jobfacts

Natural and social science professionals n.e.c.

SOC 2020 2119

Job holders in this unit group perform a variety of scientific research and related activities not elsewhere classified in minor group 211: Natural and social science professionals.

Also calledPerformance sports scientistSports and exercise scientistSports performance analystSports physiologistConsumer scientistResearch scientistand 14 more titles
Typical full-time pay£43,4002025 Provisional
People in the job37,000across the UK
New adverts a month324↓ 13%on last year · 311th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time natural and social science professionals n.e.c. earn between £34,400 and £53,800 a year.

What full-time natural and social science professionals n.e.c. earn, 2025
£43,400 typical£28,700lowest 10%£34,40025%£56,800top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£34,400–£53,800)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£28,700
Lowest 20% earn less than£32,100
25%£34,400
Median£43,400
75%£53,800
Top 20% earn more than£56,800
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £43,400
South East!£45,900
East of England!£45,100
Scotland!£36,000
Wales!£34,800
South West!£33,700
East Midlands!£31,900
North East!£25,900
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £43,400
South East£45,900 (small sample)
East of England£45,100 (small sample)
Scotland£36,000 (small sample)
Wales£34,800 (small sample)
South West£33,700 (small sample)
East Midlands£31,900 (small sample)
North East£25,900 (small sample)
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £40,900
  • 2024 £41,500
  • 2025 Provisional£43,400
↑ 6.1% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 324 jobs for natural and social science professionals n.e.c. are advertised each month.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026Not published
Jul 2026348
Jun 2026Not published
May 2026299
Apr 2026297
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026278
Jan 2026354
Dec 2025187
Nov 2025420
Oct 2025366
Sept 2025365
Aug 2025433
Jul 2025462
Jun 2025458
May 2025503
Apr 2025409
Mar 2025513
Feb 2025407
Jan 2025326
Dec 2024250
Nov 2024304
Oct 2024341
Sept 2024327
Aug 2024362
Jul 2024397
Jun 2024352
May 2024395
Apr 2024383
Mar 2024400
Feb 2024429
Jan 2024544
Dec 2023480
Nov 2023552
Oct 2023489
Sept 2023424
Aug 2023535
Jul 2023516
Jun 2023698
May 2023752
Apr 2023499
Mar 2023598
Feb 2023648
Jan 2023706
Dec 2022792
Nov 2022820
Oct 2022777
Sept 2022665
Aug 2022789
Jul 2022792
Jun 2022806
May 20221,059
Apr 2022874
Mar 20221,021
Feb 20221,094
Jan 2022994
Dec 2021900
Nov 20211,082
Oct 2021924
Sept 2021884
Aug 2021870
Jul 2021976
Jun 2021836
May 2021853
Apr 2021747
Mar 20211,306
Feb 2021662
Jan 2021738
Dec 2020770
Nov 2020682
Oct 2020853
Sept 2020648
Aug 2020576
Jul 2020518
Jun 2020508
May 2020483
Apr 2020497
Mar 2020677
Feb 2020723
Jan 2020726
Dec 2019586
Nov 2019587
Oct 2019694
Sept 2019583
Aug 2019672
Jul 2019746
Jun 2019826
May 2019744
Apr 2019531
Mar 2019529
Feb 2019530
Jan 2019586
Dec 2018408
Nov 2018508
Oct 2018591
Sept 2018607
Aug 2018637
Jul 2018610
Jun 2018659
May 2018607
Apr 2018531
Mar 2018566
Feb 2018514
Jan 2018560
Dec 2017355
Nov 2017500
Oct 2017456
Sept 2017491
Aug 2017621
Jul 2017523
Jun 2017580
May 2017618
Apr 2017544
Mar 2017628
Feb 2017539
Jan 2017581
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
14%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for natural and social science professionals, which includes natural and social science professionals n.e.c.. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London271
Cambridge72
Oxford39
Birmingham30
Manchester23
Leeds20
Bristol, City of19
Belfast18
Glasgow City17
Nottingham17
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where natural and social science professionals n.e.c. are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 1,429 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from China, Italy, United States, ranking it 12th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of natural and social science professionals n.e.c.
4.7%!
38%!
29%!
26%!
n/p
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–244.7% (small sample)
25–3438% (small sample)
35–4429% (small sample)
45–5426% (small sample)
55–64Not published
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent94%
Higher education below degree!4.8%
A levels or equivalent!2.9%
GCSEs or equivalent!3.7%
Other qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent94%
Higher education below degree4.8% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent2.9% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent3.7% (small sample)
Other qualificationsNot published

Main employers: tertiary education (30%), other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering (13%), manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations (5.8%), activities of professional membership organisations (4.6%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
94%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

Routes in

Performance sports scientist

You can get into this job through a university course.

University

You could take a degree course in sport and exercise science. Courses that include the 3 main subjects of biomechanics, physiology and psychology, will help to keep your job and study options open later on.

Alternatively, you could study for a degree in a science related subject followed by a postgraduate qualification in sports science.

Related subjects include:

  • physical education
  • natural sciences
  • physiology
  • psychology

It's quite common for sports scientists to have or be working towards a postgraduate qualification.

Courses that include work placements or internship opportunities could give you an advantage when job hunting after completing your studies. This is something to ask universities about when you're looking at their courses.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Experience as fitness instructor, lifeguard, coach or volunteering, for example with a sports club, may improve your career prospects.

It will help you stand out in a competitive jobs market if you have extra qualifications like:

  • first aid
  • gym instructing
  • safeguarding
Professional and industry bodies

You could join The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) for professional development opportunities.

Further information

You'll find more advice on careers in sports science from The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences and Careers in Sport.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for performance sports scientist. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Consumer scientist

You can get into this job through:

University

You’ll usually need a degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject like:

  • consumer studies
  • food and consumer product management
  • food science or technology
  • psychology
  • marketing
  • statistics

Some employers may ask for a postgraduate qualification in behavioural psychology or consumer behaviour.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

Apply directly

You may be able to apply directly if you've got relevant experience in a related industry, for instance food manufacturing or market research analysis.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for consumer scientist. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Research scientist

You can get into this job through:

University

You usually need a first or 2:1 (upper second class) degree in a science subject to become a research scientist. Most research scientists continue to study for a postgraduate qualification like a PhD.

You could study on an integrated postgraduate master's course. These courses include independent research and are designed to lead directly on to a PhD.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including a science, for a degree
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a degree apprenticeship if you want to work in a particular field of scientific research.

Apprenticeships include:

  • Scientist Level 6
  • Biomedical Scientist Level 6
  • Nuclear Scientist Level 6
  • Materials Science Technologist Level 6
  • Clinical Scientist Level 7

You could also do a Research Scientist Level 7 Apprenticeship, which is equivalent to postgraduate study.

These apprenticeships can take between 3 and 5 years to complete.

Entry requirements

To get onto an apprenticeship, you'll find it useful to have:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

Work your way up

It may be possible to start as a research assistant or graduate industrial scientist. You would usually need to study part time for a PhD while you work.

UK Research and Innovation and industrial companies sometimes offer studentships. This would give you the opportunity to do a PhD while getting practical research experience.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

It may improve your chances of finding work if you've got work experience in a research department, or your degree included a placement in a research environment.

As a graduate, you could look for postgraduate training opportunities offered through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP). In a KTP you would get the opportunity to run a research project together with an organisation and a university or research body.

Further information

You can get advice about research careers from the Science Council and professional bodies for particular scientific fields, such as:

  • Biochemical Society
  • Royal Society of Biology
  • Institute of Physics

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for research scientist. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • plans, directs and undertakes research into natural phenomena
  • provides technical advisory and consulting services
  • designs tests and experiments to address research objective and find solutions
  • applies models and techniques to medical, industrial, agricultural, military and similar applications
  • analyses results and writes up results of tests and experiments undertaken
  • presents results of scientific research to sponsors, addresses conferences and publishes articles outlining the methodology and results of research undertaken
  • designs and develops an appropriate research methodology in order to address the research objective
  • compiles and analyses quantitative and qualitative data, prepares reports and presents results to summarise main findings and conclusions
  • advises government, private organisations and special interest groups on policy issues
  • writes journal articles, books, and addresses conferences, seminars and the media to reveal research findings

Skills

  • apply scientific methods
  • perform laboratory tests
  • perform scientific research
  • develop scientific research protocols
  • develop scientific theories
  • write research proposals
  • write scientific papers
  • write work-related reports
  • maintain laboratory equipment
  • analyse blood samples
  • analyse cell cultures
  • analyse work-related written reports
  • archive scientific documentation
  • assess environmental impact

Knowledge

  • biology
  • laboratory techniques
  • microbiology-bacteriology
  • scientific research methodology
  • animal welfare legislation
  • biological chemistry
  • communicable diseases
  • food legislation

Suits people who like

  • Working with ideas and solving problems
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for science, research, engineering and technology professionals, a group of 28 jobs that includes natural and social science professionals n.e.c..
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 18%about 394,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.3 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.