Atmospheric and Space Scientist salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 16 certified H-1B filings in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Pasadena, Irvine, North Hollywood.
Also listed as: Earth Scientist Atmospheric Science
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $73,029 |
| 25th | $76,898 |
| 50th (median) | $96,550 |
| 75th | $115,300 |
| 90th | $142,314 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 5 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 8 |
| FY2022 | $88,400 | $65,946 | $123,292 | 15 |
| FY2023 | $83,490 | $77,920 | $91,675 | 10 |
| FY2024 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2025 | $98,350 | $76,898 | $132,579 | 12 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 4 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median Atmospheric and Space Scientist salary of $96,550 is worth about $85,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Atmospheric and Space Scientists in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $111,790 in May 2025 (220 employed). The H-1B median here is $96,550, 14% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| University of California, Los Angeles | too few | 7 |
| California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory | too few | 4 |
| California Institute of Technology | too few | 2 |
| University Of California, Irvine | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | – | 0 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 4 |
| Expert · Level IV | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.