Best states for an animal scientist

Q: What is the best state for animal scientists?

The best state to be an animal scientist is Delaware based on animal scientist salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for animal scientists?

The highest paying state for animal scientists is Colorado based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for animal scientists?

The worst state for animal scientists is Colorado, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Sami Mejri Ph.D.

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Do you want to become an animal scientist at Riverview, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for animal scientists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research shows that Delaware is the best state in the country for animal scientists.

In order to get you the best states for animal scientists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the West is best for animal scientists, and the Northeast is the worst. Lodi, CA is the best city in the country for animal scientist jobs, where as Delaware is the best state in the country.

10 best states for animal scientists in 2025

1. Delaware
Total animal scientist jobs: 127
Average annual salary: $90,160
Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000
Location Quotient:
1.63
Animal scientist jobs in Delaware
2. Connecticut
Total animal scientist jobs: 272
Average annual salary: $93,775
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000
Location Quotient:
1.32
Animal scientist jobs in Connecticut
3. Rhode Island
Total animal scientist jobs: 89
Average annual salary: $94,263
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000
Location Quotient:
1.18
Animal scientist jobs in Rhode Island
4. Maryland
Total animal scientist jobs: 894
Average annual salary: $88,287
Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000
Location Quotient:
2.27
Animal scientist jobs in Maryland
5. New Hampshire
Total animal scientist jobs: 137
Average annual salary: $90,313
Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000
Location Quotient:
1.26
Animal scientist jobs in New Hampshire
6. Vermont
Total animal scientist jobs: 66
Average annual salary: $84,276
Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000
Location Quotient:
1.39
Animal scientist jobs in Vermont
7. Massachusetts
Total animal scientist jobs: 505
Average annual salary: $92,651
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000
Location Quotient:
0.89
Animal scientist jobs in Massachusetts
8. New Jersey
Total animal scientist jobs: 916
Average annual salary: $69,792
Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000
Location Quotient:
1.86
Animal scientist jobs in New Jersey
9. Nevada
Total animal scientist jobs: 113
Average annual salary: $89,805
Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000
Location Quotient:
0.87
Animal scientist jobs in Nevada
10. Virginia
Total animal scientist jobs: 1,052
Average annual salary: $69,955
Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000
Location Quotient:
1.8
Animal scientist jobs in Virginia

Animal scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be an animal scientist

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for an animal scientist

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Delaware	$90,160	$57,000	961,939	127
2	Connecticut	$93,775	$60,000	3,588,184	272
3	Rhode Island	$94,263	$61,000	1,059,639	89
4	Maryland	$88,287	$55,000	6,052,177	894
5	New Hampshire	$90,313	$59,000	1,342,795	137
6	Vermont	$84,276	$56,000	623,657	66
7	Massachusetts	$92,651	$60,000	6,859,819	505
8	New Jersey	$69,792	$44,000	9,005,644	916
9	Nevada	$89,805	$53,000	2,998,039	113
10	Virginia	$69,955	$43,000	8,470,020	1,052
11	Pennsylvania	$66,428	$42,000	12,805,537	963
12	North Carolina	$64,711	$40,000	10,273,419	833
13	Indiana	$71,245	$46,000	6,666,818	305
14	Kansas	$65,232	$43,000	2,913,123	178
15	New Mexico	$58,641	$36,000	2,088,070	169
16	Wisconsin	$61,174	$41,000	5,795,483	391
17	District of Columbia	$87,610	$55,000	693,972	29
18	California	$79,817	$47,000	39,536,653	1,126
19	Maine	$60,224	$40,000	1,335,907	96
20	New York	$59,820	$38,000	19,849,399	1,180
21	Oregon	$61,965	$36,000	4,142,776	297
22	Wyoming	$55,755	$36,000	579,315	49
23	Tennessee	$59,306	$37,000	6,715,984	242
24	Illinois	$56,667	$37,000	12,802,023	882
25	Michigan	$57,978	$38,000	9,962,311	359
26	Alabama	$55,885	$35,000	4,874,747	145
27	Iowa	$54,410	$36,000	3,145,711	197
28	Missouri	$53,190	$35,000	6,113,532	408
29	Utah	$52,251	$32,000	3,101,833	211
30	Idaho	$52,620	$32,000	1,716,943	109
31	Georgia	$55,340	$34,000	10,429,379	438
32	Oklahoma	$56,016	$35,000	3,930,864	69
33	Florida	$54,824	$33,000	20,984,400	712
34	Minnesota	$51,975	$36,000	5,576,606	413
35	Kentucky	$54,070	$35,000	4,454,189	118
36	South Dakota	$44,836	$31,000	869,666	108
37	Arkansas	$53,934	$34,000	3,004,279	72
38	Nebraska	$50,868	$34,000	1,920,076	125
39	Hawaii	$44,205	$34,000	1,427,538	82
40	Arizona	$52,802	$32,000	7,016,270	277
41	North Dakota	$44,014	$32,000	755,393	76
42	Alaska	$42,239	$27,000	739,795	78
43	Ohio	$49,096	$31,000	11,658,609	495
44	Washington	$52,836	$32,000	7,405,743	281
45	Montana	$41,124	$27,000	1,050,493	99
46	South Carolina	$47,934	$29,000	5,024,369	231
47	Mississippi	$50,250	$31,000	2,984,100	53
48	Louisiana	$50,788	$31,000	4,684,333	110
49	West Virginia	$44,709	$28,000	1,815,857	74
50	Texas	$44,407	$27,000	28,304,596	1,089
51	Colorado	$39,533	$25,000	5,607,154	374

Highest paying states for animal scientists

Rank	State	Avg. Animal Scientist Salary
1	Delaware	$90,160
2	Connecticut	$93,775
3	Rhode Island	$94,263
4	Maryland	$88,287
5	New Hampshire	$90,313
6	Vermont	$84,276
7	Massachusetts	$92,651
8	New Jersey	$69,792
9	Nevada	$89,805
10	Virginia	$69,955
11	Pennsylvania	$66,428
12	North Carolina	$64,711
13	Indiana	$71,245
14	Kansas	$65,232
15	New Mexico	$58,641
16	Wisconsin	$61,174
17	District of Columbia	$87,610
18	California	$79,817
19	Maine	$60,224
20	New York	$59,820
21	Oregon	$61,965
22	Wyoming	$55,755
23	Tennessee	$59,306
24	Illinois	$56,667
25	Michigan	$57,978
26	Alabama	$55,885
27	Iowa	$54,410
28	Missouri	$53,190
29	Utah	$52,251
30	Idaho	$52,620
31	Georgia	$55,340
32	Oklahoma	$56,016
33	Florida	$54,824
34	Minnesota	$51,975
35	Kentucky	$54,070
36	South Dakota	$44,836
37	Arkansas	$53,934
38	Nebraska	$50,868
39	Hawaii	$44,205
40	Arizona	$52,802
41	North Dakota	$44,014
42	Alaska	$42,239
43	Ohio	$49,096
44	Washington	$52,836
45	Montana	$41,124
46	South Carolina	$47,934
47	Mississippi	$50,250
48	Louisiana	$50,788
49	West Virginia	$44,709
50	Texas	$44,407
51	Colorado	$39,533

Expert opinions on the best states for animal scientists

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for animal scientists to find work opportunities?
Sami Mejri Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Science, Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs, Tiffin University
With the rising cost of living, a college graduate's ideal first job may not be in their home state or favorite vacation town. According to Business Insider, MidWestern cities like Columbus-Ohio, Cincinnati-Ohio, Madison-Wisconsin, Milwaukee-Wisconsin, and Indianapolis-Indiana were some of the best geographical areas to live for college graduates. The cost of living in these Midwestern states remains relatively lower than coastal areas, making these locations ideal for college graduates entering the workforce. However, college graduates with degrees in healthcare, computer science, and data analytics may not be limited to these geographical areas, given employers' incentives to these in-demand jobs.

Animal scientist best states FAQs

What is the best state for animal scientists?

What is the highest paying state for animal scientists?

What is the worst state for animal scientists?

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Animal Scientist
Best states for Animal Scientists

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total animal scientist jobs:	127
Average annual salary:	$90,160
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$57,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$142,000
Location Quotient:	1.63

Best states for an animal scientist

10 best states for animal scientists in 2025

1. Delaware

2. Connecticut

3. Rhode Island

4. Maryland

5. New Hampshire

6. Vermont

7. Massachusetts

8. New Jersey

9. Nevada

10. Virginia