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Formulation scientist salary

Average formulation scientist salary

$90,067

$43.3 hourly rate

Entry-level formulation scientist salary
$63,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Formulation Scientist Salary

The average salary for a formulation scientist in the United States is approximately $90,067 per year, or around $43 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on several factors, including experience, education level, and the specific industry sector. Typically, formulation scientists with advanced degrees or specialized training command higher salaries.

Factors Influencing Salary

Experience plays a significant role; early-career formulation scientists may earn less, while those with extensive experience can see substantial increases in their salaries. Additionally, geographical location significantly impacts compensation. States with higher living costs often offer higher salaries to attract skilled professionals.

Opportunities for Advancement

Formulation scientists have numerous opportunities for advancement in various industries such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and cosmetics. Each sector may offer different salary ranges, with pharmaceutical companies generally providing the highest compensation. It's advisable to research specific companies and roles to understand the salary landscape fully.

Conclusion

Understanding the salary dynamics of formulation scientists helps job seekers make informed decisions about their career paths. For those considering a career in this field, exploring job openings and salary expectations can lead to rewarding opportunities.

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Where can a Formulation Scientist earn more?

Compare salary by location
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154k
134k
114k
94k
74k
54k
34k
Columbus, OH$128,608
Largo, FL$63,717
Compare salary by company
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125k
105k
85k
65k
BioMarin$108,091
Valent U.S.A$95,454

Formulation scientist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for a formulation scientist typically falls between $78,492 and $137,671.
zippia
$90,067yearly
glassdoor[1]
$114,365yearly
comparably[2]
$137,671yearly
Salary.com[3]
$109,980yearly
ZipRecruiter[4]
$78,492yearly

Average formulation scientist salary by state

The highest-paying states for formulation scientists are California, Montana, and Minnesota. The lowest average formulation scientist salary states are Mississippi, Florida, and Georgia.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for formulation scientists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1California$118,637$57.04
2Montana$107,182$51.53
3Massachusetts$93,967$45.18
4Minnesota$106,140$51.03
5Connecticut$95,537$45.93
6New Jersey$93,860$45.13
7Indiana$102,944$49.49
8Washington$93,391$44.90
9Nevada$101,164$48.64
10Illinois$93,164$44.79
11Wisconsin$92,701$44.57
12Delaware$89,673$43.11
13Arizona$97,580$46.91
14Maine$89,678$43.11
15Oregon$90,142$43.34
16Tennessee$95,416$45.87
17Pennsylvania$82,428$39.63
18Maryland$87,763$42.19
19Virginia$84,441$40.60
20Alaska$92,318$44.38
21Wyoming$82,664$39.74
22Ohio$85,425$41.07
23Colorado$90,015$43.28
24New York$81,856$39.35
25South Dakota$76,697$36.87
26District of Columbia$90,719$43.61
27Utah$79,021$37.99
28Rhode Island$76,998$37.02
29West Virginia$79,777$38.35
30North Carolina$72,892$35.04
31New Mexico$73,324$35.25
32Vermont$76,248$36.66
33Arkansas$77,551$37.28
34Missouri$74,551$35.84
35Oklahoma$78,861$37.91
36North Dakota$69,827$33.57
37New Hampshire$71,043$34.16
38Idaho$72,140$34.68
39Kansas$71,308$34.28
40Texas$70,498$33.89
41Michigan$70,601$33.94
42Kentucky$71,003$34.14
43Alabama$69,786$33.55
44Louisiana$69,988$33.65
45Hawaii$53,461$25.70
46South Carolina$60,189$28.94
47Florida$62,699$30.14
48Nebraska$64,591$31.05
49Iowa$57,447$27.62
50Mississippi$64,420$30.97
51Georgia$62,693$30.14

Highest paying cities for formulation scientists

The highest-paying cities for formulation scientists are Novato, CA, Minneapolis, MN, and Indianapolis, IN.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Novato, CA$128,608$61.83
2Minneapolis, MN$106,136$51.03
3Indianapolis, IN$102,870$49.46
4Chandler, AZ$97,450$46.85
5Bridgewater, NJ$93,912$45.15
6Boston, MA$93,884$45.14
7Vernon Hills, IL$93,326$44.87
8Fort Collins, CO$89,595$43.07
9Gaithersburg, MD$87,747$42.19
10Bethlehem, PA$82,496$39.66
11Central Islip, NY$81,799$39.33
12Morgantown, WV$80,090$38.50
13Saint Louis, MO$74,641$35.89
14Durham, NC$73,484$35.33
15Huntsville, AL$71,633$34.44
16Largo, FL$63,717$30.63

Formulation scientist salary details

A formulation scientist's salary ranges from $63,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $126,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average formulation scientist salary graph
Average formulation scientist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a formulation scientist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$126,000$10,500$61
75th Percentile$107,000$8,917$51
Average$90,067$7,506$43
25th Percentile$75,000$6,250$36
10th Percentile$63,000$5,250$30

Highest paying formulation scientist jobs

The highest paying types of formulation scientists are senior scientist, scientist, and staff scientist.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Research Chemist$75,843$6,320$36.4653,769
Chemist$64,961$5,413$31.2320,221
Chemical Technician$42,584$3,549$20.4740,191
Research And Development Chemist$77,233$6,436$37.13100,225
Quality Control$32,824$2,735$15.7883,496
Microbiologist$54,620$4,552$26.2611,444

Top companies hiring formulation scientists now:

  1. BioMarin jobs (11)
  2. Vertex Pharmaceuticals jobs (22)
  3. Pfizer jobs (11)
  4. Valent U.S.A jobs (9)
  5. Teva Pharmaceuticals jobs (9)

Which companies pay formulation scientists the most?

Formulation scientist salaries at BioMarin and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average formulation scientist salary at companies like Alkermes and PTC Therapeutics are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1BioMarin$108,091$51.97
2Ironwood Pharmaceuticals$105,427$50.69
3Alkermes$104,649$50.31
4PTC Therapeutics$104,269$50.13
5Sutro Biopharma$103,842$49.92
6Ashland$103,306$49.67
7AbbVie$103,134$49.58
8Bayer$101,775$48.93
9Promega$101,548$48.82
10NovaBay Pharmaceuticals$100,970$48.54
11Corteva$98,705$47.45
12Intellia Therapeutics$98,343$47.28
13DuPont$97,347$46.80
14Regeneron$97,292$46.77
15Vertex Pharmaceuticals$97,170$46.72
16Nesher Pharmaceuticals$97,116$46.69
17PII Holdings Inc$96,396$46.34
18Pfizer$95,657$45.99
19Product Quest$95,493$45.91
20Valent U.S.A$95,454$45.89

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$89,000$88,600$88,200$87,800$87,400$87,000
MaleFemale

Formulation Scientist salary by industry

The average formulation scientist salary varies across industries:

  • The average formulation scientist salary in the agriculture industry is $98,647, the highest of any industry.
  • The average formulation scientist salary in the finance industry is $83,967.
  • Formulation scientists in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $71,419, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for formulation scientists

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Agriculture$98,647$47.43
2Health Care$83,967$40.37
3Manufacturing$80,975$38.93
4Pharmaceutical$80,138$38.53
5Hospitality$71,419$34.34

High paying formulation scientist jobs

Formulation scientist salary trends

The average formulation scientist salary has risen by $15,137 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average formulation scientist earned $74,930 annually, but today, they earn $90,067 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for formulation scientists over the last decade.

Compare formulation scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average formulation scientist salary over time

Compare formulation scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Formulation scientist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$90,100$43.30+3.0%
2024$87,400$42.01+4.5%
2023$83,500$40.13+3.2%
2022$80,800$38.84+1.9%
2021$79,300$38.11-2.1%

Recently added formulation scientist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
The Scotts CompanyProcess & Formulations ScientistMarysville, OH06/21/2025$77,200
AstrixLead Formulation ScientistMiddlesex, NJ06/17/2025$90,000
Scotts Miracle-Gro CompanyProcess & Formulations ScientistMarysville, OH06/17/2025$77,200
MerckScientist, Formulation SciencesRahway, NJ06/12/2025$85,600
Global Channel Management, Inc.Formulation ScientistTrumbull, CT06/10/2025$52,175
Bellair BiotechFormulation ScientistCranbury, NJ06/10/2025$150,000
Seawolf Therapeutics, Inc.Scientist I, Formulation DevelopmentSan Diego, CA05/30/2025$100,000
Invitro Cell Research, LLCScientist, Formulation and DeliveryEnglewood, NJ05/29/2025$130,000
Insight GlobalFormulation ScientistMontgomery, NJ05/29/2025$68,871
KerrySupplement Formulation Scientist.Beloit, WI05/27/2025$91,131

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