Management · Holland code IEC

Natural Sciences Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.

Also called: Chemical Process Exploration Manager, Environmental Program Manager, Natural Sciences Manager, Research and Development Director (R and D Director), Analytical Services Manager, Chemical Engineer Supervisor, Lab Manager (Laboratory Manager), Research Administrator.

O*NET 11-9121.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $167,220; Middle half earn $119,430 to $221,540. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Bachelor's Degree; 35% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 5 of 5; Extensive preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +4% · As fast as average; 104,300 jobs in 2024, projected 108,200. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Natural sciences managers".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Hire, supervise, or evaluate engineers, technicians, researchers, or other staff.
Design or coordinate successive phases of problem analysis, solution proposals, or testing.
Plan or direct research, development, or production activities.
Provide for stewardship of plant or animal resources or habitats, studying land use, monitoring animal populations, or providing shelter, resources, or medical treatment for animals.
Review project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports.
Confer with scientists, engineers, regulators, or others to plan or review projects or to provide technical assistance.
Develop client relationships and communicate with clients to explain proposals, present research findings, establish specifications, or discuss project status.
Determine scientific or technical goals within broad outlines provided by top management and make detailed plans to accomplish these goals.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Science4.1 / 5
Reading Comprehension4.0 / 5
Active Listening4.0 / 5
Critical Thinking4.0 / 5
Monitoring4.0 / 5
Writing3.9 / 5

Knowledge areas

Biology4.0 / 5
English Language4.0 / 5
Administration and Management3.8 / 5
Computers and Electronics3.7 / 5
Administrative3.6 / 5
Chemistry3.5 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic29
Investigative81
Artistic24
Social35
Enterprising77
Conventional54

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

research and development manager · DE Forschungs- und Entwicklungsleiter/Forschungs- und Entwicklungsleiterin · FR directeur de recherche-développement en industrie/directrice de recherche-développement en industrie
research manager · DE Forschungsleiter/Forschungsleiterin · FR directeur de recherche/directrice de recherche
natural resources consultant · DE Berater Natürliche Ressourcen/Beraterin Natürliche Ressourcen · FR conseiller en environnement/conseillère en environnement

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Conservation professionals (2151)21,900 employed
Research and development (R&D) managers (2161)86,200 employed
Environment professionals (2152)80,200 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Managers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Managers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€96,629
Italy	€96,052
Germany	€90,192
Austria	€82,936
Netherlands	€69,857
Sweden	€60,369
France	€58,740
Ireland	€55,854
Spain	€54,121
Portugal	€39,189
Poland	€19,596

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +1.33. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (11-9121).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test