Science Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a Science Specialist make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Science Specialist in the United States is $128,983 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $62.

However, a Science Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $146,280
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $121,948 to $138,037
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $115,543
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View as table View as graph 25% $121,948 10% $115,543 90% $146,280 75% $138,037 $128,983 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Science Specialist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $138,037 $11,503 $2,655 $66
Average $128,983 $10,749 $2,480 $62
25th Percentile $121,948 $10,162 $2,345 $59
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Key Factors That Influence Science Specialist Salaries

A Science Specialist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Science Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Science Specialist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $88,834
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $113,609
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $129,471
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $173,575
  • Expert (over 8 years): $179,655
Levels Salary
Data Scie... Level Science Specialist$88,834
Data Scie... Level Science Specialist$113,609
Science S... Level Science Specialist$129,471
Data Scie... Level Science Specialist$173,575
Data Scie... Level Science Specialist$179,655
$88,834 0 yr
$113,609 < 2 yrs
$129,471 2-4 yrs
$173,575 5-8 yrs
$179,655 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Science Specialist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Science Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $142,810.
  • California: $142,268.
  • Massachusetts: $140,372.

Top Paying Cities for Science Specialists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $162,686
  • San Francisco: $160,905
  • Oakland: $157,514

What Skills Can Increase a Science Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 10.26% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Computer Science (Mentioned in 3.74% Job Postings): Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines.
  • Big Data (Mentioned in 1.64% Job Postings): Big data is a field that treats ways to analyze, systematically extract information from, or otherwise deal with data sets that are too large or complex to be dealt with by traditional data-processing application software. Data with many cases (rows) offer greater statistical power, while data with higher complexity (more attributes or columns) may lead to a higher false discovery rate. Big data challenges include capturing data, data storage, data analysis, search, sharing, transfer, visualization, querying, updating, information privacy and data source. Big data was originally associated with three key concepts: volume, variety, and velocity. Other concepts later attributed to big data are veracity (i.e., how much noise is in the data) and value. Current usage of the term big data tends to refer to the use of predictive analytics, user behavior analytics, or certain other advanced data analytics methods that extract value from data, and seldom to a particular size of data set. "There is little doubt that the quantities of data now available are indeed large, but that's not the most relevant characteristic of this new data ecosystem." Analysis of data sets can find new correlations to "spot business trends, prevent diseases, combat crime and so on." Scientists, business executives, practitioners of medicine, advertising and governments alike regularly meet difficulties with large data-sets in areas including Internet searches, fintech, urban informatics, and business informatics. Scientists encounter limitations in e-Science work, including meteorology, genomics, connectomics, complex physics simulations, biology and environmental research.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 10.26%
Computer Science 3.74%
Big Data 1.64%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Science Specialist's salary.
  • Statistical Modeling: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
  • Java: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Verbal Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Statistical Modeling
$147,041
14%
Java
$145,751
13%
Verbal Communication
$145,751
13%
Programming Language
$144,461
12%
Algorithms
$143,171
11%
Big Data
$141,881
10%
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Science Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Science Specialist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Science Specialist

Salaries for a Science Specialist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $119,526 in 2023 to around $118,904 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Science Specialist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Science Specialist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$119,526
2024
$119,843
2025
$118,904
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $119,526
2024 $119,843
2025 $118,904
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Science Specialist

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Science Specialist

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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