Conservation Scientists pay range in San Jose
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $69,170 a year or less, while the top 10% make $166,780 or more. The middle half of conservation scientists in San Jose earn between $87,230 and $143,890.
- $69K10th
- $87K25th
- $110KMedian
- $144K75th
- $167K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $118,820 | $9,902 | $57.12 |
| Median | $110,200 | $9,183 | $52.98 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $87,230 | $7,269 | $41.94 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $143,890 | $11,991 | $69.18 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Conservation Scientists salary after taxes in San Jose
On the average salary of $118,820, a single filer in San Jose takes home about $85,462 a year, or $7,122 a month and $3,287 every two weeks. Taxes take 28% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Jose a good place for conservation scientists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Jose area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.4), so the average $118,820 buys what about $107,604 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in San Jose ($84,050). A typical home costs $1,610,466, or 13.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Conservation Scientists salary in other California cities
San Jose ranks 1st of 13 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- San Jose$118,820
- San Francisco$99,130
- Santa Cruz$96,480
- Sacramento$92,500
- Salinas$88,500
- Santa Maria$88,130
- San Diego$85,940
- Santa Rosa$85,840
- Oxnard$85,140
- Riverside$80,140
Highest-paying cities for conservation scientists
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,820).
- San Jose, CA$118,820
- Washington, DC$108,770
- Springfield, IL$105,360
- Amherst, MA$99,360
- San Francisco, CA$99,130
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Conservation Scientists salary in San Jose: questions
How much do conservation scientists make an hour in San Jose?
$57.13 an hour on average, and $52.98 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level conservation scientists salary in San Jose?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $69,170 a year and the 25th percentile is $87,230, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the conservation scientists take-home pay in San Jose?
About $85,462 a year ($7,122 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $118,820. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do conservation scientists earn more in San Jose than elsewhere?
The average here is 51% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($78,606).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-1031; area San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.39, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.39).
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