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Best states for a biological scientist
Quoted expert
Don Snyder
- Rank 1 - 10
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for biological scientists? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for biological scientist jobs.As biological scientists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for biological scientists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a biological scientist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
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 biological scientists.We found that California is the best state for biological scientist jobs, whereas Indiana is the worst.
10 best states for biological scientists in 2026
1. California
Total biological scientist jobs: 2,820 Average annual salary: $95,139 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
2. Washington
Total biological scientist jobs: 720 Average annual salary: $87,077 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
3. Hawaii
Total biological scientist jobs: 80 Average annual salary: $107,698 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
4. Massachusetts
Total biological scientist jobs: 1,742 Average annual salary: $83,011 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 2.37
5. Maryland
Total biological scientist jobs: 985 Average annual salary: $82,212 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.94
6. Vermont
Total biological scientist jobs: 74 Average annual salary: $79,925 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
7. New Jersey
Total biological scientist jobs: 1,043 Average annual salary: $77,378 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.64
8. New Hampshire
Total biological scientist jobs: 149 Average annual salary: $78,834 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
9. Nevada
Total biological scientist jobs: 120 Average annual salary: $83,855 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
10. Utah
Total biological scientist jobs: 254 Average annual salary: $77,257 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
Biological scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a biological scientist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a biological scientist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,139 | $58,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,820 |
| 2 | Washington | $87,077 | $52,000 | 7,405,743 | 720 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $107,698 | $81,000 | 1,427,538 | 80 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $83,011 | $55,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,742 |
| 5 | Maryland | $82,212 | $53,000 | 6,052,177 | 985 |
| 6 | Vermont | $79,925 | $53,000 | 623,657 | 74 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $77,378 | $50,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,043 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $78,834 | $52,000 | 1,342,795 | 149 |
| 9 | Nevada | $83,855 | $51,000 | 2,998,039 | 120 |
| 10 | Utah | $77,257 | $47,000 | 3,101,833 | 254 |
| 11 | New York | $76,195 | $49,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,538 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $70,779 | $45,000 | 10,273,419 | 896 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $72,737 | $45,000 | 2,088,070 | 169 |
| 14 | Oregon | $75,263 | $45,000 | 4,142,776 | 332 |
| 15 | South Carolina | $75,951 | $48,000 | 5,024,369 | 241 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $70,226 | $46,000 | 3,588,184 | 319 |
| 17 | Alaska | $71,280 | $44,000 | 739,795 | 71 |
| 18 | Maine | $70,640 | $47,000 | 1,335,907 | 93 |
| 19 | Arizona | $73,351 | $45,000 | 7,016,270 | 324 |
| 20 | Virginia | $67,748 | $43,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,023 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $68,052 | $44,000 | 1,815,857 | 86 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $63,529 | $41,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,034 |
| 23 | Idaho | $66,896 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 118 |
| 24 | Illinois | $67,008 | $44,000 | 12,802,023 | 950 |
| 25 | Montana | $62,630 | $40,000 | 1,050,493 | 111 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $59,566 | $40,000 | 869,666 | 116 |
| 27 | Colorado | $65,613 | $42,000 | 5,607,154 | 484 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $60,891 | $41,000 | 755,393 | 79 |
| 29 | Texas | $65,461 | $40,000 | 28,304,596 | 967 |
| 30 | Iowa | $64,157 | $42,000 | 3,145,711 | 156 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $63,234 | $41,000 | 4,454,189 | 128 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $62,874 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 115 |
| 33 | Missouri | $62,106 | $40,000 | 6,113,532 | 421 |
| 34 | Kansas | $60,899 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 191 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $61,985 | $40,000 | 3,930,864 | 89 |
| 36 | Georgia | $60,844 | $38,000 | 10,429,379 | 609 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $61,044 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 94 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $55,086 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 53 |
| 39 | Delaware | $49,799 | $32,000 | 961,939 | 139 |
| 40 | Michigan | $57,530 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 524 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $53,102 | $35,000 | 1,059,639 | 107 |
| 42 | Ohio | $57,968 | $38,000 | 11,658,609 | 556 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $53,932 | $36,000 | 5,576,606 | 496 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $59,538 | $37,000 | 2,984,100 | 56 |
| 45 | District of Columbia | $48,231 | $31,000 | 693,972 | 149 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $57,825 | $35,000 | 4,684,333 | 144 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $47,561 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 358 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $49,239 | $31,000 | 6,715,984 | 242 |
| 49 | Alabama | $49,086 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 149 |
| 50 | Florida | $46,428 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 836 |
| 51 | Indiana | $46,949 | $30,000 | 6,666,818 | 304 |
Highest paying states for biological scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Biological Scientist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,139 |
| 2 | Washington | $87,077 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $107,698 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $83,011 |
| 5 | Maryland | $82,212 |
| 6 | Vermont | $79,925 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $77,378 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $78,834 |
| 9 | Nevada | $83,855 |
| 10 | Utah | $77,257 |
| 11 | New York | $76,195 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $70,779 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $72,737 |
| 14 | Oregon | $75,263 |
| 15 | South Carolina | $75,951 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $70,226 |
| 17 | Alaska | $71,280 |
| 18 | Maine | $70,640 |
| 19 | Arizona | $73,351 |
| 20 | Virginia | $67,748 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $68,052 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $63,529 |
| 23 | Idaho | $66,896 |
| 24 | Illinois | $67,008 |
| 25 | Montana | $62,630 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $59,566 |
| 27 | Colorado | $65,613 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $60,891 |
| 29 | Texas | $65,461 |
| 30 | Iowa | $64,157 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $63,234 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $62,874 |
| 33 | Missouri | $62,106 |
| 34 | Kansas | $60,899 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $61,985 |
| 36 | Georgia | $60,844 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $61,044 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $55,086 |
| 39 | Delaware | $49,799 |
| 40 | Michigan | $57,530 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $53,102 |
| 42 | Ohio | $57,968 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $53,932 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $59,538 |
| 45 | District of Columbia | $48,231 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $57,825 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $47,561 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $49,239 |
| 49 | Alabama | $49,086 |
| 50 | Florida | $46,428 |
| 51 | Indiana | $46,949 |
Expert opinions on the best states for biological scientists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for biological scientists to find work opportunities?
Don Snyder
Associate Director, Industry Advising: STEM, William and Mary
Strong tech markets in the U.S. include Austin, Raleigh, Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Columbus. Some markets are established in tech, while other markets are more up-and-coming. Smaller cities that may be "off the radar" include Huntsville and Tucson. Graduates need to look at different factors when exploring cities, including the cost of living. The dollar will go a lot further in Raleigh than in San Francisco. And some cities that were once more affordable may have a higher cost of living now due to the recent influx of residents.
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Updated January 8, 2025