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Assistant scientist salary
Average assistant scientist salary
$77,400
Understanding Assistant Scientist Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for an Assistant Scientist is approximately $77,400 per year, which translates to about $37 per hour. Salaries can fluctuate significantly based on various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific field of science involved. For instance, states like California and Massachusetts often offer higher wages compared to other regions.
Job opportunities for Assistant Scientists are available across multiple industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and environmental science. These sectors not only provide competitive salaries but also opportunities for career growth and advancement. Professionals with specialized skills or advanced degrees typically command higher salaries, making continuous education and training beneficial for career progression.
In addition to salary, it’s essential to consider job satisfaction, work environment, and career advancement opportunities when evaluating potential positions. Understanding these dynamics can help aspiring Assistant Scientists make informed career decisions that align with their professional goals.
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Where can an Assistant Scientist earn more?
Assistant scientist salary estimates from across the web
Average assistant scientist salary by state
The highest-paying states for assistant scientists are California, Tennessee, and Hawaii. The lowest average assistant scientist salary states are North Dakota, Missouri, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for assistant scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $102,960 | $49.50 |
| 2 | Maryland | $90,666 | $43.59 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $84,710 | $40.73 |
| 4 | Delaware | $82,625 | $39.72 |
| 5 | Maine | $94,580 | $45.47 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $83,287 | $40.04 |
| 7 | Hawaii | $96,423 | $46.36 |
| 8 | Montana | $80,334 | $38.62 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $82,318 | $39.58 |
| 10 | Washington | $79,562 | $38.25 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $96,634 | $46.46 |
| 12 | Illinois | $79,446 | $38.20 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $79,589 | $38.26 |
| 14 | Arizona | $83,136 | $39.97 |
| 15 | Oregon | $78,858 | $37.91 |
| 16 | Nevada | $81,849 | $39.35 |
| 17 | Michigan | $72,695 | $34.95 |
| 18 | Indiana | $77,223 | $37.13 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $67,314 | $32.36 |
| 20 | Virginia | $69,643 | $33.48 |
| 21 | Alaska | $73,852 | $35.51 |
| 22 | Vermont | $68,467 | $32.92 |
| 23 | New York | $68,974 | $33.16 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $69,091 | $33.22 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $65,939 | $31.70 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $68,632 | $33.00 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $64,980 | $31.24 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $64,121 | $30.83 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $66,477 | $31.96 |
| 30 | Ohio | $66,724 | $32.08 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $65,545 | $31.51 |
| 32 | Idaho | $64,685 | $31.10 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $64,182 | $30.86 |
| 34 | Colorado | $63,654 | $30.60 |
| 35 | Florida | $63,637 | $30.59 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $58,835 | $28.29 |
| 37 | Utah | $58,489 | $28.12 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $60,912 | $29.28 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $61,350 | $29.50 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $53,343 | $25.65 |
| 41 | Iowa | $56,817 | $27.32 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $60,022 | $28.86 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $59,103 | $28.41 |
| 44 | Texas | $58,820 | $28.28 |
| 45 | Alabama | $58,738 | $28.24 |
| 46 | Missouri | $51,848 | $24.93 |
| 47 | Georgia | $56,633 | $27.23 |
| 48 | Kansas | $51,219 | $24.62 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $45,846 | $22.04 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $44,306 | $21.30 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $48,242 | $23.19 |
Highest paying cities for assistant scientists
The highest-paying cities for assistant scientists are Mountain View, CA, Hilo, HI, and Baltimore, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mountain View, CA | $112,080 | $53.88 |
| 2 | Hilo, HI | $94,235 | $45.31 |
| 3 | Baltimore, MD | $90,891 | $43.70 |
| 4 | Falmouth, MA | $84,893 | $40.81 |
| 5 | Paterson, NJ | $83,478 | $40.13 |
| 6 | Tucson, AZ | $80,611 | $38.76 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $79,759 | $38.35 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | $77,999 | $37.50 |
| 9 | Indianapolis, IN | $77,114 | $37.07 |
| 10 | Detroit, MI | $72,832 | $35.02 |
| 11 | Richmond, VA | $69,553 | $33.44 |
| 12 | Brookhaven, NY | $69,425 | $33.38 |
| 13 | Saint Paul, MN | $68,705 | $33.03 |
| 14 | Madison, WI | $68,624 | $32.99 |
| 15 | Sioux Falls, SD | $67,654 | $32.53 |
| 16 | Philadelphia, PA | $66,157 | $31.81 |
| 17 | Miami, FL | $63,650 | $30.60 |
| 18 | Boulder, CO | $63,541 | $30.55 |
| 19 | College Station, TX | $58,751 | $28.25 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $56,712 | $27.27 |
Assistant scientist salary details
An assistant scientist's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $113,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an assistant scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $113,000 | $9,417 | $54 |
| 75th Percentile | $94,000 | $7,833 | $45 |
| Average | $77,400 | $6,450 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
Highest paying assistant scientist jobs
The highest paying types of assistant scientists are medical science liaison, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control Analyst | $59,217 | $4,935 | $28.47 | 85,546 |
| Research And Development Chemist | $77,233 | $6,436 | $37.13 | 100,225 |
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Research Laboratory Technician | $38,308 | $3,192 | $18.42 | 86,476 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Research Chemist | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36.46 | 53,769 |
Top companies hiring assistant scientists now:
Which companies pay assistant scientists the most?
Assistant scientist salaries at The Art Institute of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average assistant scientist salary at companies like Brookhaven National Laboratory and Bayer are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Art Institute of Chicago | $117,589 | $56.53 |
| 2 | Argonne National Laboratory | $108,267 | $52.05 |
| 3 | Brookhaven National Laboratory | $107,747 | $51.80 |
| 4 | Bayer | $94,322 | $45.35 |
| 5 | AURA | $91,904 | $44.18 |
| 6 | FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA | $89,397 | $42.98 |
| 7 | FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies | $88,388 | $42.49 |
| 8 | Kellogg | $85,938 | $41.32 |
| 9 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $85,666 | $41.19 |
| 10 | Syngenta | $84,288 | $40.52 |
| 11 | Sanford Health | $83,253 | $40.03 |
| 12 | National Radio Astronomy Observatory | $82,353 | $39.59 |
| 13 | California Institute of Technology | $81,429 | $39.15 |
| 14 | UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital | $80,966 | $38.93 |
| 15 | Woods Hole Research Center | $80,775 | $38.83 |
| 16 | Morgridge Institute for Research | $80,675 | $38.79 |
| 17 | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | $80,176 | $38.55 |
| 18 | QuintilesIMS | $80,042 | $38.48 |
| 19 | Pfizer | $79,956 | $38.44 |
| 20 | Merck | $79,936 | $38.43 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Assistant Scientist salary by industry
The average assistant scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average assistant scientist salary in the manufacturing industry is $82,362, the highest of any industry.
- The average assistant scientist salary in the finance industry is $79,270.
- Assistant scientists in the education industry earn an average salary of $65,315, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for assistant scientists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $82,362 | $39.60 |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical | $79,270 | $38.11 |
| 3 | Health Care | $78,821 | $37.89 |
| 4 | Finance | $73,909 | $35.53 |
| 5 | Education | $65,315 | $31.40 |
High paying assistant scientist jobs
Assistant scientist salary trends
The average assistant scientist salary has risen by $13,009 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average assistant scientist earned $64,391 annually, but today, they earn $77,400 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for assistant scientists over the last decade.
Compare assistant scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average assistant scientist salary over time
Compare assistant scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Assistant scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $77,400 | $37.21 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $75,100 | $36.11 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $71,700 | $34.49 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $69,400 | $33.38 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $68,100 | $32.75 | -2.1% |
Recently added assistant scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurofins Scientific | Assistant Scientist I-Chemistry | Easton, PA | 06/28/2025 | $43,000 |
| Eurofins USA Agroscience Services | Assistant Scientist I-Chemistry | Easton, MD | 06/28/2025 | $43,000 |
| University of Florida | Assistant Scientist-Molecular and Cell Biology, Massively Parallel Reporter Assays | Gainesville, FL | 06/24/2025 | $62,400 |
| Argonne National Laboratory | Assistant Beamline Scientist | Lemont, IL | 06/20/2025 | $90,063 |
| BNL Technical Services | Assistant Scientist In Radiation Chemistry | Fine, NY | 06/20/2025 | $103,600 |
| Burns & McDonnell | Assistant Wetland Scientist-Environmental Services | Chicago, IL | 06/16/2025 | $61,000 |
| Brookhaven Science Associates | Assistant Scientist In Radiation Chemistry | Fine, NY | 06/12/2025 | $103,600 |
| Astrix Technology | Food Assistant Scientist | Elgin, IL | 06/12/2025 | $54,262 |
| Uchicago Argonne | Assistant Beamline Scientist | Lemont, IL | 06/06/2025 | $90,063 |
| WSU | Assistant Scientist | Pullman, WA | 06/05/2025 | $45,010 |
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