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This question is about research assistant salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Research Assistant?
A good starting salary for a research assistant is $28,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a research assistant in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for research assistants is $41,424, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a research assistant can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Research Assistant Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level 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 |
| New Jersey | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Massachusetts | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Vermont | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Illinois | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| District of Columbia | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Connecticut | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| California | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Alaska | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Hawaii | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Delaware | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| New York | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Rhode Island | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| West Virginia | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Virginia | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Georgia | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Oregon | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| North Carolina | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Wisconsin | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| New Hampshire | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Louisiana | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Idaho | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| North Dakota | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Michigan | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Nevada | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Florida | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Kentucky | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Maine | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Washington | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Minnesota | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Maryland | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Missouri | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Indiana | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Colorado | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Mississippi | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Arkansas | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Ohio | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| New Mexico | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Nebraska | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| South Carolina | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Arizona | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Iowa | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| South Dakota | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Kansas | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Tennessee | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Oklahoma | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Utah | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Montana | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Alabama | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Texas | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Wyoming | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Research Assistant Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level research assistant job is above the national average. Topping the list is Piscataway, NJ.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Piscataway, NJ | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| San Francisco, CA | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Chicago, IL | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Boston, MA | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Washington, DC | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Newark, DE | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| New York, NY | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Raleigh, NC | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Atlanta, GA | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
