Life, Physical, and Social Science: S-Corp Reasonable Salary Benchmarks
48 occupations, with medians from $49,630 to $193,950. 42 of them clear $60,000, roughly the point at which an S-corp election starts repaying its own overhead.
In the sciences, grant and contract structures often set the pay bands already. Where an external funder specifies a salary line, that document is stronger evidence than a national percentile.
| Occupation | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | $107,310 | $193,950 | $222,280 |
| Physicists | $111,720 | $172,250 | $222,760 |
| Political Scientists | $114,030 | $142,080 | $174,180 |
| Astronomers | $99,920 | $128,820 | $166,000 |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | $95,000 | $127,410 | $163,460 |
| Economists | $89,330 | $124,720 | $174,720 |
| Physical Scientists, All Other | $86,620 | $122,570 | $161,890 |
| Materials Scientists | $89,990 | $117,790 | $150,550 |
| Psychologists, All Other | $68,850 | $110,840 | $147,240 |
| Nuclear Technicians | $99,110 | $110,240 | $123,990 |
| Sociologists | $82,300 | $106,030 | $137,420 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $79,840 | $103,410 | $139,380 |
| Geographers | $80,290 | $102,040 | $121,870 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $75,110 | $101,920 | $139,380 |
| Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | $80,860 | $101,110 | $129,960 |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $73,210 | $100,580 | $135,200 |
| Atmospheric and Space Scientists | $73,350 | $99,070 | $129,960 |
| Biological Scientists, All Other | $76,800 | $98,920 | $127,670 |
| Hydrologists | $77,210 | $96,600 | $122,830 |
| School Psychologists | $77,470 | $95,990 | $120,310 |
| Life Scientists, All Other | $68,990 | $93,750 | $131,910 |
| Chemists | $69,460 | $91,240 | $125,550 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $69,560 | $90,150 | $111,690 |
| Urban and Regional Planners | $72,020 | $89,320 | $110,030 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | $68,810 | $88,720 | $116,650 |
| Microbiologists | $67,100 | $87,990 | $122,350 |
| Epidemiologists | $71,090 | $87,220 | $112,640 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $64,490 | $82,220 | $107,970 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | $61,660 | $78,850 | $103,740 |
| Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | $61,180 | $76,780 | $96,100 |
| Historians | $57,290 | $76,750 | $99,990 |
| Foresters | $62,710 | $76,400 | $91,640 |
| Conservation Scientists | $57,700 | $73,010 | $91,560 |
| Forensic Science Technicians | $57,830 | $72,060 | $94,520 |
| Anthropologists and Archeologists | $59,400 | $70,770 | $89,670 |
| Survey Researchers | $51,270 | $69,460 | $99,760 |
| Animal Scientists | $49,770 | $68,940 | $103,300 |
| Hydrologic Technicians | $52,040 | $64,790 | $84,680 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other | $48,030 | $62,280 | $79,780 |
| Social Science Research Assistants | $48,620 | $61,990 | $77,760 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Technicians | $52,470 | $61,560 | $78,850 |
| Chemical Technicians | $48,530 | $60,390 | $75,900 |
| Biological Technicians (below the S-corp threshold) | $48,130 | $57,510 | $71,520 |
| Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health (below the S-corp threshold) | $45,820 | $55,090 | $69,910 |
| Forest and Conservation Technicians (below the S-corp threshold) | $47,360 | $54,560 | $68,600 |
| Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians (below the S-corp threshold) | $44,850 | $53,350 | $72,110 |
| Food Science Technicians (below the S-corp threshold) | $46,020 | $52,130 | $63,270 |
| Agricultural Technicians (below the S-corp threshold) | $40,950 | $49,630 | $63,630 |
What is a reasonable salary for a science S-corp owner?
It depends on the specific occupation, which is why the table lists all 48 separately instead of giving one number for the group. 42 carry a median at or above $60,000, roughly where an S-corp election starts repaying its overhead. Medians here run $49,630 to $193,950.
National figures, and a percentile is evidence rather than an answer.Model your own state and profit, or see all occupation groups.