SOC 19-1031 · Reading, PA metro

Conservation Scientists Salary in Reading, PA

The average salary for conservation scientists in Reading, Pennsylvania is $61,100 a year ($29.37 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $60,000: half of the 30 people in this job in the Reading, PA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 22% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($78,606).

$61,100average per year

$29.37 / hourMedian $60,000Take-home ≈ $49,398

  • $39K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $60KMedian
  • $73K75th
  • $99K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

30people in this job
-22%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 6Pennsylvania metros
97cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Conservation Scientists pay range in Reading

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,840 a year or less, while the top 10% make $98,970 or more. The middle half of conservation scientists in Reading earn between $38,840 and $73,180.

  • $39K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $60KMedian
  • $73K75th
  • $99K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$61,100$5,092$29.38
Median$60,000$5,000$28.85
Entry level (25th percentile)$38,840$3,237$18.67
Experienced (75th percentile)$73,180$6,098$35.18

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Conservation Scientists salary after taxes in Reading

On the average salary of $61,100, a single filer in Reading takes home about $49,398 a year, or $4,117 a month and $1,900 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

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Is Reading a good place for conservation scientists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Reading area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.1), so the average $61,100 buys what about $62,951 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Reading ($49,440). A typical home costs $312,348, or 5.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $61,100 is worth in another city

Conservation Scientists salary in other Pennsylvania cities

Reading ranks 4th of 6 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Allentown pays the most ($65,440).

All Conservation Scientists salaries in Pennsylvania

Highest-paying cities for conservation scientists

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,820).

Conservation Scientists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Conservation Scientists in Reading, PA.

Conservation Scientists salary in Reading: questions

How much do conservation scientists make an hour in Reading?

$29.37 an hour on average, and $28.85 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level conservation scientists salary in Reading?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,840 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,840, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the conservation scientists take-home pay in Reading?

About $49,398 a year ($4,117 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $61,100. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

Do conservation scientists earn more in Reading than elsewhere?

The average here is 22% less 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 Reading, PA (39740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.4%.
  • 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.19, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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