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Pharmaceutical scientist salary
Average pharmaceutical scientist salary
$79,535
Understanding Pharmaceutical Scientist Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Pharmaceutical Scientist is approximately $79,535 per year, translating to about $38 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors like geographic location, years of experience, and specialization within the pharmaceutical industry. For instance, those in states such as California and Massachusetts often receive higher compensation due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals.
In addition to salary, many Pharmaceutical Scientists have the opportunity to advance into higher-paying roles, such as Senior Scientist or Manager, which can offer salaries exceeding $100,000. The industry also provides various paths, including research and development, regulatory affairs, and quality assurance.
Job Opportunities and Growth
Job seekers can find numerous openings across pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and research institutions. Utilizing platforms like Zippia, applicants can filter job listings by location, salary range, and required qualifications, ensuring they find positions that align with their career goals.
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Where can a Pharmaceutical Scientist earn more?
Pharmaceutical scientist salary estimates from across the web
Average pharmaceutical scientist salary by state
The average pharmaceutical scientist salary in California, Montana, and Rhode Island are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average pharmaceutical scientist salary states are Mississippi, Hawaii, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for pharmaceutical scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $108,569 | $52.20 |
| 2 | Maryland | $92,040 | $44.25 |
| 3 | Montana | $93,640 | $45.02 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $86,437 | $41.56 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $93,042 | $44.73 |
| 6 | Illinois | $90,393 | $43.46 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $85,098 | $40.91 |
| 8 | Delaware | $80,750 | $38.82 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $90,006 | $43.27 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $82,536 | $39.68 |
| 11 | Oregon | $80,658 | $38.78 |
| 12 | Nevada | $87,761 | $42.19 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $76,955 | $37.00 |
| 14 | Indiana | $85,236 | $40.98 |
| 15 | Maine | $81,281 | $39.08 |
| 16 | Alaska | $80,251 | $38.58 |
| 17 | New York | $75,150 | $36.13 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $78,602 | $37.79 |
| 19 | Ohio | $75,428 | $36.26 |
| 20 | Washington | $71,533 | $34.39 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $71,013 | $34.14 |
| 22 | Idaho | $72,424 | $34.82 |
| 23 | Vermont | $68,946 | $33.15 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $65,749 | $31.61 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $68,859 | $33.11 |
| 26 | Arizona | $72,480 | $34.85 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $62,965 | $30.27 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $66,613 | $32.03 |
| 29 | Michigan | $68,297 | $32.84 |
| 30 | Florida | $68,212 | $32.79 |
| 31 | Virginia | $61,863 | $29.74 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $67,001 | $32.21 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $61,712 | $29.67 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $66,706 | $32.07 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $67,659 | $32.53 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $64,312 | $30.92 |
| 37 | Colorado | $63,047 | $30.31 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $59,294 | $28.51 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $54,383 | $26.15 |
| 40 | Kansas | $60,129 | $28.91 |
| 41 | Missouri | $59,655 | $28.68 |
| 42 | Iowa | $59,940 | $28.82 |
| 43 | Texas | $56,969 | $27.39 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $58,677 | $28.21 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $59,925 | $28.81 |
| 46 | Utah | $51,642 | $24.83 |
| 47 | Alabama | $57,069 | $27.44 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $53,974 | $25.95 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $56,686 | $27.25 |
| 50 | Georgia | $50,148 | $24.11 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $48,232 | $23.19 |
Highest paying cities for pharmaceutical scientists
The highest-paying cities for pharmaceutical scientists are South San Francisco, CA, Frederick, MD, and North Chicago, IL.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South San Francisco, CA | $117,802 | $56.64 |
| 2 | Frederick, MD | $92,115 | $44.29 |
| 3 | North Chicago, IL | $90,848 | $43.68 |
| 4 | Waltham, MA | $86,444 | $41.56 |
| 5 | West Lafayette, IN | $85,380 | $41.05 |
| 6 | East Windsor, NJ | $84,990 | $40.86 |
| 7 | Wilmington, DE | $80,928 | $38.91 |
| 8 | Lancaster, PA | $76,829 | $36.94 |
| 9 | Oklahoma City, OK | $67,835 | $32.61 |
| 10 | Miramar, FL | $66,896 | $32.16 |
| 11 | Durham, NC | $66,325 | $31.89 |
| 12 | Lincoln, NE | $59,784 | $28.74 |
| 13 | Morgantown, WV | $59,240 | $28.48 |
Pharmaceutical scientist salary details
A pharmaceutical scientist's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a pharmaceutical scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $115,000 | $9,583 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $96,000 | $8,000 | $46 |
| Average | $79,535 | $6,628 | $38 |
| 25th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
Highest paying pharmaceutical scientist jobs
The highest paying types of pharmaceutical scientists are medical science liaison, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fellow | $66,364 | $5,530 | $31.91 | 7,459 |
| Researcher | $67,145 | $5,595 | $32.28 | 30,498 |
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Doctoral Fellow | $53,366 | $4,447 | $25.66 | 22,661 |
| Research Chemist | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36.46 | 53,769 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
Top companies hiring pharmaceutical scientists now:
Which companies pay pharmaceutical scientists the most?
Pharmaceutical scientist salaries at BASi and Ashland are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average pharmaceutical scientist salary at companies like Amgen and AbbVie are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BASi | $101,255 | $48.68 |
| 2 | Ashland | $100,005 | $48.08 |
| 3 | Amgen | $97,623 | $46.93 |
| 4 | AbbVie | $97,530 | $46.89 |
| 5 | BASF | $95,455 | $45.89 |
| 6 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $92,366 | $44.41 |
| 7 | Acorda Therapeutics | $91,718 | $44.10 |
| 8 | Abbott | $87,778 | $42.20 |
| 9 | Teva Pharmaceuticals | $86,983 | $41.82 |
| 10 | Koniag | $78,987 | $37.97 |
| 11 | Novartis Consumer Health Inc | $78,145 | $37.57 |
| 12 | Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine | $76,419 | $36.74 |
| 13 | Tergus Pharma | $74,659 | $35.89 |
| 14 | Global Blood Therapeutics | $73,282 | $35.23 |
| 15 | Eurofins | $73,020 | $35.11 |
| 16 | Johnson & Johnson | $72,889 | $35.04 |
| 17 | Novel Laboratories | $71,652 | $34.45 |
| 18 | Cherokee Pharmaceuticals | $71,618 | $34.43 |
| 19 | Ad Astra | $71,610 | $34.43 |
| 20 | Watson Laboratories | $71,250 | $34.25 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Pharmaceutical Scientist salary by industry
The average pharmaceutical scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average pharmaceutical scientist salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $87,697, the highest of any industry.
- The average pharmaceutical scientist salary in the finance industry is $86,330.
- Pharmaceutical scientists in the technology industry earn an average salary of $72,467, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for pharmaceutical scientists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $87,697 | $42.16 |
| 2 | Health Care | $86,330 | $41.50 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $83,226 | $40.01 |
| 4 | Technology | $72,467 | $34.84 |
High paying pharmaceutical scientist jobs
Pharmaceutical scientist salary trends
The average pharmaceutical scientist salary has risen by $13,367 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average pharmaceutical scientist earned $66,168 annually, but today, they earn $79,535 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for pharmaceutical scientists over the last decade.
Compare pharmaceutical scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average pharmaceutical scientist salary over time
Compare pharmaceutical scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Pharmaceutical scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $79,500 | $38.24 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $77,200 | $37.10 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $73,700 | $35.44 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $71,300 | $34.30 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $70,000 | $33.65 | -2.1% |
Recently added pharmaceutical scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actalent | Pharmaceutical Scientist | Columbus, OH | 06/26/2025 | $50,088 |
| Johnson & Johnson | Experienced Scientist, Discovery Pharmaceutics | San Diego, CA | 04/23/2025 | $89,000 |
| Boston Scientific | Principal Pharmaceutical Scientist | Maple Grove, MN | 03/28/2025 | $99,100 |
| Actalent | Pharmaceutical Scientist | Columbus, OH | 03/19/2025 | $50,088 |
| Unither Manufacturing LLC | SR. Pharmaceutical Scientist | Rochester, NY | 02/19/2025 | $105,000 |
| Thepharmadaily LLP | Pharmaceutical Atte. | McPherson, KS | 02/16/2025 | $38,088 |
| Uottawa | Tenure-Track Positions In Pharmaceutical Sciences | Hall, NY | 12/15/2024 | $94,588 |
| Webmall.Us | Exciting Opportunity for A Pharmaceutical Scientist | Corona, CA | 12/04/2024 | $106,800 |
| Actalent | Pharmaceutical Scientist-1St. Shift | Columbus, OH | 12/04/2024 | $50,088 |
| Atrilogy Solutions Group | Bench Scientist-Pharmaceutical | Noank, CT | 10/20/2024 | $73,045 |
Pharmaceutical scientist salary FAQs
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