Science
What you can do with Cognitive Science
How minds work, drawing on psychology, linguistics, philosophy and computing.
- Careers
- 4
- Early career
- $45,000
- Mid-career
- $72,000
- Growing fast
- 4 of 4
How these numbers work: A major does not have its own salary. Early and mid-career pay is what people who hold this degree earn at the start of their careers and midway through them. Career pay comes from the 4 careers a Cognitive Science degree commonly leads to, and counts everyone in those jobs, including people who have been doing them for thirty years. The two answer different questions, which is why they do not match.
The New York Fed does not report Cognitive Science on its own. Its early and mid-career figures here are for Psychology, the broader group it places this major in.
52% of people with this degree go on to a graduate degree, so the higher-paying careers below usually mean more school after the bachelor's.
4 of 4 careers this degree leads to are projected to grow faster than average from 2024 to 2034. Of those, Data Scientist has the most openings, about 23,400 a year.
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4 careers this degree leads to
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
$193,950Apply psychology to the workplace: hiring, leadership, motivation, and how organizations perform.
- Middle half of workers
- $107,310 to $222,280
- Growth
- Faster than average
- Openings a year
- 400
Work-life56Remote58- Assessment Design
- Organizational Research
- Statistics
- Consulting
Data Scientist
$120,230Develop and implement methods to analyze large datasets to identify patterns and inform decisions.
- Middle half of workers
- $85,660 to $158,880
- Growth
- Much faster than average
- Openings a year
- 23,400
Work-life75Remote85Satisfaction80- Statistical Analysis
- Machine Learning
- Python
- Data Visualization
UX Researcher / Designer
$104,000Conduct user research and design intuitive, accessible digital interfaces that meet user needs and business goals.
- Middle half of workers
- $73,290 to $158,820
- Growth
- Much faster than average
- Openings a year
- 9,100
Work-life75Remote85Satisfaction80- User Research
- Wireframing and Prototyping
- Usability Testing
- Information Architecture
Clinical Psychologist
$100,580Diagnose and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders through therapy and assessment.
- Middle half of workers
- $73,210 to $135,200
- Growth
- Much faster than average
- Openings a year
- 4,800
Work-life55Remote40Satisfaction78- Psychological Assessment
- Therapy
- Research Methods
- Diagnosis
Related majors
Set on Cognitive Science?
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Where these pay figures come from
Early and mid-career pay is the median annual wage of full-time workers who hold a bachelor's degree in that major, ages 22 to 27 and ages 35 to 45, from 2024 data. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (IPUMS). Published as Outcomes by Major by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.