Merck principal research scientist salary

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Average Merck principal research scientist salary

$139,465yearly

$61.15 hourly rate

Entry-level Merck principal research scientist salary

$102,000 yearly

Updated April 5, 2024

How much does Merck pay principal research scientists?

The average salary for Merck principal research scientists is $139,465 per year. Merck principal research scientist salaries range between $102,000 to $190,000 per year. Merck principal research scientists earn 10% more than the national average salary for principal research scientists of $127,191.

Location impacts how much a principal research scientist at Merck can expect to make. Principal research scientists at Merck make the most in Sacramento, CA, Helena, MT, and Carson City, NV.

How much does Merck pay principal research scientists by location?

Merck pays principal research scientists the most in Sacramento, CA, Helena, MT, and Carson City, NV. Additionally, cities like Juneau and Nashville also report highly competitive salaries for principal research scientists at Merck.

Principal research scientist Merck salary by location

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Sacramento, CA	$178,560	$85.85
2	Helena, MT	$164,496	$79.08
3	Carson City, NV	$151,992	$73.07
4	Juneau, AK	$146,450	$70.41
5	Nashville, TN	$146,348	$70.36
6	Indianapolis, IN	$145,359	$69.88
7	Saint Paul, MN	$143,825	$69.15
8	Madison, WI	$141,668	$68.11
9	Olympia, WA	$140,834	$67.71
10	Augusta, ME	$140,780	$67.68

Highest-paid Merck principal research scientists by job level

Rank	Job title	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Senior Staff Scientist	$131,151	$63	-
2	Senior Clinical Research Scientist	$127,685	$61	-
3	Senior Research Investigator	$124,407	$60	-
4	Principal Scientist	$120,275	$58	6
5	Senior Principal Scientist	$114,450	$55	15
6	Associate Principal Scientist	$108,674	$52	9
7	Senior Project Scientist	$108,372	$52	-
8	Research Investigator	$108,244	$52	-
9	Research Scientist Lead	$107,912	$52	-
10	Lead Scientist	$106,954	$51	-

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Recent salaries for principal research scientists at merck

Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Principal Scientist, Upstream Process R&D	Rahway, NJ	06/22/2025	$169,700
Principal Scientist/Director, Outcomes Research, Oncology	Upper Gwynedd, PA	05/28/2025	$187,000
Principal Scientist, Analytical R&D Biologics	Rahway, NJ	05/27/2025	$153,800
Principal Scientist, Research Science-Genomics	Rahway, NJ	04/08/2025	$153,800
Principal Scientist, Downstream Biologics Process R&D	Rahway, NJ	03/30/2025	$169,700

Principal research scientist salary at Merck competitors

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Amgen	$145,348	$70	41
2	Zoetis	$144,965	$70	16
3	Sanofi Genzyme	$144,394	$69	-
4	Bayer	$131,172	$63	67
5	Gilead Sciences	$131,038	$63	85
6	Seagen	$129,852	$62	-
7	AbbVie	$127,297	$61	115
8	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$125,730	$60	42
9	Eli Lilly and Company	$123,269	$59	42
10	Sanofi US	$123,105	$59	26
11	Johnson & Johnson	$120,449	$58	100
12	Pfizer	$103,605	$50	47

Show more principal research scientist salaries at Merck competitors.