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Best states for a cancer researcher
Quoted expert
Dr. Neal Palmer Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for cancer researchers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for cancer researcher jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.In order to help you decide which state is the best for cancer researchers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for cancer researcher jobs.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for cancer researchers. California is the best state for cancer researchers, where the median salary is $110,813.We found that the Midwest is best for cancer researchers, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for cancer researcher jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for cancer researchers in 2025
1. California
Total cancer researcher jobs: 1,319 Average annual salary: $110,813 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 1.73
2. Massachusetts
Total cancer researcher jobs: 838 Average annual salary: $81,317 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 3.5
3. Oregon
Total cancer researcher jobs: 129 Average annual salary: $80,431 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
4. New Jersey
Total cancer researcher jobs: 225 Average annual salary: $83,729 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
5. Washington
Total cancer researcher jobs: 358 Average annual salary: $79,359 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.88
6. Montana
Total cancer researcher jobs: 33 Average annual salary: $78,586 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
7. Arizona
Total cancer researcher jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $85,486 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 0.56
8. Minnesota
Total cancer researcher jobs: 220 Average annual salary: $74,557 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
9. Nevada
Total cancer researcher jobs: 20 Average annual salary: $83,905 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 0.37
10. Alaska
Total cancer researcher jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $83,529 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 0.51
Cancer researcher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a cancer researcher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a cancer researcher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $110,813 | $70,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,319 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $81,317 | $49,000 | 6,859,819 | 838 |
| 3 | Oregon | $80,431 | $49,000 | 4,142,776 | 129 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $83,729 | $51,000 | 9,005,644 | 225 |
| 5 | Washington | $79,359 | $49,000 | 7,405,743 | 358 |
| 6 | Montana | $78,586 | $52,000 | 1,050,493 | 33 |
| 7 | Arizona | $85,486 | $54,000 | 7,016,270 | 85 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $74,557 | $50,000 | 5,576,606 | 220 |
| 9 | Nevada | $83,905 | $53,000 | 2,998,039 | 20 |
| 10 | Alaska | $83,529 | $57,000 | 739,795 | 11 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $79,085 | $48,000 | 3,588,184 | 79 |
| 12 | Colorado | $70,007 | $46,000 | 5,607,154 | 220 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $93,662 | $67,000 | 1,427,538 | 5 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $73,388 | $46,000 | 6,715,984 | 50 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $65,936 | $40,000 | 1,059,639 | 36 |
| 16 | Maryland | $70,255 | $43,000 | 6,052,177 | 201 |
| 17 | Indiana | $74,765 | $48,000 | 6,666,818 | 52 |
| 18 | New York | $67,234 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 609 |
| 19 | Maine | $76,216 | $46,000 | 1,335,907 | 9 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $64,229 | $39,000 | 12,805,537 | 298 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $68,185 | $42,000 | 693,972 | 116 |
| 22 | Delaware | $69,516 | $42,000 | 961,939 | 17 |
| 23 | Utah | $62,407 | $40,000 | 3,101,833 | 91 |
| 24 | Vermont | $63,802 | $38,000 | 623,657 | 19 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $66,329 | $44,000 | 5,795,483 | 51 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $62,303 | $40,000 | 3,930,864 | 35 |
| 27 | Virginia | $62,819 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 228 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $61,386 | $37,000 | 1,342,795 | 31 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $60,187 | $38,000 | 2,088,070 | 35 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $61,377 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 26 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $58,356 | $36,000 | 4,684,333 | 85 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $62,870 | $41,000 | 579,315 | 4 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $58,202 | $36,000 | 1,815,857 | 26 |
| 34 | Ohio | $55,257 | $35,000 | 11,658,609 | 201 |
| 35 | Florida | $58,237 | $35,000 | 20,984,400 | 251 |
| 36 | Illinois | $56,940 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 220 |
| 37 | Michigan | $51,777 | $33,000 | 9,962,311 | 252 |
| 38 | Idaho | $58,976 | $37,000 | 1,716,943 | 15 |
| 39 | Kansas | $55,478 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 44 |
| 40 | Missouri | $56,961 | $37,000 | 6,113,532 | 61 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $55,600 | $37,000 | 869,666 | 9 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $53,830 | $33,000 | 10,273,419 | 139 |
| 43 | Alabama | $56,000 | $35,000 | 4,874,747 | 34 |
| 44 | Texas | $51,808 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 267 |
| 45 | Georgia | $49,266 | $30,000 | 10,429,379 | 240 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $52,152 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 17 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $48,738 | $32,000 | 1,920,076 | 29 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $48,292 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 9 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $52,238 | $33,000 | 4,454,189 | 21 |
| 50 | Iowa | $41,980 | $27,000 | 3,145,711 | 39 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $46,045 | $28,000 | 5,024,369 | 34 |
Highest paying states for cancer researchers
| Rank | State | Avg. Cancer Researcher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $110,813 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $81,317 |
| 3 | Oregon | $80,431 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $83,729 |
| 5 | Washington | $79,359 |
| 6 | Montana | $78,586 |
| 7 | Arizona | $85,486 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $74,557 |
| 9 | Nevada | $83,905 |
| 10 | Alaska | $83,529 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $79,085 |
| 12 | Colorado | $70,007 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $93,662 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $73,388 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $65,936 |
| 16 | Maryland | $70,255 |
| 17 | Indiana | $74,765 |
| 18 | New York | $67,234 |
| 19 | Maine | $76,216 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $64,229 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $68,185 |
| 22 | Delaware | $69,516 |
| 23 | Utah | $62,407 |
| 24 | Vermont | $63,802 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $66,329 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $62,303 |
| 27 | Virginia | $62,819 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $61,386 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $60,187 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $61,377 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $58,356 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $62,870 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $58,202 |
| 34 | Ohio | $55,257 |
| 35 | Florida | $58,237 |
| 36 | Illinois | $56,940 |
| 37 | Michigan | $51,777 |
| 38 | Idaho | $58,976 |
| 39 | Kansas | $55,478 |
| 40 | Missouri | $56,961 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $55,600 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $53,830 |
| 43 | Alabama | $56,000 |
| 44 | Texas | $51,808 |
| 45 | Georgia | $49,266 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $52,152 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $48,738 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $48,292 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $52,238 |
| 50 | Iowa | $41,980 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $46,045 |
Expert opinions on the best states for cancer researchers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for cancer researchers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Neal Palmer Ph.D.
Chair, Associate Professor, Christian Brothers University
The answer to that question likely won't change from pre- to post-pandemic. Southern cities such as Nashville and Memphis were booming before the pandemic, and that will likely continue. These are good places to find jobs because the cost of living is relatively low, there are vibrant culture and entertainment, and there is not as much college-educated competition for jobs as in larger cities.
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Updated January 8, 2025