DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 1,052 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 8,780 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Atmospheric and Space Scientists
Ranked by median salary from DOL filingsSalary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PASADENA, CA | $110,968 | +63.2% | 33 | 7 |
| Livermore, CA | $102,000 | +50% | 15 | 1 |
| Hampton, VA | $74,127 | +9% | 20 | 4 |
| GREENBELT, MD | $72,000 | +5.9% | 61 | 8 |
| Richland, WA | $69,750 | +2.6% | 42 | 2 |
| College Park, MD | $68,250 | +0.4% | 104 | 12 |
| Madison, WI | $67,764 | -0.3% | 20 | 3 |
| Boulder, CO | $66,557 | -2.1% | 78 | 6 |
| Seattle, WA | $64,320 | -5.4% | 14 | 4 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $61,679 | -9.3% | 26 | 1 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $59,500 | -12.5% | 20 | 2 |
| Cambridge, MA | $58,500 | -14% | 16 | 4 |
| Norman, OK | $58,065 | -14.6% | 17 | 1 |
| Princeton, NJ | $55,000 | -19.1% | 35 | 3 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $100,000 | +10.3% | 3 |
| Illinois | $88,560 | N/A | 11 |
| Hawaii | $81,994 | -32.9% | 3 |
| Nebraska | $81,700 | -25.8% | 7 |
| Nevada | $81,536 | -21.3% | 4 |
| California | $77,948 | -33.8% | 124 |
| New Mexico | $77,700 | -32% | 3 |
| Tennessee | $77,020 | -29.9% | 2 |
| New York | $76,678 | +9.7% | 28 |
| Kansas | $73,000 | -3.3% | 1 |
| Virginia | $70,720 | -36.8% | 29 |
| Maryland | $70,000 | -33.1% | 185 |
| North Carolina | $70,000 | -32.6% | 11 |
| Washington | $68,800 | -22.5% | 58 |
| Massachusetts | $68,123 | N/A | 38 |
| Wisconsin | $67,764 | -33.7% | 20 |
| Colorado | $66,918 | -37.1% | 92 |
| Idaho | $66,000 | -43.7% | 1 |
| Alabama | $65,957 | -22.2% | 3 |
| Alaska | $63,190 | -37.7% | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,582 | -28.1% | 4 |
| District of Columbia | $60,335 | -38.7% | 4 |
| Michigan | $59,500 | -38% | 20 |
| Utah | $58,864 | -1.3% | 1 |
| Oklahoma | $58,065 | -26.7% | 17 |
| New Jersey | $57,500 | -44.7% | 41 |
| Iowa | $57,000 | -21.4% | 1 |
| Indiana | $57,000 | -43.9% | 3 |
| New Hampshire | $55,000 | -14.2% | 5 |
| Connecticut | $55,000 | N/A | 4 |
| Florida | $54,163 | -43.4% | 21 |
| Arizona | $53,498 | -30.5% | 1 |
| Wyoming | $52,068 | -29.8% | 4 |
| Texas | $50,002 | -43.6% | 14 |
| South Carolina | $50,000 | -47.7% | 1 |
| Ohio | $49,422 | -35.2% | 2 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Atmospheric and Space Scientists positions, 50% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 30% required a Master's degree, and 0% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland College Park | Not specified | $63,296 |
| University Corporation for Atmospheric Research | Not specified | $64,570 |
| Universities Space Research Association | Not specified | $78,190 |
| University of Colorado | Not specified | $63,206 |
| I.M. SYSTEMS GROUP | Bachelor's | $72,800 |
| BATTELLE | Not specified | $65,250 |
| The Trustees of Princeton University | Not specified | $55,000 |
| Science Systems and Applications, Inc. | Not specified | $74,127 |
| Battelle Memorial Institute | Not specified | $70,186 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | Not specified | $61,679 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Atmospheric and Space Scientists is Professional and Technical Services at $80,873. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Educational Services at $67,404.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 1,052 DOL filings, the median salary for a Atmospheric and Space Scientists is $68,000, ranging from $57,600 to $81,400.
The 90th percentile salary is $160,710 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, PASADENA, CA offers the highest median at $110,968.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Atmospheric and Space Scientists positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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