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Best states for a lead scientist
Quoted expert
Don Snyder
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Are you thinking of becoming a lead scientist and really want to work at Target? Turns out, your chances to become a lead scientist are better in some states than others.In fact, our research shows that Montana is the best state for lead scientists in America. The best city in America for lead scientists with the highest pay is Santa Cruz, CA.
We figured that the best places for lead scientist 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.We found that Montana is the best state for lead scientist jobs, whereas Iowa is the worst.
10 best states for lead scientists in 2026
1. Montana
Total lead scientist jobs: 233 Average annual salary: $119,115 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 2.11
2. Nevada
Total lead scientist jobs: 397 Average annual salary: $122,055 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 1.98
3. Minnesota
Total lead scientist jobs: 1,397 Average annual salary: $110,069 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 2.19
4. California
Total lead scientist jobs: 3,208 Average annual salary: $137,550 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $203,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
5. Alaska
Total lead scientist jobs: 161 Average annual salary: $107,517 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 2.01
6. Massachusetts
Total lead scientist jobs: 1,854 Average annual salary: $108,741 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 2.1
7. New Jersey
Total lead scientist jobs: 1,113 Average annual salary: $112,532 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
8. Connecticut
Total lead scientist jobs: 279 Average annual salary: $115,084 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
9. Tennessee
Total lead scientist jobs: 259 Average annual salary: $138,783 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 0.46
10. Maine
Total lead scientist jobs: 95 Average annual salary: $112,012 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
Lead scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a lead scientist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a lead scientist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | $119,115 | $81,000 | 1,050,493 | 233 |
| 2 | Nevada | $122,055 | $81,000 | 2,998,039 | 397 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $110,069 | $78,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,397 |
| 4 | California | $137,550 | $93,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,208 |
| 5 | Alaska | $107,517 | $80,000 | 739,795 | 161 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $108,741 | $79,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,854 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $112,532 | $80,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,113 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $115,084 | $83,000 | 3,588,184 | 279 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $138,783 | $95,000 | 6,715,984 | 259 |
| 10 | Maine | $112,012 | $82,000 | 1,335,907 | 95 |
| 11 | Indiana | $119,111 | $83,000 | 6,666,818 | 292 |
| 12 | Delaware | $107,247 | $76,000 | 961,939 | 143 |
| 13 | Arizona | $117,430 | $77,000 | 7,016,270 | 280 |
| 14 | New York | $104,216 | $74,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,516 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $103,092 | $78,000 | 1,427,538 | 162 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $95,654 | $68,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,051 |
| 17 | Michigan | $92,084 | $65,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,336 |
| 18 | Oregon | $102,477 | $69,000 | 4,142,776 | 325 |
| 19 | Illinois | $100,510 | $70,000 | 12,802,023 | 939 |
| 20 | Maryland | $99,366 | $70,000 | 6,052,177 | 906 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $89,082 | $59,000 | 3,004,279 | 337 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $90,141 | $59,000 | 3,930,864 | 363 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $91,146 | $61,000 | 579,315 | 49 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $87,969 | $57,000 | 2,088,070 | 365 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $104,948 | $74,000 | 693,972 | 132 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $86,291 | $60,000 | 869,666 | 200 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $93,715 | $66,000 | 1,815,857 | 63 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $92,620 | $65,000 | 5,795,483 | 359 |
| 29 | Vermont | $94,052 | $69,000 | 623,657 | 68 |
| 30 | Ohio | $91,882 | $64,000 | 11,658,609 | 523 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $93,715 | $68,000 | 1,059,639 | 90 |
| 32 | Virginia | $92,014 | $65,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,050 |
| 33 | Missouri | $85,222 | $58,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,086 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $87,483 | $60,000 | 10,273,419 | 915 |
| 35 | Texas | $89,385 | $58,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,111 |
| 36 | Colorado | $92,160 | $61,000 | 5,607,154 | 380 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $84,175 | $57,000 | 1,920,076 | 303 |
| 38 | Idaho | $80,939 | $54,000 | 1,716,943 | 324 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $87,430 | $64,000 | 1,342,795 | 139 |
| 40 | Kansas | $80,875 | $54,000 | 2,913,123 | 444 |
| 41 | Washington | $83,609 | $56,000 | 7,405,743 | 817 |
| 42 | Alabama | $85,204 | $56,000 | 4,874,747 | 144 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $78,821 | $56,000 | 755,393 | 79 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $82,633 | $57,000 | 4,454,189 | 139 |
| 45 | Florida | $81,642 | $51,000 | 20,984,400 | 757 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $78,999 | $51,000 | 2,984,100 | 54 |
| 47 | Utah | $75,871 | $50,000 | 3,101,833 | 206 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $77,350 | $50,000 | 4,684,333 | 111 |
| 49 | Georgia | $76,275 | $51,000 | 10,429,379 | 425 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $73,601 | $49,000 | 5,024,369 | 231 |
| 51 | Iowa | $65,266 | $45,000 | 3,145,711 | 178 |
Highest paying states for lead scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Lead Scientist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | $119,115 |
| 2 | Nevada | $122,055 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $110,069 |
| 4 | California | $137,550 |
| 5 | Alaska | $107,517 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $108,741 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $112,532 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $115,084 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $138,783 |
| 10 | Maine | $112,012 |
| 11 | Indiana | $119,111 |
| 12 | Delaware | $107,247 |
| 13 | Arizona | $117,430 |
| 14 | New York | $104,216 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $103,092 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $95,654 |
| 17 | Michigan | $92,084 |
| 18 | Oregon | $102,477 |
| 19 | Illinois | $100,510 |
| 20 | Maryland | $99,366 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $89,082 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $90,141 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $91,146 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $87,969 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $104,948 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $86,291 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $93,715 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $92,620 |
| 29 | Vermont | $94,052 |
| 30 | Ohio | $91,882 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $93,715 |
| 32 | Virginia | $92,014 |
| 33 | Missouri | $85,222 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $87,483 |
| 35 | Texas | $89,385 |
| 36 | Colorado | $92,160 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $84,175 |
| 38 | Idaho | $80,939 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $87,430 |
| 40 | Kansas | $80,875 |
| 41 | Washington | $83,609 |
| 42 | Alabama | $85,204 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $78,821 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $82,633 |
| 45 | Florida | $81,642 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $78,999 |
| 47 | Utah | $75,871 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $77,350 |
| 49 | Georgia | $76,275 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $73,601 |
| 51 | Iowa | $65,266 |
Expert opinions on the best states for lead scientists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for lead scientists to find work opportunities?
Don Snyder
Associate Director, Industry Advising: STEM, William and Mary
Strong tech markets in the U.S. include Austin, Raleigh, Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Columbus. Some markets are established in tech, while other markets are more up-and-coming. Smaller cities that may be "off the radar" include Huntsville and Tucson. Graduates need to look at different factors when exploring cities, including the cost of living. The dollar will go a lot further in Raleigh than in San Francisco. And some cities that were once more affordable may have a higher cost of living now due to the recent influx of residents.
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Updated January 8, 2025