Best states for a certifying scientist

Q: What is the best state for certifying scientists?

The best state to be a certifying scientist is California based on certifying scientist salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for certifying scientists?

The highest paying state for certifying scientists is Iowa based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for certifying scientists?

The worst state for certifying scientists is Louisiana, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Min Yun

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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for certifying 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 certifying scientist jobs.We wanted to look at the best states for certifying scientists -- where there are plenty of certifying scientist jobs to go around and certifying scientists get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.

The median salary for certifying scientists in California is $108,282. Compare that to the median salary in Louisiana of $54,118, which ranked worst for certifying scientists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a certifying scientist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for certifying scientists in 2025

1. California
Total certifying scientist jobs: 3,161
Average annual salary: $108,282
Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000
Location Quotient:
1.5
Certifying scientist jobs in California
2. New Jersey
Total certifying scientist jobs: 928
Average annual salary: $95,084
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000
Location Quotient:
1.62
Certifying scientist jobs in New Jersey
3. Massachusetts
Total certifying scientist jobs: 1,607
Average annual salary: $91,805
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000
Location Quotient:
2.42
Certifying scientist jobs in Massachusetts
4. Connecticut
Total certifying scientist jobs: 292
Average annual salary: $93,847
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000
Location Quotient:
1.22
Certifying scientist jobs in Connecticut
5. Delaware
Total certifying scientist jobs: 156
Average annual salary: $84,008
Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000
Location Quotient:
1.72
Certifying scientist jobs in Delaware
6. Tennessee
Total certifying scientist jobs: 239
Average annual salary: $101,206
Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000
Location Quotient:
0.56
Certifying scientist jobs in Tennessee
7. Maryland
Total certifying scientist jobs: 798
Average annual salary: $83,406
Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000
Location Quotient:
1.74
Certifying scientist jobs in Maryland
8. Oregon
Total certifying scientist jobs: 320
Average annual salary: $85,900
Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000
Location Quotient:
1.07
Certifying scientist jobs in Oregon
9. Maine
Total certifying scientist jobs: 78
Average annual salary: $89,395
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000
Location Quotient:
0.81
Certifying scientist jobs in Maine
10. Nevada
Total certifying scientist jobs: 82
Average annual salary: $96,632
Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000
Location Quotient:
0.54
Certifying scientist jobs in Nevada

Certifying scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a certifying scientist

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a certifying scientist

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	California	$108,282	$65,000	39,536,653	3,161
2	New Jersey	$95,084	$61,000	9,005,644	928
3	Massachusetts	$91,805	$60,000	6,859,819	1,607
4	Connecticut	$93,847	$61,000	3,588,184	292
5	Delaware	$84,008	$53,000	961,939	156
6	Tennessee	$101,206	$62,000	6,715,984	239
7	Maryland	$83,406	$53,000	6,052,177	798
8	Oregon	$85,900	$49,000	4,142,776	320
9	Maine	$89,395	$60,000	1,335,907	78
10	Nevada	$96,632	$57,000	2,998,039	82
11	Arizona	$88,814	$53,000	7,016,270	295
12	Pennsylvania	$79,761	$51,000	12,805,537	876
13	Washington	$81,410	$47,000	7,405,743	758
14	Indiana	$89,643	$56,000	6,666,818	263
15	Montana	$79,766	$48,000	1,050,493	81
16	New York	$77,763	$50,000	19,849,399	1,339
17	Rhode Island	$77,058	$50,000	1,059,639	81
18	Illinois	$77,361	$49,000	12,802,023	841
19	Vermont	$74,505	$49,000	623,657	61
20	Minnesota	$78,672	$50,000	5,576,606	350
21	Virginia	$72,097	$45,000	8,470,020	971
22	District of Columbia	$81,442	$51,000	693,972	115
23	New Hampshire	$71,437	$47,000	1,342,795	132
24	North Carolina	$65,336	$40,000	10,273,419	807
25	New Mexico	$65,015	$38,000	2,088,070	160
26	West Virginia	$71,672	$45,000	1,815,857	58
27	Ohio	$70,026	$44,000	11,658,609	450
28	Michigan	$71,957	$46,000	9,962,311	293
29	Wyoming	$64,220	$38,000	579,315	44
30	Hawaii	$74,256	$53,000	1,427,538	61
31	Colorado	$68,216	$40,000	5,607,154	391
32	Wisconsin	$66,695	$42,000	5,795,483	356
33	South Dakota	$59,981	$37,000	869,666	104
34	Alaska	$62,451	$37,000	739,795	62
35	Georgia	$65,391	$39,000	10,429,379	398
36	Arkansas	$64,531	$39,000	3,004,279	90
37	Oklahoma	$65,403	$39,000	3,930,864	61
38	Idaho	$62,985	$36,000	1,716,943	86
39	Texas	$63,037	$38,000	28,304,596	1,005
40	Utah	$61,782	$35,000	3,101,833	206
41	Florida	$62,158	$37,000	20,984,400	710
42	Kentucky	$61,488	$38,000	4,454,189	127
43	Alabama	$61,843	$37,000	4,874,747	152
44	North Dakota	$52,976	$34,000	755,393	68
45	Nebraska	$60,202	$37,000	1,920,076	80
46	Kansas	$57,114	$35,000	2,913,123	136
47	Missouri	$54,701	$33,000	6,113,532	353
48	South Carolina	$54,094	$33,000	5,024,369	232
49	Mississippi	$56,691	$34,000	2,984,100	52
50	Iowa	$47,435	$29,000	3,145,711	164
51	Louisiana	$54,118	$32,000	4,684,333	97

Highest paying states for certifying scientists

Rank	State	Avg. Certifying Scientist Salary
1	California	$108,282
2	New Jersey	$95,084
3	Massachusetts	$91,805
4	Connecticut	$93,847
5	Delaware	$84,008
6	Tennessee	$101,206
7	Maryland	$83,406
8	Oregon	$85,900
9	Maine	$89,395
10	Nevada	$96,632
11	Arizona	$88,814
12	Pennsylvania	$79,761
13	Washington	$81,410
14	Indiana	$89,643
15	Montana	$79,766
16	New York	$77,763
17	Rhode Island	$77,058
18	Illinois	$77,361
19	Vermont	$74,505
20	Minnesota	$78,672
21	Virginia	$72,097
22	District of Columbia	$81,442
23	New Hampshire	$71,437
24	North Carolina	$65,336
25	New Mexico	$65,015
26	West Virginia	$71,672
27	Ohio	$70,026
28	Michigan	$71,957
29	Wyoming	$64,220
30	Hawaii	$74,256
31	Colorado	$68,216
32	Wisconsin	$66,695
33	South Dakota	$59,981
34	Alaska	$62,451
35	Georgia	$65,391
36	Arkansas	$64,531
37	Oklahoma	$65,403
38	Idaho	$62,985
39	Texas	$63,037
40	Utah	$61,782
41	Florida	$62,158
42	Kentucky	$61,488
43	Alabama	$61,843
44	North Dakota	$52,976
45	Nebraska	$60,202
46	Kansas	$57,114
47	Missouri	$54,701
48	South Carolina	$54,094
49	Mississippi	$56,691
50	Iowa	$47,435
51	Louisiana	$54,118

Expert opinions on the best states for certifying scientists

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for certifying 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.

Certifying scientist best states FAQs

What is the best state for certifying scientists?

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What is the worst state for certifying scientists?

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Best states for Certifying Scientists

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total certifying scientist jobs:	3,161
Average annual salary:	$108,282
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$65,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$178,000
Location Quotient:	1.5

Best states for a certifying scientist

10 best states for certifying scientists in 2025

1. California

2. New Jersey

3. Massachusetts

4. Connecticut

5. Delaware

6. Tennessee

7. Maryland

8. Oregon

9. Maine

10. Nevada