Natural Sciences Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.
- Median pay
- $167,220
- Doing it now
- 112,200
- By 2035
- Up 8.2%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
9,200 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Confer with scientists, engineers, regulators, or others to plan or review projects or to provide technical assistance.
- Develop client relationships and communicate with clients to explain proposals, present research findings, establish specifications, or discuss project status.
- Plan or direct research, development, or production activities.
- Prepare project proposals.
- Design or coordinate successive phases of problem analysis, solution proposals, or testing.
- Review project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports.
- Hire, supervise, or evaluate engineers, technicians, researchers, or other staff.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Natural SciencesSee 100 colleges that teach it
- Business Administration, Management and OperationsSee 1,587 colleges that teach it
- Biology, GeneralSee 1,382 colleges that teach it
- HistorySee 1,267 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Analytical and curious
Leading and persuading
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $167,220 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.