Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other Salary
Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Others in Salem, OR make a median of $48,840 a year, or about $23.48 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $47,120 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,560/month, about 46.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $49K actually covers in Salem, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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 Salem
Pay for life, physical, and social science technicians, all other in Salem runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,560/month, which is 49.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for life, physical, and social science technicians, all other.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for life, physical, and social science technicians, all others in metros near Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $63K | $59K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $58K | $57K |
| Medford | $58K | $57K |
| Bend | $49K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level life, physical, and social science technicians, all others (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $36K 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 annually. We'll email you when Salem numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a life, physical, and social science technicians, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salem?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 49.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new life, physical, and social science technicians, all others typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,926/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Salem?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $49K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Salem compare to the national average for life, physical, and social science technicians, all others?
Salem pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do life, physical, and social science technicians, all others make in Salem, OR?
The median is $48,840 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,460, and experienced life, physical, and social science technicians, all others can clear $81,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,128/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 49.9% 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 Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median life, physical, and social science technicians, all other salary is worth about $47,120 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.