$23,490
6	Neuroscience CIP 26.1501	11,787	3.8%	337	$31,687	$22,936
7	Data Science, General CIP 30.7001	11,020	3.5%	297	—	—
8	Biochemistry CIP 26.0202	10,036	3.2%	593	$38,243	$23,014
9	Statistics, General CIP 27.0501	7,215	2.3%	200	$59,718	$20,150
10	Financial Mathematics CIP 27.0305	5,694	1.8%	127	$60,930	$21,143
11	Geology/Earth Science, General CIP 40.0601	5,615	1.8%	433	$39,678	$24,864
12	Nutrition Sciences CIP 30.1901	5,478	1.7%	154	$30,508	$24,586
13	Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other CIP 26.9999	4,868	1.6%	131	$31,278	$23,000
14	Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology CIP 26.0406	4,454	1.4%	105	$35,393	$19,961
15	Sustainability Studies CIP 30.3301	4,424	1.4%	226	$37,223	$20,968
16	Biotechnologymain feeder CIP 26.1201	4,383	1.4%	186	$49,023	$21,309
17	Applied Mathematics, General CIP 27.0301	3,917	1.2%	224	$60,930	$21,143
18	Cognitive Science, General CIP 30.2501	3,497	1.1%	71	$41,362	$17,750
19	Natural Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.1801	2,973	0.9%	112	$29,587	$21,610
20	Physical Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 40.0101	2,967	0.9%	131	$27,007	$9,000
21	Computational Science CIP 30.3001	2,845	0.9%	83	$50,745	$27,000
22	Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography CIP 26.1302	2,636	0.8%	84	$29,460	$23,480
23	Microbiology, General CIP 26.0502	2,497	0.8%	109	$38,383	$22,065
24	Human Biology CIP 30.2701	2,282	0.7%	33	$31,690	$17,312
25	Mathematics and Computer Science CIP 30.0801	1,855	0.6%	77	$89,651	$23,175
26	Operations Research CIP 14.3701	1,850	0.6%	33	$92,531	$15,000
27	Zoology/Animal Biology CIP 26.0701	1,722	0.5%	48	$28,266	$24,393
28	Biostatistics CIP 26.1102	1,666	0.5%	90	$72,338	$18,500
29	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology CIP 26.0210	1,607	0.5%	98	$38,243	$23,014
30	Molecular Biology CIP 26.0204	1,352	0.4%	75	$38,243	$23,014
31	Geography and Environmental Studies CIP 30.4401	1,229	0.4%	70	—	—
32	Ecology CIP 26.1301	1,166	0.4%	67	$29,460	$23,480
33	Engineering Physics/Applied Physics CIP 14.1201	1,121	0.4%	107	$57,457	$24,706
34	Medical Science/Scientist CIP 51.1401	1,070	0.3%	69	$223,926	$16,250
35	Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology CIP 26.0503	962	0.3%	33	$38,383	$22,065
36	Mathematics and Statistics CIP 27.0503	956	0.3%	38	$59,718	$20,150
37	Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General CIP 40.0401	953	0.3%	70	$41,430	$25,500
38	Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other CIP 40.0699	946	0.3%	87	$39,678	$24,864
39	Anatomy CIP 26.0403	902	0.3%	37	$35,393	$19,961
40	Ecology and Evolutionary Biology CIP 26.1310	879	0.3%	42	$29,460	$23,480
41	Astronomy CIP 40.0201	875	0.3%	81	$39,728	$24,678
42	Neurobiology and Anatomy CIP 26.1503	815	0.3%	21	$31,687	$22,936
43	Computational and Applied Mathematics CIP 27.0304	815	0.3%	45	$60,930	$21,143
44	Science, Technology and Societymain feeder CIP 30.1501	789	0.3%	46	$44,736	$18,593
45	Marine Sciences CIP 30.3201	624	0.2%	39	$27,337	$22,400
46	Applied Statistics, General CIP 27.0601	562	0.2%	38	—	—
47	Chemistry, Other CIP 40.0599	551	0.2%	58	$42,620	$23,900
48	Mathematics and Statistics, Other CIP 27.9999	548	0.2%	31	$59,063	$21,500
49	Botany/Plant Biology CIP 26.0301	543	0.2%	39	$33,009	$21,975
50	Statistics, Other CIP 27.0599	543	0.2%	30	$59,718	$20,150
51	Oceanography, Chemical and Physical CIP 40.0607	534	0.2%	35	$39,678	$24,864
52	Astrophysics CIP 40.0202	502	0.2%	48	$39,728	$24,678
53	Pharmacology CIP 26.1001	495	0.2%	53	$39,202	$18,000
54	Molecular Biochemistry CIP 26.0205	494	0.2%	18	$38,243	$23,014
55	Microbiology and Immunology CIP 26.0508	477	0.2%	38	$38,383	$22,065
56	Physics, Other CIP 40.0899	470	0.1%	52	$47,156	$23,490
57	Physical Sciences, Other CIP 40.9999	469	0.1%	29	$47,513	$24,000
58	Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology CIP 26.0401	460	0.1%	21	$35,393	$19,961
59	Entomology CIP 26.0702	447	0.1%	36	$28,266	$24,393
60	Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other CIP 26.0499	436	0.1%	20	$35,393	$19,961
61	Computational Biology CIP 26.1104	399	0.1%	29	$72,338	$18,500
62	Science/Technology Management CIP 52.0216	399	0.1%	29	$43,506	$25,000
63	Computational Mathematics CIP 27.0303	389	0.1%	22	$60,930	$21,143
64	Forensic Chemistry CIP 40.0510	353	0.1%	30	$42,620	$23,900
65	Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other CIP 26.1399	344	0.1%	17	$29,460	$23,480
66	Mathematics, Other CIP 27.0199	344	0.1%	29	$48,772	$21,544
67	Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other CIP 26.0299	330	0.1%	21	$38,243	$23,014
68	Research and Development Management CIP 52.0210	318	0.1%	24	$43,506	$25,000
69	Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Other CIP 26.1199	308	0.1%	21	$72,338	$18,500
70	Pathology/Experimental Pathology CIP 26.0910	306	0.1%	36	$31,146	$23,384
71	Meteorology CIP 40.0404	276	0.1%	27	$41,430	$25,500
72	Biophysics CIP 26.0203	266	0.1%	52	$38,243	$23,014
73	Optics/Optical Sciences CIP 40.0807	266	0.1%	15	$47,156	$23,490
74	Neurobiology and Neurosciences, Other CIP 26.1599	263	0.1%	11	$31,687	$22,936
75	Molecular Genetics CIP 26.0802	253	0.1%	16	$31,800	$21,424
76	Clinical and Industrial Drug Development CIP 51.2006	250	0.1%	13	$48,728	$23,761
77	Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Other CIP 26.0599	248	0.1%	13	$38,383	$22,065
78	Epidemiology and Biostatistics CIP 26.1311	248	0.1%	19	$29,460	$23,480
79	Immunology CIP 26.0507	242	0.1%	26	$38,383	$22,065
80	Animal Physiology CIP 26.0707	235	0.1%	9	$28,266	$24,393
81	Molecular Medicine CIP 26.1401	223	0.1%	12	—	—
82	Applied Mathematics, Other CIP 27.0399	221	0.1%	18	$60,930	$21,143
83	Genome Sciences/Genomics CIP 26.0807	210	0.1%	20	$31,800	$21,424
84	Molecular Biophysics CIP 26.0206	207	0.1%	4	$38,243	$23,014
85	History and Philosophy of Science and Technology CIP 54.0104	207	0.1%	19	$31,217	$24,000
86	Hydrology and Water Resources Science CIP 40.0605	206	0.1%	38	$39,678	$24,864
87	Biometry/Biometrics CIP 26.1101	205	0.1%	8	$72,338	$18,500
88	Evolutionary Biology CIP 26.1303	192	0.1%	14	$29,460	$23,480
89	Mathematical Economics CIP 30.4901	189	0.1%	11	—	—
90	Acoustics CIP 40.0809	189	0.1%	7	$47,156	$23,490
91	Biopsychology CIP 30.1001	183	0.1%	22	$43,343	$22,125
92	Plant Pathology/Phytopathology CIP 26.0305	176	0.1%	25	$33,009	$21,975
93	Toxicology CIP 26.1004	173	0.1%	28	$39,202	$18,000
94	Neurobiology and Behavior CIP 26.1504	169	0.1%	8	$31,687	$22,936
95	Geophysics and Seismology CIP 40.0603	169	0.1%	32	$39,678	$24,864
96	Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other CIP 40.0299	133	0.0%	12	$39,728	$24,678
97	Climate Science CIP 30.3501	127	0.0%	7	—	—
98	Planetary Astronomy and Science CIP 40.0203	105	0.0%	15	$39,728	$24,678
99	Data Science, Other CIP 30.7099	91	0.0%	13	—	—
100	Environmental Geosciences CIP 30.4101	90	0.0%	11	—	—
101	Polymer Chemistry CIP 40.0507	72	0.0%	7	$42,620	$23,900
102	Earth Systems Science CIP 30.3801	62	0.0%	7	—	—
103	Botany/Plant Biology, Other CIP 26.0399	61	0.0%	5	$33,009	$21,975
104	Physics and Astronomy CIP 40.1101	58	0.0%	5	—	—
105	Animal Genetics CIP 26.0804	57	0.0%	2	$31,800	$21,424
106	Anthrozoology CIP 30.3401	50	0.0%	3	—	—
107	Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Other CIP 40.0499	44	0.0%	8	$41,430	$25,500
108	Chemical Physics CIP 40.0508	42	0.0%	13	$42,620	$23,900
109	Aerospace Physiology and Medicine CIP 26.0912	40	0.0%	3	$31,146	$23,384
110	Analytical Chemistry CIP 40.0502	38	0.0%	8	$42,620	$23,900
111	Theoretical and Mathematical Physics CIP 40.0810	34	0.0%	9	$47,156	$23,490
112	Plant Genetics CIP 26.0805	27	0.0%	3	$31,800	$21,424
113	Radiation Biology/Radiobiology CIP 26.0209	25	0.0%	5	$38,243	$23,014
114	Zoology/Animal Biology, Other CIP 26.0799	25	0.0%	4	$28,266	$24,393
115	Geochemistry CIP 40.0602	24	0.0%	8	$39,678	$24,864
116	Materials Sciences, Other CIP 40.1099	22	0.0%	5	$72,216	$24,750
117	Paleontology CIP 40.0604	21	0.0%	5	$39,678	$24,864
118	Logic CIP 38.0102	19	0.0%	4	$31,618	$22,862
119	Environmental Chemistry CIP 40.0509	19	0.0%	10	$42,620	$23,900
120	Structural Biology CIP 26.0207	17	0.0%	2	$38,243	$23,014
121	Materials Chemistry CIP 40.1002	16	0.0%	6	$72,216	$24,750
122	Mathematical Biology CIP 27.0306	14	0.0%	4	$60,930	$21,143
123	Atomic/Molecular Physics CIP 40.0802	12	0.0%	4	$47,156	$23,490
124	Elementary Particle Physics CIP 40.0804	12	0.0%	3	$47,156	$23,490
125	Organic Chemistry CIP 40.0504	9	0.0%	2	$42,620	$23,900
126	Physical Chemistry CIP 40.0506	9	0.0%	4	$42,620	$23,900
127	Theoretical Chemistry CIP 40.0511	9	0.0%	3	$42,620	$23,900
128	Genetics, Other CIP 26.0899	8	0.0%	1	$31,800	$21,424
129	Plant Physiology CIP 26.0307	7	0.0%	2	$33,009	$21,975
130	Virology CIP 26.0504	7	0.0%	3	$38,383	$22,065
131	Analysis and Functional Analysis CIP 27.0103	7	0.0%	1	$48,772	$21,544
132	Atmospheric Chemistry and Climatology CIP 40.0402	7	0.0%	2	$41,430	$25,500
133	Parasitology CIP 26.0505	6	0.0%	1	$38,383	$22,065
134	Condensed Matter and Materials Physics CIP 40.0808	5	0.0%	1	$47,156	$23,490
135	Inorganic Chemistry CIP 40.0503	4	0.0%	1	$42,620	$23,900
136	Nuclear Physics CIP 40.0806	4	0.0%	1	$47,156	$23,490
137	Topology and Foundations CIP 27.0105	3	0.0%	1	$48,772	$21,544
138	Geobiology CIP 30.4301	2	0.0%	1	—	—

Top 50 schools by graduates into this job

Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#	School	Graduates / yr	Top feeder program	Grad rate	Net price	Acceptance
1	University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · 38 feeder programs	4,642	Cognitive Science, General	86%	—	27%
2	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 23 feeder programs	4,136	Biological and Physical Sciences	89%	—	27%
3	University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 35 feeder programs	3,405	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	93%	—	9%
4	University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · 34 feeder programs	3,112	Data Science, General	90%	—	45%
5	University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 31 feeder programs	3,014	Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	93%	—	11%
6	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 33 feeder programs	2,726	Operations Research	96%	$15,315	4%
7	University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 23 feeder programs	2,588	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	91%	—	24%
8	University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 38 feeder programs	2,568	Neurobiology and Anatomy	86%	—	42%
9	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 38 feeder programs	2,534	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	93%	—	16%
10	University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 31 feeder programs	2,353	Statistics, General	85%	—	42%
11	University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 38 feeder programs	2,329	Biochemistry	85%	—	39%
12	University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA Public · 32 feeder programs	2,183	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	87%	—	29%
13	Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 36 feeder programs	2,166	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	88%	—	61%
14	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 37 feeder programs	2,156	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	68%	—	90%
15	Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 36 feeder programs	2,091	Biotechnology	94%	$11,888	6%
16	New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 31 feeder programs	2,070	Data Science, General	88%	$29,023	9%
17	Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 34 feeder programs	2,032	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	84%	—	57%
18	Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 31 feeder programs	1,969	Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other	86%	—	61%
19	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 34 feeder programs	1,842	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	81%	—	85%
20	Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 34 feeder programs	1,830	Sustainability Studies	98%	$15,013	4%
21	University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 22 feeder programs	1,766	Statistics, General	83%	—	33%
22	University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 33 feeder programs	1,745	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	90%	—	38%
23	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 38 feeder programs	1,627	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	85%	—	80%
24	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 17 feeder programs	1,618	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	0%	—	67%
25	Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 36 feeder programs	1,595	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	84%	—	58%
26	University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 33 feeder programs	1,583	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	85%	—	58%
27	Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · 31 feeder programs	1,575	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	76%	—	49%
28	Cornell University Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 31 feeder programs	1,514	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	95%	$17,613	9%
29	University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO Public · 18 feeder programs	1,510	Computational Science	74%	—	78%
30	University of North Texas Denton, TX Public · 12 feeder programs	1,489	Mathematics and Statistics	61%	—	72%
31	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 20 feeder programs	1,484	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	91%	—	15%
32	University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA Public · 21 feeder programs	1,476	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	76%	—	76%
33	Florida International University Miami, FL Public · 12 feeder programs	1,430	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	74%	—	55%
34	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 35 feeder programs	1,425	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	68%	—	86%
35	Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 16 feeder programs	1,423	Biotechnology	91%	$18,925	5%
36	Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 30 feeder programs	1,406	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	89%	$21,956	11%
37	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 41 feeder programs	1,406	Human Biology	92%	$26,873	10%
38	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC Public · 27 feeder programs	1,395	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	85%	—	42%
39	University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD Public · 21 feeder programs	1,376	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	89%	—	45%
40	Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Public · 2 feeder programs	1,365	Biological and Physical Sciences	36%	—	—
41	Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN Public · 25 feeder programs	1,339	Computational Science	80%	—	78%
42	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · 21 feeder programs	1,330	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	86%	—	55%
43	University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 23 feeder programs	1,257	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	83%	—	60%
44	University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA Public · 23 feeder programs	1,239	Cognitive Science, General	75%	—	66%
45	Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA Public · 5 feeder programs	1,235	Biological and Physical Sciences	48%	—	—
46	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Public · 18 feeder programs	1,213	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	86%	—	24%
47	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 29 feeder programs	1,196	Biology/Biological Sciences, General	97%	$22,055	5%
48	The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX Public · 16 feeder programs	1,163	Neuroscience	76%	—	65%
49	Yale University New Haven, CT Private not-for-profit · 25 feeder programs	1,115	Neuroscience	96%	$27,025	4%
50	University of Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 25 feeder programs	1,096	Mathematics, General	96%	$13,333	4%

What natural sciences managers earn

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual wage

$167,220

Mean annual

$180,250

Median hourly

$80.39/hr

People employed

108,690

What the range looks like

10th pct$79,710Median$167,22090th pct$316,850

Top-paying states

Top-paying metro areas

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

$291,000median

9,570 jobs

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

$263,810median

1,160 jobs

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$225,230median

5,530 jobs

Worcester, MA

$212,600median

490 jobs

New Haven, CT

$210,670median

350 jobs

Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT

$217,480median

300 jobs

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

$207,200median

2,890 jobs

Midland, MI

$212,130median

60 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34

+3.7%

About as fast as average

Openings per year

8,500

new jobs plus replacements

Employment change

3,900

104,300 → 108,200

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

Where the jobs are, state by state

Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.

This occupation state by state: pay, jobs, and schools
State	Median pay	Jobs	Concentration	Schools	Graduates / yr
California	$210,230	14,950	1.17×	197	68,455
Texas	$129,960	7,470	0.76×	109	22,752
New York	$134,680	5,690	0.84×	134	21,953
Pennsylvania	$137,900	7,980	1.88×	115	14,108
Illinois	$159,670	2,810	0.66×	96	13,861
Massachusetts	$267,290	10,590	4.16×	68	12,234
Florida	$112,220	4,370	0.63×	51	11,769
North Carolina	$173,870	6,010	1.74×	56	8,624
Ohio	$137,170	1,560	0.40×	72	8,580
Virginia	$150,570	1,470	0.51×	57	8,169
Michigan	$129,070	2,220	0.72×	47	8,163
Arizona	$124,920	900	0.40×	31	8,059
New Jersey	$207,030	10,040	3.35×	41	6,781
Maryland	$168,620	4,820	2.49×	33	6,038
Washington	$182,480	2,490	1.00×	49	5,793
Wisconsin	$128,890	1,070	0.52×	36	5,672
Indiana	$108,250	1,670	0.74×	45	5,479
Colorado	$152,730	1,640	0.82×	28	5,009
Missouri	$129,410	1,230	0.60×	48	4,611
Minnesota	$136,450	1,530	0.74×	48	4,164
Connecticut	$210,670	1,190	1.00×	21	4,067
Tennessee	$124,530	880	0.38×	40	3,850
Utah	$119,430	—	—	10	3,503
South Carolina	$131,140	780	0.48×	32	3,333
Oregon	$143,120	1,700	1.24×	27	2,955
Louisiana	$115,950	—	—	26	2,912
Oklahoma	$112,260	310	0.26×	37	2,712
Alabama	$133,470	370	0.25×	24	2,571
Iowa	$109,760	610	0.56×	44	2,318
Kentucky	$126,440	400	0.29×	26	2,071
Mississippi	$119,430	210	0.26×	22	2,047
Kansas	$153,820	240	0.24×	29	1,946
Rhode Island	$130,480	200	0.58×	10	1,858
District of Columbia	$156,730	1,540	3.14×	9	1,832
Nebraska	$120,620	550	0.76×	21	1,676
New Hampshire	$134,010	240	0.50×	15	1,659
Arkansas	$119,430	340	0.38×	26	1,554
Nevada	$112,260	320	0.30×	6	1,473
Maine	$141,360	430	0.97×	17	1,319
New Mexico	—	400	0.65×	20	1,090
Hawaii	$107,810	510	1.16×	13	999
Idaho	$124,800	610	1.01×	10	944
Vermont	$131,290	290	1.37×	10	920
West Virginia	$138,010	160	0.32×	17	879
Delawaremoderate	—	440	1.31×	4	818
Montana	$119,430	370	1.05×	14	774
South Dakota	$128,140	180	0.55×	11	631
North Dakota	$131,370	140	0.45×	9	540
Wyoming	$109,300	150	0.74×	8	328
Alaskamoderate	$130,590	710	3.14×	4	232

Skills and tools

From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.

What they do day to day

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.

Skills

Reading Comprehension4.0
Active Listening4.0
Writing4.0
Speaking3.9
Critical Thinking3.9
Monitoring3.6
Active Learning3.4
Science3.4

Knowledge areas

English Language3.7
Mathematics3.5
Customer and Personal Service3.5
Computers and Electronics3.4
Biology3.3
Administration and Management3.2

Abilities

Written Comprehension4.0
Oral Comprehension4.0
Oral Expression4.0
Written Expression4.0
Deductive Reasoning4.0
Problem Sensitivity3.9

Core activities

Getting Information4.5
Working with Computers4.3
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.3
Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.3
Documenting/Recording Information4.3
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.2

Tools and technology

hotmarks an O*NET hot technology

Microsoft ExcelhotMicrosoft Office softwarehotMicrosoft OutlookhotMicrosoft PowerPointhotMicrosoft WordhotWeb browser softwareESRI ArcGIS softwarehotIBM SPSS StatisticshotMicrosoft AccesshotMicrosoft Projecthot

How to get in

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.

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

Related careers

Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.

15-2051

Data Scientists

$120,230262,440 jobs+33.5%

17-2051

Civil Engineers

$100,840367,840 jobs+5.0%

13-1082

Project Management Specialists

$102,3201,066,670 jobs+5.6%

29-1141

Registered Nurses

$97,5503,379,720 jobs+4.9%

17-2031

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers

$109,37023,480 jobs+5.2%

19-2041

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

$82,22089,250 jobs+4.4%

Common questions

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 90,079 degrees in 2024-25, 28.7% 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 138 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Biological and Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Chemistry, plus 51 more. Together they graduate about 313,888 people a year.

How much do natural sciences managers earn?+

The median is $167,220 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $79,710 at the 10th percentile to $316,850 at the 90th. 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?+

2,014 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 138 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.

↑ Zoom outAll occupations Management Occupations

Natural Sciences Managers by stateCalifornia Texas New York Pennsylvania Illinois Massachusetts Florida North Carolina Ohio Virginia Michigan Arizona

Programs that lead hereBiology Biological and Physical Sciences Mathematics Chemistry Biochemistry Physics Neurobiology and Neurosciences Data Science

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 2025
Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
Official source →
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34
Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
Official source →
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)
Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
Official source →
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohorts
Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Official source →
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest available
Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
Official source →
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018
Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
Official source →
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3
Tasks, 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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Best degree programs for Natural Sciences Managers, ranked by enrollment

About natural sciences managers

Fields of study that lead to this job

138 degree programs that lead to this job

Top 50 schools by graduates into this job

What natural sciences managers earn

Top-paying states

Top-paying metro areas

Job outlook

Where the jobs are, state by state

Skills and tools

What they do day to day

Skills

Knowledge areas

Abilities

Core activities

Tools and technology

How to get in

How to become a Natural Sciences Manager

Every major mapped to this job

Related careers

Common questions

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

BLS Employment Projections

IPEDS Completions

College Scorecard, Field of Study

Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

O*NET Database 30.3

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation