What Does it Take to Be a Natural Sciences Manager?
Position Description Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.
Life As a Natural Sciences Manager: What Do They Do?
- Recruit personnel or oversee the development or maintenance of staff competence.
- Prepare and administer budgets, approve and review expenditures, and prepare financial reports.
- Hire, supervise, or evaluate engineers, technicians, researchers, or other staff.
- Develop or implement policies, standards, or procedures for the architectural, scientific, or technical work performed to ensure regulatory compliance or operations enhancement.
- Review project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports.
- Develop client relationships and communicate with clients to explain proposals, present research findings, establish specifications, or discuss project status.
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Skills Needed to be a Natural Sciences Manager
Natural Sciences Managers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Types of Natural Sciences Manager
- Development Coordinator
- Water Team Leader
- Research Development Manager
- Natural Resources Specialist
- Agriculture Research Director
Is There Job Demand for Natural Sciences Managers?
In the United States, there were 56,700 jobs for Natural Sciences Manager in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 5,600 new jobs for Natural Sciences Manager by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 5,200 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Natural Sciences Manager are Utah, Arizona, and Missouri. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Wyoming, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Natural Sciences Manager
The average yearly salary of a Natural Sciences Manager ranges between $65,000 and $208,000.

Natural Sciences Managers who work in New Jersey, Massachusetts, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Natural Sciences Managers in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $112,140 |
Alaska | $106,010 |
Arizona | $101,790 |
Arkansas | $109,910 |
California | $168,790 |
Colorado | $141,750 |
Connecticut | $179,200 |
District of Columbia | $132,310 |
Hawaii | $115,240 |
Idaho | $93,940 |
Illinois | $118,480 |
Indiana | $65,270 |
Iowa | $127,440 |
Kansas | $127,440 |
Kentucky | $110,070 |
Louisiana | $94,850 |
Maine | $135,840 |
Maryland | $148,310 |
Massachusetts | $183,490 |
Michigan | $113,840 |
Minnesota | $125,780 |
Mississippi | $101,240 |
Missouri | $116,190 |
Montana | $104,930 |
Nebraska | $89,620 |
Nevada | $115,150 |
New Jersey | $184,640 |
New Mexico | $104,030 |
New York | $148,460 |
North Carolina | $153,490 |
North Dakota | $115,540 |
Ohio | $131,680 |
Oklahoma | $116,160 |
Oregon | $109,610 |
Pennsylvania | $147,810 |
Rhode Island | $132,880 |
South Carolina | $91,270 |
South Dakota | $105,190 |
Tennessee | $111,670 |
Texas | $127,270 |
Utah | $99,810 |
Vermont | $97,340 |
Virginia | $133,360 |
Washington | $153,600 |
Wisconsin | $106,110 |
Wyoming | $95,120 |
What Tools do Natural Sciences Managers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Natural Sciences Managers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft Visio
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Structured query language SQL
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- SAS
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Graphics software
- StataCorp Stata
- IBM Lotus 1-2-3
- Laboratory information management system LIMS
- STATISTICA
- Oracle DBMS
How to Become a Natural Sciences Manager
Learn what Natural Sciences Manager education requirements there are.

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Natural Sciences Managers Are Employed

The table below shows the approximate number of Natural Sciences Managers employed by various industries.

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those who work as a Natural Sciences Manager sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Janderk via public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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