SOC 11-9121

Natural Sciences Managers Salary in Houston-Pasadena, TX (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + TX
COL Index: 107.37 (+7.4% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 72.3% Realized
$96,017 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $132,860 $63.88/hr
Effective Tax Drag 21.73% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 24% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$28,871 $1,110.42/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $63.88 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,972/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,913/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$18,707
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$8,237
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,926
Texas Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$96,017 ($3,692.98 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Natural Sciences Managers Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $132,860
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $77.0k 25th $99.2k Median: $132,860 50th (Median) $133k 75th $173k 90th $215k You: $132,860
10th (Entry) $77,030 $37.03/hr
25th (Junior) $99,170 $47.68/hr
50th (Median) $132,860 $63.88/hr
75th (Senior) $173,110 $83.23/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $215,470 $103.59/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Natural Sciences Managers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
1
Research ScientistBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$63,323$30.44/hr · 2-5 Years
2
Senior ScientistDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$94,866$45.61/hr · 5-9 Years
3
Natural Sciences ManagerFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$132,844$63.87/hr · 9-14 Years
4
Director of ResearchOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$175,987$84.61/hr · 14-20 Years
5
VP of R&D / Chief ScientistExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$251,705$121.01/hr · 20+ Years
Scaled to the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX medianView National Natural Sciences Managers Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Project Management Specialists-$64,900/yr
National median: $102,320
Skill overlap: 77%View Salary
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers-$57,850/yr
National median: $109,370
Skill overlap: 77%
Biological Technicians-$109,710/yr
National median: $57,510
Skill overlap: 63%
Data Scientists-$46,990/yr
National median: $120,230
Skill overlap: 62%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
16% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,261/month Requires minimum annual gross of $50,440
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,497/month Requires minimum annual gross of $59,880
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.75/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.58/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$132,860-$28,871$96,017$3,692.98
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$157,771-$36,397$111,908$4,304.16
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$182,683-$43,922$127,799$4,915.35
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$207,594-$50,085$145,054$5,578.98
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$232,505-$56,344$162,210$6,238.86
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Natural Sciences Managers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Texas tax codes.

Market Baseline
$132,860/yr
$63.88/hr · SOC 11-9121
Statutory Tax Drag
21.73% Effective
-$28,871 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
16% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$6,740/mo
Post-$1,261/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 11-9121
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Natural Sciences Managers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: Market Snapshot

Natural Sciences Managers roles in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX report a median annual wage of $132,860, 20.5% below the national median of $167,220. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $77,030 to $215,470, and HUD’s $1,261 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 11.4% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.75 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Natural Sciences Managers

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$291,000+119.0%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$263,810+98.6%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$225,230+69.5%
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR$220,120+65.7%
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT$217,480+63.7%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$215,860+62.5%
Worcester, MA$212,600+60.0%
Midland, MI$212,130+59.7%
New Haven, CT$210,670+58.6%
Boulder, CO$210,340+58.3%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$275,270$132.34/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$172,160$82.77/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$172,020$82.70/hr
Financial Manager$166,910$80.25/hr
Marketing Managers$153,030$73.57/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$148,870$71.57/hr
Human Resources Managers$142,110$68.32/hr
Data Engineer$139,100$66.88/hr
Purchasing Managers$139,050$66.85/hr
Physician Assistant$137,240$65.98/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 210 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Natural Sciences Managers Salary in Houston-Pasadena, TX (2026) Overview

Natural Sciences Managers median pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $132,860 a year ($63.88/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage. Official 2026 economic data for Natural Sciences Managers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Natural Sciences Managers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The median annual wage is $132,860 ($63.88 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $77,030 and $215,470. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Natural Sciences Managers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX after taxes?

On the median wage of $132,860, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $102,076 a year ($8,506 a month) after $30,784 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 23.17%, using 2026 tax rules.