Life Scientists, All Other Salary
Life Scientists, All Others in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA make a median of $125,430 a year, or about $60.3 an hour. The range runs from $71K at the entry level to $270K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.42), so that salary is closer to $113,594 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,483/month, about 47% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $125K get you in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara’s Regional Price Parity (110.42). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara sits well above the national pay line for life scientists, all other, local pay runs about 34% higher than the U.S. median of $94K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,483/month, which is 47.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.42), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for life scientists, all others in metros near San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, 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 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $101K | $94K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Entry-level life scientists, all others (10th percentile) start around $71K. Mid-career wages sit at $125K. Top earners bring in $270K or more, a $200K 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a life scientists, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $125K, rent takes 47.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,483/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,200/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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new life scientists, all others typically earn — is $71K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,234/month. At HUD’s $3,483/month FMR, rent would take 82% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Local pay is 34% above the national median — $125K here vs. $94K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compare to the national average for life scientists, all others?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays $125K median vs. the U.S. average of $94K — that’s +34%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $114K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do life scientists, all others make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The median is $125,430 a year, that works out to about $60 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $70,570, and experienced life scientists, all others can clear $270,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $125K enough to live in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,390/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,483/month, which eats 47.1% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has a Regional Price Parity of 110.42 (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 $113,594 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.