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Best states for a post-doctoral scientist
Quoted expert
Don Snyder
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Are you thinking of becoming a post-doctoral scientist and really want to work at The George Washington University? Turns out, your chances to become a post-doctoral scientist are better in some states than others.As post-doctoral scientists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for post-doctoral scientists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a post-doctoral scientist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
In order to get you the best states for post-doctoral scientists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that New Jersey is the best state for post-doctoral scientist jobs, whereas Louisiana is the worst.
10 best states for post-doctoral scientists in 2025
1. New Jersey
Total post-doctoral scientist jobs: 1,388 Average annual salary: $77,146 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.73
2. Massachusetts
Total post-doctoral scientist jobs: 2,471 Average annual salary: $68,761 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 2.66
3. Rhode Island
Total post-doctoral scientist jobs: 114 Average annual salary: $73,088 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
4. Montana
Total post-doctoral scientist jobs: 121 Average annual salary: $68,627 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
5. California
Total post-doctoral scientist jobs: 3,880 Average annual salary: $70,407 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
6. Delaware
Total post-doctoral scientist jobs: 165 Average annual salary: $66,954 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
7. Connecticut
Total post-doctoral scientist jobs: 338 Average annual salary: $69,428 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
8. Maine
Total post-doctoral scientist jobs: 117 Average annual salary: $67,980 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
9. Pennsylvania
Total post-doctoral scientist jobs: 1,226 Average annual salary: $58,747 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
10. North Carolina
Total post-doctoral scientist jobs: 1,076 Average annual salary: $58,393 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
Post-doctoral scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a post-doctoral scientist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a post-doctoral scientist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $77,146 | $54,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,388 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $68,761 | $49,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,471 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $73,088 | $52,000 | 1,059,639 | 114 |
| 4 | Montana | $68,627 | $49,000 | 1,050,493 | 121 |
| 5 | California | $70,407 | $50,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,880 |
| 6 | Delaware | $66,954 | $47,000 | 961,939 | 165 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $69,428 | $49,000 | 3,588,184 | 338 |
| 8 | Maine | $67,980 | $49,000 | 1,335,907 | 117 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $58,747 | $41,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,226 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $58,393 | $40,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,076 |
| 11 | Alaska | $63,165 | $51,000 | 739,795 | 82 |
| 12 | Maryland | $59,882 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,052 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $72,006 | $57,000 | 1,427,538 | 75 |
| 14 | Indiana | $68,130 | $48,000 | 6,666,818 | 339 |
| 15 | Colorado | $59,482 | $42,000 | 5,607,154 | 617 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $59,234 | $42,000 | 6,715,984 | 408 |
| 17 | Arizona | $64,915 | $46,000 | 7,016,270 | 372 |
| 18 | New York | $57,648 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,111 |
| 19 | Oregon | $56,722 | $40,000 | 4,142,776 | 488 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $57,274 | $41,000 | 5,576,606 | 598 |
| 21 | Vermont | $55,650 | $40,000 | 623,657 | 79 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $54,354 | $39,000 | 579,315 | 59 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $55,879 | $40,000 | 5,795,483 | 434 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $50,407 | $36,000 | 869,666 | 118 |
| 25 | Michigan | $56,538 | $40,000 | 9,962,311 | 458 |
| 26 | Washington | $52,287 | $37,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,016 |
| 27 | Nevada | $56,629 | $40,000 | 2,998,039 | 125 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $52,241 | $37,000 | 1,342,795 | 160 |
| 29 | Virginia | $49,129 | $34,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,224 |
| 30 | Illinois | $50,363 | $36,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,164 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $52,608 | $37,000 | 693,972 | 159 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $47,299 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 200 |
| 33 | Iowa | $50,403 | $36,000 | 3,145,711 | 225 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $51,140 | $36,000 | 3,930,864 | 106 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $50,103 | $35,000 | 3,004,279 | 96 |
| 36 | Idaho | $47,778 | $34,000 | 1,716,943 | 144 |
| 37 | Ohio | $48,680 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 635 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $45,080 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 93 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $47,964 | $34,000 | 4,454,189 | 174 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $44,654 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 109 |
| 41 | Kansas | $47,283 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 190 |
| 42 | Missouri | $42,874 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 539 |
| 43 | Texas | $43,560 | $30,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,489 |
| 44 | Alabama | $45,145 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 179 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $42,873 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 150 |
| 46 | Utah | $36,964 | $26,000 | 3,101,833 | 278 |
| 47 | Florida | $40,418 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 982 |
| 48 | Georgia | $37,113 | $26,000 | 10,429,379 | 667 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $36,424 | $25,000 | 5,024,369 | 289 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $37,536 | $26,000 | 2,984,100 | 80 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $35,984 | $25,000 | 4,684,333 | 197 |
Highest paying states for post-doctoral scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Post-Doctoral Scientist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $77,146 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $68,761 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $73,088 |
| 4 | Montana | $68,627 |
| 5 | California | $70,407 |
| 6 | Delaware | $66,954 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $69,428 |
| 8 | Maine | $67,980 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $58,747 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $58,393 |
| 11 | Alaska | $63,165 |
| 12 | Maryland | $59,882 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $72,006 |
| 14 | Indiana | $68,130 |
| 15 | Colorado | $59,482 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $59,234 |
| 17 | Arizona | $64,915 |
| 18 | New York | $57,648 |
| 19 | Oregon | $56,722 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $57,274 |
| 21 | Vermont | $55,650 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $54,354 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $55,879 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $50,407 |
| 25 | Michigan | $56,538 |
| 26 | Washington | $52,287 |
| 27 | Nevada | $56,629 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $52,241 |
| 29 | Virginia | $49,129 |
| 30 | Illinois | $50,363 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $52,608 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $47,299 |
| 33 | Iowa | $50,403 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $51,140 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $50,103 |
| 36 | Idaho | $47,778 |
| 37 | Ohio | $48,680 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $45,080 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $47,964 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $44,654 |
| 41 | Kansas | $47,283 |
| 42 | Missouri | $42,874 |
| 43 | Texas | $43,560 |
| 44 | Alabama | $45,145 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $42,873 |
| 46 | Utah | $36,964 |
| 47 | Florida | $40,418 |
| 48 | Georgia | $37,113 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $36,424 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $37,536 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $35,984 |
Expert opinions on the best states for post-doctoral scientists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for post-doctoral 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.
Post-doctoral scientist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025