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Best states for an optical scientist
Quoted expert
Sami Mejri Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for optical scientists in the United States. Optical scientist positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for optical scientists.In order to help you decide which state is the best for optical scientists, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for optical scientist jobs.
The median salary for optical scientists in Connecticut is $100,643. Compare that to the median salary in Mississippi of $48,278, which ranked worst for optical scientists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.Connecticut is the best state, and New London is the city with the highest pay for optical scientists.
10 best states for optical scientists in 2025
1. Connecticut
Total optical scientist jobs: 266 Average annual salary: $100,643 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
2. New Hampshire
Total optical scientist jobs: 142 Average annual salary: $99,641 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
3. Maryland
Total optical scientist jobs: 820 Average annual salary: $95,246 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 2.33
4. New Mexico
Total optical scientist jobs: 162 Average annual salary: $86,165 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.49
5. Rhode Island
Total optical scientist jobs: 82 Average annual salary: $86,773 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
6. Delaware
Total optical scientist jobs: 128 Average annual salary: $82,661 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.84
7. New York
Total optical scientist jobs: 1,173 Average annual salary: $86,326 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.65
8. Nevada
Total optical scientist jobs: 103 Average annual salary: $88,074 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
9. New Jersey
Total optical scientist jobs: 904 Average annual salary: $81,000 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 2.05
10. Vermont
Total optical scientist jobs: 64 Average annual salary: $79,539 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
Optical scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an optical scientist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an optical scientist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $100,643 | $64,000 | 3,588,184 | 266 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $99,641 | $63,000 | 1,342,795 | 142 |
| 3 | Maryland | $95,246 | $59,000 | 6,052,177 | 820 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $86,165 | $51,000 | 2,088,070 | 162 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $86,773 | $55,000 | 1,059,639 | 82 |
| 6 | Delaware | $82,661 | $52,000 | 961,939 | 128 |
| 7 | New York | $86,326 | $54,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,173 |
| 8 | Nevada | $88,074 | $52,000 | 2,998,039 | 103 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $81,000 | $51,000 | 9,005,644 | 904 |
| 10 | Vermont | $79,539 | $50,000 | 623,657 | 64 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $77,557 | $48,000 | 12,805,537 | 878 |
| 12 | Ohio | $80,861 | $50,000 | 11,658,609 | 464 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $89,284 | $56,000 | 6,859,819 | 262 |
| 14 | Utah | $79,020 | $46,000 | 3,101,833 | 192 |
| 15 | Colorado | $79,621 | $48,000 | 5,607,154 | 382 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $72,761 | $44,000 | 579,315 | 49 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $80,429 | $48,000 | 3,930,864 | 71 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $74,409 | $47,000 | 5,795,483 | 325 |
| 19 | Maine | $73,934 | $47,000 | 1,335,907 | 91 |
| 20 | Alabama | $76,365 | $46,000 | 4,874,747 | 156 |
| 21 | Washington | $81,429 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 236 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $75,183 | $48,000 | 5,576,606 | 346 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $72,990 | $44,000 | 5,024,369 | 225 |
| 24 | Alaska | $72,661 | $44,000 | 739,795 | 61 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $75,901 | $45,000 | 4,684,333 | 105 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $69,067 | $42,000 | 10,273,419 | 814 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $72,907 | $44,000 | 6,715,984 | 219 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $71,632 | $44,000 | 1,815,857 | 63 |
| 29 | Oregon | $72,904 | $42,000 | 4,142,776 | 267 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $83,540 | $52,000 | 693,972 | 17 |
| 31 | California | $80,546 | $47,000 | 39,536,653 | 727 |
| 32 | Michigan | $71,166 | $44,000 | 9,962,311 | 337 |
| 33 | Texas | $72,615 | $43,000 | 28,304,596 | 888 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $62,264 | $40,000 | 755,393 | 77 |
| 35 | Montana | $65,235 | $39,000 | 1,050,493 | 91 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $69,395 | $43,000 | 1,920,076 | 96 |
| 37 | Illinois | $65,900 | $41,000 | 12,802,023 | 835 |
| 38 | Missouri | $65,786 | $40,000 | 6,113,532 | 372 |
| 39 | Virginia | $57,191 | $35,000 | 8,470,020 | 923 |
| 40 | Arizona | $66,010 | $39,000 | 7,016,270 | 262 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $66,624 | $41,000 | 4,454,189 | 115 |
| 42 | Kansas | $61,576 | $38,000 | 2,913,123 | 162 |
| 43 | Idaho | $61,587 | $36,000 | 1,716,943 | 104 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $41,282 | $26,000 | 869,666 | 111 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $50,476 | $38,000 | 1,427,538 | 66 |
| 46 | Florida | $63,103 | $37,000 | 20,984,400 | 689 |
| 47 | Georgia | $62,571 | $37,000 | 10,429,379 | 406 |
| 48 | Indiana | $57,351 | $35,000 | 6,666,818 | 275 |
| 49 | Iowa | $50,429 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 133 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $50,938 | $30,000 | 3,004,279 | 78 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $48,278 | $29,000 | 2,984,100 | 50 |
Highest paying states for optical scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Optical Scientist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $100,643 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $99,641 |
| 3 | Maryland | $95,246 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $86,165 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $86,773 |
| 6 | Delaware | $82,661 |
| 7 | New York | $86,326 |
| 8 | Nevada | $88,074 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $81,000 |
| 10 | Vermont | $79,539 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $77,557 |
| 12 | Ohio | $80,861 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $89,284 |
| 14 | Utah | $79,020 |
| 15 | Colorado | $79,621 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $72,761 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $80,429 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $74,409 |
| 19 | Maine | $73,934 |
| 20 | Alabama | $76,365 |
| 21 | Washington | $81,429 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $75,183 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $72,990 |
| 24 | Alaska | $72,661 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $75,901 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $69,067 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $72,907 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $71,632 |
| 29 | Oregon | $72,904 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $83,540 |
| 31 | California | $80,546 |
| 32 | Michigan | $71,166 |
| 33 | Texas | $72,615 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $62,264 |
| 35 | Montana | $65,235 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $69,395 |
| 37 | Illinois | $65,900 |
| 38 | Missouri | $65,786 |
| 39 | Virginia | $57,191 |
| 40 | Arizona | $66,010 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $66,624 |
| 42 | Kansas | $61,576 |
| 43 | Idaho | $61,587 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $41,282 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $50,476 |
| 46 | Florida | $63,103 |
| 47 | Georgia | $62,571 |
| 48 | Indiana | $57,351 |
| 49 | Iowa | $50,429 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $50,938 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $48,278 |
Expert opinions on the best states for optical scientists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for optical scientists to find work opportunities?
Sami Mejri Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Science, Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs, Tiffin University
With the rising cost of living, a college graduate's ideal first job may not be in their home state or favorite vacation town. According to Business Insider, MidWestern cities like Columbus-Ohio, Cincinnati-Ohio, Madison-Wisconsin, Milwaukee-Wisconsin, and Indianapolis-Indiana were some of the best geographical areas to live for college graduates. The cost of living in these Midwestern states remains relatively lower than coastal areas, making these locations ideal for college graduates entering the workforce. However, college graduates with degrees in healthcare, computer science, and data analytics may not be limited to these geographical areas, given employers' incentives to these in-demand jobs.
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Updated January 8, 2025