Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other · SOC 19-3099

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Others

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas

Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for social scientists and related workers, all other. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked (1 such areas are excluded here). Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

Top 25 of 113 metro areas

Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other: metro areas with the highest published median annual wages, May 2025
#	Metro area	Median annual	Employment	Per 1,000 jobs
1	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$138,250	6,220	2.0
2	Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	$135,390	100	0.3
3	New Haven, CT	$126,610	70	0.2
4	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$124,590	1,070	0.8
5	Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH	$120,220	680	1.8
6	Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	$119,520	70	0.5
7	Charlottesville, VA	$119,430	350	3.0
8	Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	$115,920	290	1.2
9	Trenton-Princeton, NJ	$113,800	50	0.2
10	Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$112,990	40	0.1
11	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	$110,490	560	0.5
12	Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$109,640	300	0.2
13	Colorado Springs, CO	$109,140	250	0.8
14	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$108,430	70	0.1
15	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$108,350	290	0.1
16	Fayetteville, NC	$107,950	290	2.2
17	Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	$107,910	440	0.6
18	Omaha, NE-IA	$107,410	90	0.2
19	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$107,170	2,700	0.3
20	New Orleans-Metairie, LA	$106,550	340	0.8
21	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$105,670	760	0.3
22	College Station-Bryan, TX	$105,270	90	0.6
23	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$105,140	800	0.4
24	Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$104,770	340	0.3
25	Boulder, CO	$104,750	100	0.5

Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other overview.

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.