The median annual wage of natural sciences managers was $116,020 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $67,290, and the top 10 percent earned more than $166,400.
Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of natural sciences managers in May 2010 were as follows:
| Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences | $145,160 |
| Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing | 143,120 |
| Federal government, excluding postal service | 107,590 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 72,900 |
Almost all natural sciences managers work full time. Managers often work long hours to meet project deadlines. They also may experience considerable pressure to meet technical or scientific goals on a short deadline or within a tight budget.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition