Researcher Salary By State: Highest-Paid Researchers by State [2026]
Research Summary. After thorough analysis by the Zippia data science team, we have compiled the current details on researcher salaries across the United States for 2026:
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Connecticut boasts the highest researcher salary at $101,894
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North Dakota has the lowest researcher salary at $33,004
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The national average salary for researchers is $67,145
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The national hourly wage for researchers is $32.28
For a detailed overview, view our specific methodology.
Background
In surveys across various demographics, salary remains the top priority for most job seekers. People often ask, “How much do researchers earn in my area?” While several factors influence your specific earning potential, comprehensive data exists on average researcher salaries by state, categorized by seniority level. Although your city may differ slightly from the state average, these figures provide a useful benchmark for salary expectations.
Connecticut stands out as the state with the highest researcher salaries.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for researcher salaries:
Let’s explore how we arrived at these figures and review a complete ranking of all states.
Highest-Paid Researchers By State
| Rank | State | Average Researcher Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $101,894 | $56,000 | $183,000 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $98,688 | $54,000 | $178,000 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $93,502 | $50,000 | $171,000 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $86,267 | $46,000 | $159,000 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $84,820 | $45,000 | $157,000 |
| 6 | California | $84,744 | $46,000 | $153,000 |
| 7 | Indiana | $82,021 | $46,000 | $145,000 |
| 8 | New York | $76,045 | $40,000 | $143,000 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $75,092 | $62,000 | $90,000 |
| 10 | Delaware | $74,962 | $39,000 | $141,000 |
| 11 | Maine | $74,868 | $39,000 | $142,000 |
| 12 | Arizona | $72,481 | $39,000 | $131,000 |
| 13 | Oregon | $71,913 | $39,000 | $130,000 |
| 14 | Maryland | $71,886 | $38,000 | $134,000 |
| 15 | Idaho | $69,784 | $39,000 | $123,000 |
| 16 | Vermont | $69,680 | $36,000 | $132,000 |
| 17 | Nevada | $68,697 | $37,000 | $127,000 |
| 18 | Washington | $67,105 | $37,000 | $120,000 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $65,976 | $34,000 | $124,000 |
| 20 | Michigan | $65,970 | $36,000 | $119,000 |
| 21 | Illinois | $60,055 | $34,000 | $104,000 |
| 22 | Virginia | $58,920 | $31,000 | $109,000 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $57,518 | $32,000 | $101,000 |
| 24 | Ohio | $57,287 | $31,000 | $104,000 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $56,328 | $31,000 | $100,000 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $55,691 | $31,000 | $98,000 |
| 27 | Alaska | $51,746 | $31,000 | $86,000 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $49,662 | $30,000 | $81,000 |
| 29 | Montana | $49,577 | $30,000 | $80,000 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $49,537 | $27,000 | $89,000 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $49,460 | $28,000 | $85,000 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $48,939 | $26,000 | $89,000 |
| 33 | Georgia | $48,643 | $27,000 | $87,000 |
| 34 | Colorado | $48,581 | $28,000 | $83,000 |
| 35 | Florida | $45,782 | $24,000 | $84,000 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $45,681 | $27,000 | $77,000 |
| 37 | Texas | $45,518 | $24,000 | $83,000 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $45,075 | $24,000 | $82,000 |
| 39 | Kansas | $44,113 | $25,000 | $76,000 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $42,091 | $23,000 | $74,000 |
| 41 | Missouri | $40,424 | $23,000 | $70,000 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $38,981 | $23,000 | $64,000 |
| 43 | Alabama | $38,724 | $21,000 | $69,000 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $37,933 | $20,000 | $69,000 |
| 45 | Utah | $37,744 | $21,000 | $66,000 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $36,723 | $20,000 | $66,000 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $35,913 | $21,000 | $61,000 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $35,166 | $19,000 | $63,000 |
| 49 | Iowa | $33,977 | $19,000 | $57,000 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $33,004 | $21,000 | $51,000 |
Methodology: Researcher Salary By State
To gain insight into researcher pay by state, Zippia has consolidated data from various sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Federal Labor Commission (FLC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This data is further enhanced with actual salary listings from job postings. Finally, our data science team computes a weighted average to derive the average pay for researchers by state.
We ranked each state based on its average annual salary for researchers, identifying the state with the highest salary as the top for researcher compensation.
Researcher Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for researchers?
The highest-paid state for researchers is Connecticut with an average salary of $101,894 per year.
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What city pays researchers the most?
Newark, NJ pays researchers the highest average salary at $100,676 per year.
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What is the lowest-paying state for researchers?
The lowest-paying state for researchers is North Dakota, with an average salary of $33,004 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
