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Best states for an associate principal scientist
Quoted expert
Min Yun
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and life, physical, and social science careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to associate principal scientist jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for associate principal scientists.In order to help you decide which state is the best for associate principal scientists, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for associate principal scientist jobs.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for associate principal scientists.We found that the South is best for associate principal scientists, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for associate principal scientist jobs, where as Montana is the best state in the country.
10 best states for associate principal scientists in 2025
1. Montana
Total associate principal scientist jobs: 215 Average annual salary: $120,773 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $179,000 Location Quotient: 1.52. Nevada
Total associate principal scientist jobs: 254 Average annual salary: $124,933 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 0.983. California
Total associate principal scientist jobs: 3,065 Average annual salary: $145,704 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $216,000 Location Quotient: 0.844. New Jersey
Total associate principal scientist jobs: 1,102 Average annual salary: $119,667 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 1.125. Connecticut
Total associate principal scientist jobs: 488 Average annual salary: $116,312 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 1.186. Arizona
Total associate principal scientist jobs: 788 Average annual salary: $118,868 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 1.087. Massachusetts
Total associate principal scientist jobs: 1,818 Average annual salary: $107,629 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.598. Minnesota
Total associate principal scientist jobs: 904 Average annual salary: $111,482 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 1.099. Tennessee
Total associate principal scientist jobs: 432 Average annual salary: $126,364 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 0.5910. Oregon
Total associate principal scientist jobs: 794 Average annual salary: $104,560 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
Associate principal scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an associate principal scientist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an associate principal scientist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | $120,773 | $81,000 | 1,050,493 | 215 |
| 2 | Nevada | $124,933 | $81,000 | 2,998,039 | 254 |
| 3 | California | $145,704 | $98,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,065 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $119,667 | $85,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,102 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $116,312 | $83,000 | 3,588,184 | 488 |
| 6 | Arizona | $118,868 | $77,000 | 7,016,270 | 788 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $107,629 | $77,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,818 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $111,482 | $78,000 | 5,576,606 | 904 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $126,364 | $84,000 | 6,715,984 | 432 |
| 10 | Oregon | $104,560 | $68,000 | 4,142,776 | 794 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $100,667 | $71,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,957 |
| 12 | Delaware | $107,266 | $75,000 | 961,939 | 185 |
| 13 | Alaska | $115,168 | $81,000 | 739,795 | 87 |
| 14 | Maine | $114,781 | $84,000 | 1,335,907 | 127 |
| 15 | Indiana | $118,383 | $81,000 | 6,666,818 | 483 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $99,125 | $67,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,580 |
| 17 | Illinois | $98,240 | $68,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,836 |
| 18 | New York | $99,449 | $71,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,445 |
| 19 | Idaho | $91,865 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 246 |
| 20 | Maryland | $95,760 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,326 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $89,521 | $59,000 | 579,315 | 82 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $91,464 | $66,000 | 1,342,795 | 300 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $88,693 | $56,000 | 2,088,070 | 307 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $91,070 | $63,000 | 5,795,483 | 625 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $93,325 | $65,000 | 1,815,857 | 115 |
| 26 | Vermont | $96,011 | $70,000 | 623,657 | 75 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $94,953 | $68,000 | 1,059,639 | 94 |
| 28 | Washington | $93,155 | $61,000 | 7,405,743 | 780 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $104,709 | $73,000 | 693,972 | 122 |
| 30 | Ohio | $88,043 | $61,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,069 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $99,405 | $72,000 | 1,427,538 | 85 |
| 32 | Florida | $87,262 | $56,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,804 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $87,301 | $57,000 | 3,004,279 | 228 |
| 34 | Virginia | $83,739 | $58,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,918 |
| 35 | Missouri | $86,618 | $58,000 | 6,113,532 | 618 |
| 36 | Colorado | $85,630 | $56,000 | 5,607,154 | 871 |
| 37 | Michigan | $89,186 | $63,000 | 9,962,311 | 547 |
| 38 | Georgia | $88,021 | $58,000 | 10,429,379 | 833 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $82,244 | $56,000 | 869,666 | 134 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $88,308 | $57,000 | 3,930,864 | 110 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $82,918 | $55,000 | 1,920,076 | 248 |
| 42 | Texas | $81,242 | $52,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,323 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $79,981 | $56,000 | 755,393 | 105 |
| 44 | Alabama | $84,115 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 283 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $81,413 | $55,000 | 4,454,189 | 295 |
| 46 | Kansas | $77,114 | $51,000 | 2,913,123 | 317 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $78,586 | $51,000 | 2,984,100 | 90 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $77,341 | $49,000 | 4,684,333 | 164 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $72,474 | $48,000 | 5,024,369 | 402 |
| 50 | Utah | $76,257 | $49,000 | 3,101,833 | 213 |
| 51 | Iowa | $64,250 | $44,000 | 3,145,711 | 250 |
Highest paying states for associate principal scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Associate Principal Scientist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | $120,773 |
| 2 | Nevada | $124,933 |
| 3 | California | $145,704 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $119,667 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $116,312 |
| 6 | Arizona | $118,868 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $107,629 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $111,482 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $126,364 |
| 10 | Oregon | $104,560 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $100,667 |
| 12 | Delaware | $107,266 |
| 13 | Alaska | $115,168 |
| 14 | Maine | $114,781 |
| 15 | Indiana | $118,383 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $99,125 |
| 17 | Illinois | $98,240 |
| 18 | New York | $99,449 |
| 19 | Idaho | $91,865 |
| 20 | Maryland | $95,760 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $89,521 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $91,464 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $88,693 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $91,070 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $93,325 |
| 26 | Vermont | $96,011 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $94,953 |
| 28 | Washington | $93,155 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $104,709 |
| 30 | Ohio | $88,043 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $99,405 |
| 32 | Florida | $87,262 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $87,301 |
| 34 | Virginia | $83,739 |
| 35 | Missouri | $86,618 |
| 36 | Colorado | $85,630 |
| 37 | Michigan | $89,186 |
| 38 | Georgia | $88,021 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $82,244 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $88,308 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $82,918 |
| 42 | Texas | $81,242 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $79,981 |
| 44 | Alabama | $84,115 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $81,413 |
| 46 | Kansas | $77,114 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $78,586 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $77,341 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $72,474 |
| 50 | Utah | $76,257 |
| 51 | Iowa | $64,250 |
Expert opinions on the best states for associate principal scientists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for associate principal scientists to find work opportunities?
Min Yun
Professor of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts
Our students almost exclusively find jobs in education or technology-driven companies, and they tend to be in population centers along the East and West Coasts. Many of the top graduate programs are in the same areas as well.
Associate principal scientist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025