Life Scientist Salaries Reported

Compensation of Life Scientists, 6th Edition - 2006
Survey Summary

PUBLISHED: September 2006

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Summary of the 650-plus-page Compensation of Life Scientists, 6th Edition survey report from Abbott, Langer Association Surveys. The following describes the national median total cash compensation for 16 benchmark jobs, and the factors affecting salary (metropolitan area, type of employer, primary area of specialization, length of experience, and level of professional responsibility):

The median annual income reported in a recent survey of the compensation of life scientists was $74,000, according to Abbott, Langer Association Surveys. The composite highest-income practitioner in this field (salary plus cash bonus and/or cash profit sharing) is a President/Managing Director in a non-academic setting and with a significant financial stake in the firm with a median income of $150,500. Far toward the other end of the income spectrum, Intermediate Research Technicians have a median annual income of $34,650.

E-mail invitations to participate in the survey were sent to subscribers of The Scientist Magazine, to registrants on The Scientist web site who identified themselves as U.S.-based professional life scientists and to members of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the American Institute of Biological Sciences. An invitation to participate was also printed in The Scientist. Usable responses were received from over 6,400 individuals. The results are contained in the in-depth, 650-plus-page survey report, Compensation of Life Scientists in the United States of America - 2006, available for $525.00 through our On-Line Order Form or from Abbott, Langer Association Surveys, 1725 I Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006 (Telephone: (877) 210-6563, Fax: (877) 239-2457).

Now, we also offer a findpay program to locate and analyze all the information from the printed report and more quickly and easily on your Windows computer for $1,050.00; both the software and the printed report are available for $1,395.00. With the findpay software, you can analyze all the survey results, or produce results unavailable in the printed report. Computer software can only be returned for exchange if defective, but you can download and review a free working demo of the findpay program (limited to a single variable at a time) with all the data from the recent survey here.

The middle-50% median total cash compensation of some of the 43 jobs included in the survey report are:

Income data are reported by region, state, and metropolitan area; type of employer; size of organization; level of education; length of experience; primary area of specialization; primary job activity; level of professional responsibility; industry or service of employer; gender; age; years since highest degree; level of supervisory/managerial responsibility; and numerous cross-tabs of the variables.

The highest median incomes are found in western New Jersey, the Mobile (AL), San Jose, San Francisco, Ventura County (CA), and Middlesex-Essex Counties (MA) areas (all between $130,000 and $96,000). The lowest are found in the Columbia (SC), Jacksonville (FL), Huntsville (AL), South Bend (IN), and Grand Rapids (MI) areas (all between $45,000 and $55,800).

Compensation varies considerably from one type of employer to another. Median incomes are highest in health practitioners' offices ($155,000), law firms ($110,000), and pharmaceutical manufacturing firms (also $110,000; and lowest in independent testing laboratories ($45,000), state-run hospitals ($50,000), and secondary schools ($52,000).

Life scientists with under one year of professional experience have a median income of $35,584, as opposed to the 30-plus-year veteran with a median income of $110,000.

By primary area of specialization, the highest median incomes are found in radiation ($114,550), drug discovery/development/delivery ($99,500), and toxicology ($99,000). The lowest are found in mycobacteriology ($50,000), spectrometry ($50,800), and general biology ($60,000).

Those life scientists with no supervisory responsibility have a median income of $56,287. For those supervising 10 or more professional & sub-professional employees, it is $125,4000, and $127,532 for those supervising 10 or more professional employees.

Buy the 650-plus-page survey report, Compensation of Life Scientists, 6th Edition - 2006, described on this page for $525, with charges for shipping & handling. The report is IN STOCK and can be shipped out within two business days. The mean, median, 1st and 3rd quartile, and 1st and 9th decile data for base salary, bonus/commission/profit sharing, and total annual cash compensation are reported for many demographic variables, including geographic location, type and size of employer, etc. To purchase the report, use our On-Line Order Form, call (877) 210-6563, , fax, or write per the information at the bottom of this page.