Biological Scientists, All Other Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $86K, rent takes 37.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,044/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new biological scientists, all others typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,667/month.

Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $86K here vs. $99K nationally.

Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area pays $86K median vs. the U.S. average of $99K — that’s -13%.

The median is $86,260 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,110, and experienced biological scientists, all others can clear $107,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,440/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 37.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.

Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median biological scientists, all other salary is worth about $86,260 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.