Best cities for a development scientist
The best cities for development scientists are San Francisco, CA, Irvine, CA, and Fremont, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for development scientists vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for development scientists in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a development scientist or considering a move, this list of the best cities for development scientists to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for development scientists. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a development scientist. While the absolute best city for development scientists is San Francisco, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for development scientists in 2024.
If you're looking for a development scientist job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for development scientists in 2025
1. San Francisco, CA
Total development scientist jobs: 13 Average annual salary: $122,491 Lowest 10 percent warn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location quotient: 2.39 2. Irvine, CA
Total development scientist jobs: 21 Average annual salary: $110,479 Lowest 10 percent warn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location quotient: 14.16 3. Fremont, CA
Total development scientist jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $121,649 Lowest 10 percent warn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location quotient: 1.83 4. Nashville, TN
Total development scientist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $92,892 Lowest 10 percent warn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location quotient: 0.00 5. San Diego, CA
Total development scientist jobs: 49 Average annual salary: $109,437 Lowest 10 percent warn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location quotient: 14.87 6. Sacramento, CA
Total development scientist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $121,715 Lowest 10 percent warn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location quotient: 0.00 7. Memphis, TN
Total development scientist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $91,956 Lowest 10 percent warn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location quotient: 0.00 8. Oakland, CA
Total development scientist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $122,244 Lowest 10 percent warn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location quotient: 0.00 9. Stockton, CA
Total development scientist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $121,424 Lowest 10 percent warn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location quotient: 0.00 10. Columbus, OH
Total development scientist jobs: 24 Average annual salary: $77,938 Lowest 10 percent warn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location quotient: 9.92
Choose from 10+ customizable development scientist resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use development scientist resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your development scientist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for development scientists
- San Francisco, CA
- Irvine, CA
- Fremont, CA
- Nashville, TN
- San Diego, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- Memphis, TN
- Oakland, CA
- Stockton, CA
- Columbus, OH
- (13 development scientist jobs)
- (21 development scientist jobs)
- (2 development scientist jobs)
- (0 development scientist jobs)
- (49 development scientist jobs)
- (0 development scientist jobs)
- (0 development scientist jobs)
- (0 development scientist jobs)
- (0 development scientist jobs)
- (24 development scientist jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a development scientist
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $122,491 | $86,000 | 870,887 | 13 |
| 2 | Irvine, CA | $110,479 | $78,000 | 266,122 | 21 |
| 3 | Fremont, CA | $121,649 | $85,000 | 233,136 | 2 |
| 4 | Nashville, TN | $92,892 | $67,000 | 660,388 | - |
| 5 | San Diego, CA | $109,437 | $77,000 | 1,406,630 | 49 |
| 6 | Sacramento, CA | $121,715 | $85,000 | 495,234 | - |
| 7 | Memphis, TN | $91,956 | $66,000 | 652,717 | - |
| 8 | Oakland, CA | $122,244 | $86,000 | 420,005 | - |
| 9 | Stockton, CA | $121,424 | $85,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 10 | Columbus, OH | $77,938 | $57,000 | 860,090 | 24 |
| 11 | San Jose, CA | $121,172 | $85,000 | 1,025,350 | - |
| 12 | Indianapolis, IN | $91,997 | $67,000 | 855,164 | - |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $84,476 | $62,000 | 1,567,872 | 7 |
| 14 | Reno, NV | $95,014 | $67,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 15 | Fort Wayne, IN | $92,777 | $68,000 | 264,488 | - |
| 16 | Los Angeles, CA | $111,394 | $78,000 | 3,976,322 | - |
| 17 | Long Beach, CA | $110,914 | $78,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 18 | Saint Paul, MN | $95,718 | $71,000 | 302,398 | - |
| 19 | Fresno, CA | $117,847 | $82,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 20 | Anaheim, CA | $110,759 | $78,000 | 351,043 | - |
| 21 | Minneapolis, MN | $95,717 | $71,000 | 413,651 | - |
| 22 | Bakersfield, CA | $114,220 | $80,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 23 | Santa Ana, CA | $110,627 | $78,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 24 | Las Vegas, NV | $88,700 | $62,000 | 632,912 | - |
| 25 | Riverside, CA | $110,417 | $78,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 26 | North Las Vegas, NV | $88,619 | $62,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 27 | Pittsburgh, PA | $83,595 | $61,000 | 303,625 | 3 |
| 28 | Henderson, NV | $88,208 | $62,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 29 | Anchorage, AK | $95,789 | $77,000 | 298,192 | - |
| 30 | Madison, WI | $79,999 | $59,000 | 252,551 | 6 |
| 31 | Toledo, OH | $78,308 | $57,000 | 278,508 | - |
| 32 | Chula Vista, CA | $109,319 | $77,000 | 267,172 | - |
| 33 | Durham, NC | $78,773 | $57,000 | 263,016 | 3 |
| 34 | Phoenix, AZ | $84,823 | $60,000 | 1,615,017 | 3 |
| 35 | Detroit, MI | $82,751 | $61,000 | 672,795 | - |
| 36 | Boston, MA | $89,327 | $67,000 | 673,184 | 16 |
| 37 | Cleveland, OH | $78,489 | $58,000 | 385,809 | - |
| 38 | Jersey City, NJ | $95,933 | $71,000 | 264,152 | - |
| 39 | Newark, NJ | $95,910 | $71,000 | 281,764 | - |
| 40 | Glendale, AZ | $84,860 | $60,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 41 | Lexington, KY | $70,875 | $51,000 | 318,449 | 2 |
| 42 | Scottsdale, AZ | $84,740 | $60,000 | 246,645 | - |
| 43 | Chandler, AZ | $84,713 | $60,000 | 247,477 | - |
| 44 | Cincinnati, OH | $77,349 | $56,000 | 298,800 | - |
| 45 | Gilbert, AZ | $84,678 | $60,000 | 237,133 | - |
| 46 | Mesa, AZ | $84,671 | $60,000 | 484,587 | - |
| 47 | Chicago, IL | $86,960 | $64,000 | 2,704,958 | 3 |
| 48 | Milwaukee, WI | $80,185 | $59,000 | 595,047 | - |
| 49 | Raleigh, NC | $78,662 | $57,000 | 458,880 | - |
| 50 | Tucson, AZ | $84,340 | $59,000 | 530,706 | - |
Highest paying cities for development scientists
| Rank | City | Avg. development scientist salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $122,491 |
| 2 | Wilmington, DE | $103,704 |
| 3 | New Haven, CT | $98,562 |
| 4 | Minnetonka, MN | $95,660 |
| 5 | Bloomington, IN | $91,581 |
| 6 | Worcester, MA | $89,442 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $87,813 |
| 8 | Bethlehem, PA | $84,538 |
| 9 | Frederick, MD | $84,329 |
| 10 | Madison, WI | $79,999 |
| 11 | Cumberland, RI | $79,692 |
| 12 | Greenville, NC | $78,880 |
| 13 | Columbus, OH | $77,938 |
| 14 | Largo, FL | $69,801 |
| 15 | Pleasant Grove, UT | $59,672 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $56,617 |
Development scientist best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for development scientist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025