Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other Salary
Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Others in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA make a median of $61,100 a year, or about $29.37 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.71), which stretches that salary to about $65,904 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,271/month, about 31.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford’s Regional Price Parity (92.71). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About life, physical, and social science technicians, all others
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What this looks like in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford
Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other pay in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 2% difference. Rent runs $1,271/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.71 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for life, physical, and social science technicians, all others in metros near Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville | $58K | $58K |
| Lynchburg | $96K | $107K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $79K | $80K |
| Richmond | $63K | $64K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
Entry-level life, physical, and social science technicians, all others (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $86K | +39% | 460 |
| District of Columbia | $79K | +27% | 150 |
| California | $78K | +26% | 10,090 |
| Washington | $74K | +18% | 980 |
| Alaska | $71K | +14% | 170 |
| Rhode Island | $70K | +12% | 210 |
| North Dakota | $69K | +11% | 180 |
| Georgia | $69K | +11% | 2,230 |
| Maryland | $68K | +10% | 3,510 |
| Kentucky | $68K | +10% | 320 |
| Virginia | $67K | +8% | 2,710 |
| Maine | $67K | +7% | 390 |
| Connecticut | $67K | +7% | 320 |
| Kansas | $65K | +5% | 880 |
| Wyoming | $65K | +4% | 220 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | +3% | 360 |
| Massachusetts | $64K | +2% | 1,140 |
| New York | $64K | +2% | 7,390 |
| Colorado | $64K | +2% | 1,860 |
| Vermont | $63K | +2% | 160 |
| Florida | $63K | +1% | 1,830 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -0% | 2,150 |
| Oregon | $61K | -2% | 1,690 |
| West Virginia | $60K | -4% | 230 |
| Alabama | $60K | -4% | 350 |
| Mississippi | $59K | -4% | 330 |
| Illinois | $59K | -5% | 750 |
| Arkansas | $59K | -5% | 350 |
| Utah | $59K | -5% | N/A |
| Michigan | $59K | -5% | 1,040 |
| South Carolina | $59K | -5% | 1,290 |
| Arizona | $58K | -6% | 420 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | -7% | 2,630 |
| New Mexico | $56K | -9% | 180 |
| New Jersey | $56K | -10% | 2,140 |
| Nevada | $54K | -13% | 350 |
| Louisiana | $53K | -14% | 1,610 |
| Montana | $52K | -16% | 130 |
| South Dakota | $52K | -17% | 60 |
| Hawaii | $51K | -18% | 1,050 |
| Idaho | $51K | -19% | 550 |
| Iowa | $50K | -19% | 420 |
| Missouri | $50K | -19% | 2,100 |
| Minnesota | $49K | -21% | 1,350 |
| Ohio | $49K | -21% | 1,020 |
| North Carolina | $49K | -21% | 2,310 |
| Texas | $49K | -21% | 9,170 |
| Indiana | $49K | -22% | 750 |
| Nebraska | $49K | -22% | 300 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | -24% | 1,070 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track life, physical, and social science technicians, all other salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a life, physical, and social science technicians, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 31.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,271/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for life, physical, and social science technicians, all others in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new life, physical, and social science technicians, all others typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,811/month. At HUD’s $1,271/month FMR, rent would take 45% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is life, physical, and social science technicians, all other a high-paying job in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford compare to the national average for life, physical, and social science technicians, all others?
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do life, physical, and social science technicians, all others make in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?
The median is $61,100 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,850, and experienced life, physical, and social science technicians, all others can clear $76,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,011/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,271/month, which eats 31.7% 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.
How far does a life, physical, and social science technicians, all other salary go in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford?
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford has a Regional Price Parity of 92.71 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median life, physical, and social science technicians, all other salary is worth about $65,904 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do life, physical, and social science technicians, all others get paid the most?
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.