Life Scientists, All Other Salary
Life Scientists, All Others in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA make a median of $100,720 a year, or about $48.42 an hour. The range runs from $56K at the entry level to $175K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.67), so that salary is closer to $94,422 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,255/month, about 36.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $101K get you in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom’s Regional Price Parity (106.67). 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 scientists, all others
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What this looks like in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
Life scientists, all other pay in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom tracks closely to the national median, $101K locally vs. $94K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,255/month, which is 36.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 7% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.67), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for life scientists, all others in metros near Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $105K | $92K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $135K | $117K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $80K | $72K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $125K | $114K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
Entry-level life scientists, all others (10th percentile) start around $56K. Mid-career wages sit at $101K. Top earners bring in $175K or more, a $120K spread from bottom to top.
Life Scientists, All Other pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Life Scientists, All Other salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $169K | +81% | N/A |
| District of Columbia | $168K | +79% | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $125K | +34% | 100 |
| Arizona | $123K | +31% | N/A |
| Oregon | $113K | +21% | 160 |
| Alabama | $111K | +18% | 50 |
| Maryland | $110K | +17% | 420 |
| Tennessee | $109K | +16% | 40 |
| New Jersey | $104K | +11% | 110 |
| California | $103K | +10% | 860 |
| Washington | $100K | +7% | 240 |
| Florida | $92K | -2% | 80 |
| New York | $87K | -7% | 250 |
| Wisconsin | $85K | -9% | N/A |
| Georgia | $84K | -10% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $84K | -11% | 290 |
| Alaska | $82K | -12% | 40 |
| New Hampshire | $82K | -13% | 90 |
| Virginia | $82K | -13% | 350 |
| Texas | $81K | -13% | 510 |
| Missouri | $80K | -15% | 190 |
| Louisiana | $76K | -18% | 430 |
| Kentucky | $76K | -19% | 100 |
| Hawaii | $72K | -23% | 50 |
| Indiana | $69K | -26% | 30 |
| Idaho | $69K | -26% | 80 |
| Colorado | $66K | -29% | 40 |
| Illinois | $66K | -29% | 160 |
| Minnesota | $65K | -31% | N/A |
| Iowa | $64K | -31% | 110 |
| Michigan | $64K | -32% | 90 |
| Ohio | $63K | -33% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 32 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track life scientists, all other salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a life scientists, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $101K, rent takes 36.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,255/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for life scientists, all others in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new life scientists, all others typically earn — is $56K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,334/month. At HUD’s $2,255/month FMR, rent would take 68% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is life scientists, all other a high-paying job in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $101K locally vs. $94K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom compare to the national average for life scientists, all others?
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom pays $101K median vs. the U.S. average of $94K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $94K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do life scientists, all others make in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA?
The median is $100,720 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $55,570, and experienced life scientists, all others can clear $175,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $101K enough to live in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,145/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,255/month, which eats 36.7% 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 scientists, all other salary go in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom?
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom has a Regional Price Parity of 106.67 (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 scientists, all other salary is worth about $94,422 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do life scientists, 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.