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Best states for an inventor
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to inventor jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. As inventors are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for inventors. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as an inventor, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
We figured that the best places for inventor jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.If you are currently seeking employment as an inventor, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for inventors in 2025
1. New York
Total inventor jobs: 149 Average annual salary: $78,742 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 2.23
2. California
Total inventor jobs: 335 Average annual salary: $74,604 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 2.2
3. Massachusetts
Total inventor jobs: 49 Average annual salary: $73,058 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
4. Maine
Total inventor jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $64,202 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
5. Rhode Island
Total inventor jobs: 10 Average annual salary: $63,389 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.58
6. Washington
Total inventor jobs: 91 Average annual salary: $64,932 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 2.4
7. Vermont
Total inventor jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $63,121 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
8. Michigan
Total inventor jobs: 63 Average annual salary: $59,554 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
9. District of Columbia
Total inventor jobs: 10 Average annual salary: $70,165 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
10. Alaska
Total inventor jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $63,398 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
Inventor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an inventor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an inventor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $78,742 | $43,000 | 19,849,399 | 149 |
| 2 | California | $74,604 | $41,000 | 39,536,653 | 335 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $73,058 | $39,000 | 6,859,819 | 49 |
| 4 | Maine | $64,202 | $35,000 | 1,335,907 | 11 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $63,389 | $34,000 | 1,059,639 | 10 |
| 6 | Washington | $64,932 | $36,000 | 7,405,743 | 91 |
| 7 | Vermont | $63,121 | $34,000 | 623,657 | 6 |
| 8 | Michigan | $59,554 | $34,000 | 9,962,311 | 63 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $70,165 | $39,000 | 693,972 | 10 |
| 10 | Alaska | $63,398 | $37,000 | 739,795 | 5 |
| 11 | Texas | $62,621 | $36,000 | 28,304,596 | 85 |
| 12 | Oregon | $62,176 | $34,000 | 4,142,776 | 74 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $65,742 | $36,000 | 12,805,537 | 27 |
| 14 | Arizona | $67,861 | $38,000 | 7,016,270 | 11 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $65,066 | $37,000 | 2,088,070 | 5 |
| 16 | Arkansas | $59,215 | $35,000 | 3,004,279 | 10 |
| 17 | Virginia | $64,709 | $36,000 | 8,470,020 | 35 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $63,751 | $34,000 | 3,588,184 | 13 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $68,914 | $38,000 | 9,005,644 | 14 |
| 20 | Idaho | $59,070 | $33,000 | 1,716,943 | 8 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $58,722 | $34,000 | 10,273,419 | 32 |
| 22 | Delaware | $56,255 | $31,000 | 961,939 | 10 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $55,963 | $32,000 | 1,815,857 | 5 |
| 24 | Kansas | $58,506 | $34,000 | 2,913,123 | 7 |
| 25 | Indiana | $57,500 | $33,000 | 6,666,818 | 17 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $52,841 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 5 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $58,142 | $35,000 | 5,576,606 | 18 |
| 28 | Illinois | $55,855 | $33,000 | 12,802,023 | 68 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $55,417 | $32,000 | 6,715,984 | 18 |
| 30 | Nevada | $54,979 | $30,000 | 2,998,039 | 7 |
| 31 | Ohio | $54,411 | $31,000 | 11,658,609 | 28 |
| 32 | Maryland | $56,069 | $31,000 | 6,052,177 | 23 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $53,161 | $31,000 | 1,920,076 | 8 |
| 34 | Montana | $51,527 | $29,000 | 1,050,493 | 7 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $48,039 | $36,000 | 1,427,538 | 4 |
| 36 | Missouri | $54,973 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 14 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $49,839 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 5 |
| 38 | Alabama | $50,532 | $30,000 | 4,874,747 | 12 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $46,478 | $25,000 | 1,342,795 | 11 |
| 40 | Iowa | $52,441 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 7 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $48,018 | $29,000 | 755,393 | 4 |
| 42 | Utah | $45,352 | $25,000 | 3,101,833 | 20 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $51,261 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 12 |
| 44 | Colorado | $48,074 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 25 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $48,355 | $28,000 | 4,454,189 | 11 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $44,823 | $26,000 | 2,984,100 | 7 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $48,981 | $28,000 | 5,024,369 | 9 |
| 48 | Georgia | $43,545 | $25,000 | 10,429,379 | 35 |
| 49 | Florida | $46,873 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 31 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $44,210 | $26,000 | 3,930,864 | 7 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $39,918 | $23,000 | 4,684,333 | 7 |
Highest paying states for inventors
| Rank | State | Avg. Inventor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $78,742 |
| 2 | California | $74,604 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $73,058 |
| 4 | Maine | $64,202 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $63,389 |
| 6 | Washington | $64,932 |
| 7 | Vermont | $63,121 |
| 8 | Michigan | $59,554 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $70,165 |
| 10 | Alaska | $63,398 |
| 11 | Texas | $62,621 |
| 12 | Oregon | $62,176 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $65,742 |
| 14 | Arizona | $67,861 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $65,066 |
| 16 | Arkansas | $59,215 |
| 17 | Virginia | $64,709 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $63,751 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $68,914 |
| 20 | Idaho | $59,070 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $58,722 |
| 22 | Delaware | $56,255 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $55,963 |
| 24 | Kansas | $58,506 |
| 25 | Indiana | $57,500 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $52,841 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $58,142 |
| 28 | Illinois | $55,855 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $55,417 |
| 30 | Nevada | $54,979 |
| 31 | Ohio | $54,411 |
| 32 | Maryland | $56,069 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $53,161 |
| 34 | Montana | $51,527 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $48,039 |
| 36 | Missouri | $54,973 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $49,839 |
| 38 | Alabama | $50,532 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $46,478 |
| 40 | Iowa | $52,441 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $48,018 |
| 42 | Utah | $45,352 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $51,261 |
| 44 | Colorado | $48,074 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $48,355 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $44,823 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $48,981 |
| 48 | Georgia | $43,545 |
| 49 | Florida | $46,873 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $44,210 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $39,918 |
Inventor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025