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Charles River Labs salary estimate

$45,905yearly

$22.07 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$23,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Salaries at Charles River Laboratories

Charles River Laboratories offers a diverse range of salary opportunities influenced by position, department, and location. The average salary across the organization is $45,905 annually, but this figure masks significant variation. For example, surgeons at Charles River can earn up to $258,973, while entry-level roles, like lodging facilities attendant, average around $24,703. This wide range illustrates the varied nature of roles across the company.

Departmental Salary Insights

Salaries also differ by department. The finance department typically pays the highest average salary at $86,247, reflecting the critical nature of financial roles within the organization. In contrast, healthcare positions average around $31,816, and facilities roles average $38,069.

Regional Salary Discrepancies

Geographical location plays a pivotal role in salary differences as well. Charles River Laboratories pays the most competitively in California, driven by the higher cost of living and demand for skilled professionals in the area. This localized approach to compensation ensures that employees are fairly rewarded for their contributions.

Highest paying jobs at Charles River Labs

The highest paying jobs at Charles River Labs are surgeon, data engineer, software engineer, and principal analyst. Surgeon jobs at Charles River Labs earn an average yearly salary of $258,973, Charles River Labs data engineer jobs average $116,140, and Charles River Labs software engineer jobs average $110,136.

The lowest paying Charles River Labs roles include lodging facilities attendant and laboratory animal caretaker. Charles River Labs lodging facilities attendant average salary is $24,703 per year. So while the average Charles River Labs salary is $45,905 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Charles River Labs

RankJob titleAverage Charles River Labs salaryHourly rate
1Surgeon$258,973$124.51
2Data Engineer$116,140$55.84
3Software Engineer$110,136$52.95
4Principal Analyst$110,050$52.91
5Sap/Abap Developer$109,924$52.85
6Senior Scientist$104,304$50.15
7Group Leader$96,019$46.16
8Director Of Human Resources$95,529$45.93
9Quality Assurance Manager$94,655$45.51
10Project Manager$91,934$44.20
11Quality Assurance Auditor$86,038$41.36
12Analytical Scientist$81,879$39.36
13Staff Veterinarian$79,553$38.25
14Information Technology Specialist$76,585$36.82
15Data Analyst$75,682$36.39
16Senior Technologist$73,165$35.18
17Formulator$70,454$33.87
18Analytical Chemist$59,481$28.60
19Team Leader$59,220$28.47
20Molecular Technologist$52,931$25.45

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Average Charles River Labs salary by state

Charles River Labs pays the highest salaries in California due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

RankStateAverage Charles River Labs salaryHourly rate
1California$54,558$26.23
2Massachusetts$53,030$25.50
3Connecticut$53,000$25.48
4New Jersey$52,217$25.10
5New York$50,935$24.49
6Delaware$47,037$22.61
7Nevada$46,262$22.24
8Maryland$45,383$21.82
9Illinois$44,753$21.52
10Pennsylvania$44,724$21.50
11Michigan$42,871$20.61
12Ohio$41,605$20.00
13Texas$39,864$19.17
14North Carolina$39,587$19.03
15Florida$39,368$18.93
16South Carolina$37,457$18.01

How much does Charles River Labs pay by location?

The average Charles River Labs salary varies by location. Charles River Labs salaries are the highest in South San Francisco, CA, at $57,742 per year. Charles River Labs pays the second highest average salary in Franklin, CT, at $53,197 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying Charles River Labs locations

RankLocationAverage Charles River Labs salaryHourly rate
1South San Francisco, CA$57,742$27.76
2Franklin, CT$53,197$25.58
3Wilmington, MA$52,739$25.36
4Kingston, NY$51,146$24.59
5Seattle, WA$50,498$24.28
6Washington, DC$47,914$23.04
7Reno, NV$47,827$22.99
8Baltimore, MD$45,580$21.91
9Skokie, IL$45,243$21.75
10Herndon, VA$45,215$21.74
11Horsham, PA$45,059$21.66
12Ashland, OH$42,175$20.28
13Mattawan, MI$41,766$20.08
14Raleigh, NC$40,168$19.31
15Saint Petersburg, FL$39,591$19.03
16Indianapolis, IN$39,567$19.02
17Irving, TX$39,120$18.81
18Alpharetta, GA$37,611$18.08
19Charleston, SC$37,349$17.96

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Charles River Labs salaries by department

Salaries at Charles River Labs vary depending on the department you work in. Charles River Labs salaries in the finance department are the highest with an average salary of $86,247. Employees in the engineering department at Charles River Labs receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $84,013 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Charles River Labs include the healthcare and the facilities organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $31,816 and $38,069, respectively.

Average Charles River Labs salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage Charles River Labs salaryHourly rate
1Finance$86,247$41.46
2Engineering$84,013$40.39
3IT$72,882$35.04
4Accounting$71,949$34.59
5Plant/Manufacturing$66,425$31.94
6Human Resources$53,286$25.62
7Research & Development$50,258$24.16
8Administrative$40,545$19.49
9Customer Service$39,133$18.81
10Facilities$38,070$18.30
11Healthcare$31,817$15.30

How much does Charles River Labs pay by department?

Best paying Charles River Labs research & development salaries

RankPositionAverage Charles River Labs salaryHourly rate
1Scientist$91,721$44.10
2Senior Scientific Associate$90,131$43.33
3Biochemist$75,981$36.53
4Process Development Associate$65,993$31.73
5Biologist$63,900$30.72
6Analytical Chemist$59,481$28.60
7Microbiologist$56,066$26.95
8Study Coordinator$46,950$22.57
9Research Technician$44,960$21.62
10Research Assistant$43,661$20.99
11Laboratory Technician$39,168$18.83
12Laboratory Assistant$34,939$16.80

Best paying Charles River Labs healthcare salaries

RankPositionAverage Charles River Labs salaryHourly rate
1Medical Technologist$54,581$26.24
2Molecular Technologist$52,931$25.45
3Clinical Laboratory Assistant$32,614$15.68
4Animal Care Technician$30,635$14.73
5Care Associate$30,088$14.47
6Animal Technician$29,284$14.08

Best paying Charles River Labs plant/manufacturing salaries

RankPositionAverage Charles River Labs salaryHourly rate
1Operations Director$110,240$53.00
2Group Leader$96,019$46.16
3Quality Assurance Auditor$86,038$41.36
4Process Engineer$81,838$39.35
5General Manager$77,281$37.15
6Production Manager$73,540$35.36
7Formulator$70,454$33.87
8Quality Assurance Specialist$66,900$32.16
9Production Supervisor$66,666$32.05
10Hvac Technician$53,288$25.62
11Hvac Mechanic$49,146$23.63
12Process Technician$39,612$19.04
13Pickle House Operator$37,767$18.16
14Clean Room Operator$28,461$13.68

Recently added Charles River Labs salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
Animal Resource Technician IReno, NV06/30/2025$45,914
Laboratory Technician 1Reno, NV06/30/2025$39,653
Laboratory Technician-MDX (2ND Shift)Wilmington, MA06/30/2025$45,914
Technician I, Sample ProcessingAshland, OH06/30/2025$39,653
Research Analyst I-FormulationsOverland Park, KS06/30/2025$49,045

What employees say about salary at Charles River Labs

Employee reviews
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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2025
Pros of working at Charles River Labs

Good exposure to science

Cons of working at Charles River Labs

Does not pay competitive salary according to the market

Charles River Labs benefits

work flexibility

What do you like best about Charles River Labs's CEO and the leadership team?

diversity inclusion

How would you improve Charles River Labs's culture?

too late

How did you prepare for the Charles River Labs interview?

go over my skills, brush my past good or bad experiences., Express my skill set confidently

How does your compensation at Charles River Labs compare to the industry average?

not good

What's the diversity at Charles River Labs like?

good

What brings you the most joy at Charles River Labs?

work flexibility, teams and freedom for expression, communication is bad

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2.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023
Pros of working at Charles River Labs

Vacation, sick time, the animals

Cons of working at Charles River Labs

Management, low pay, favoritism

Charles River Labs benefits

Vacation time, sometimes a bonus at the gate

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2.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022
Pros of working at Charles River Labs

Remote work options. The growth potential and amount of projects being planned.

Cons of working at Charles River Labs

Was not honest about travel expectations or requirements

Charles River Labs benefits

Remote work

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2021
Pros of working at Charles River Labs

The People

Cons of working at Charles River Labs

salary and bonus

Charles River Labs benefits

Being a part of testing medicines for humans and animals

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2021
Pros of working at Charles River Labs

Employees are nice and there is room for learning new techniques

Cons of working at Charles River Labs

Little room for growth, corporate management is lazy and does not care about the employees

Charles River Labs benefits

Lots of down time due to COVID and occasional snacks/small gifts from Corporate

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros of working at Charles River Labs

Has good benefits

Cons of working at Charles River Labs

Tend to cater to the younger newer employees instead of the older loyal employees

Charles River Labs benefits

They were all normal

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros of working at Charles River Labs

I like the flexible hours and having a free membership to the company gym. The vacation time is good for me too with raising my family.

Cons of working at Charles River Labs

The salary tends to be lower than other companies and some of the management teams are lacking consistency and good practices.

Charles River Labs benefits

I enjoy having the free membership to the gym.

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Frequently asked questions about Charles River Labs salaries

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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Charles River Labs, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Charles River Labs. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Charles River Labs. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Charles River Labs. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Charles River Labs and its employees or that of Zippia.

Charles River Labs may also be known as or be related to CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES, Charles River Laboratories, Charles River Laboratories International Inc, Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. and Charles River Labs.