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This question is about graduate research assistant salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Graduate Research Assistant?
A good starting salary for a graduate research assistant is $21,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a graduate research assistant in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for graduate research assistants is $37,482, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a graduate research assistant can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Graduate Research Assistant Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level graduate research assistant earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Hawaii | $57,000 | $4,750 | $1,096 | $27.4 |
| Alaska | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Idaho | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Oregon | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Washington | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Wisconsin | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| North Dakota | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Montana | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| California | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Utah | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Colorado | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Illinois | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Arizona | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Minnesota | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Wyoming | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| South Dakota | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Indiana | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Ohio | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Maine | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Pennsylvania | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Michigan | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Maryland | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| New York | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Massachusetts | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Nevada | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Kansas | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Nebraska | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| New Mexico | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Iowa | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| West Virginia | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| New Jersey | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Connecticut | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Missouri | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Vermont | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Virginia | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Delaware | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| District of Columbia | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| South Carolina | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Mississippi | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Oklahoma | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| North Carolina | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Kentucky | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| New Hampshire | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Tennessee | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Rhode Island | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Georgia | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Louisiana | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Arkansas | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Florida | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Texas | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Alabama | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Graduate Research Assistant Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level graduate research assistant job is above the national average. Topping the list is San Francisco, CA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| San Francisco, CA | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Fairbanks, AK | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| West Lafayette, IN | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Chicago, IL | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Portland, OR | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Bethesda, MD | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| New York, NY | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Reno, NV | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Newark, NJ | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Greenville, NC | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
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