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Post-doctoral scientist salary
Average post-doctoral scientist salary
$58,490
Average Post-Doctoral Scientist Salary
The average salary for a Post-Doctoral Scientist is $58,490 per year, translating to about $28 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on several factors including location, years of experience, and the specific field of research. For instance, experienced post-docs in high-demand areas may command higher salaries.
Salary by State and City
States such as California and Massachusetts often offer higher salaries due to the concentration of research institutions and funding. Cities like San Francisco and Boston are known for their competitive pay scales. Understanding these dynamics can help aspiring post-doctoral scientists make informed career choices and target locations with the best opportunities.
Job Opportunities
Beyond salary, the role of a post-doctoral scientist opens doors to various industries, including academia, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. Networking and leveraging academic connections can lead to lucrative positions that not only provide financial stability but also contribute to groundbreaking scientific advancements.
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Where can a Post-Doctoral Scientist earn more?
Average post-doctoral scientist salary by state
The average post-doctoral scientist salary in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Hawaii are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average post-doctoral scientist salary states are Florida, Mississippi, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for post-doctoral scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $77,146 | $37.09 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $68,761 | $33.06 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $73,088 | $35.14 |
| 4 | Montana | $68,627 | $32.99 |
| 5 | California | $70,407 | $33.85 |
| 6 | Delaware | $66,954 | $32.19 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $69,428 | $33.38 |
| 8 | Maine | $67,980 | $32.68 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $58,747 | $28.24 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $58,393 | $28.07 |
| 11 | Alaska | $63,165 | $30.37 |
| 12 | Maryland | $59,882 | $28.79 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $72,006 | $34.62 |
| 14 | Indiana | $68,130 | $32.75 |
| 15 | Colorado | $59,482 | $28.60 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $59,234 | $28.48 |
| 17 | Arizona | $64,915 | $31.21 |
| 18 | New York | $57,648 | $27.72 |
| 19 | Oregon | $56,722 | $27.27 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $57,274 | $27.54 |
| 21 | Vermont | $55,650 | $26.75 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $54,354 | $26.13 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $55,879 | $26.86 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $50,407 | $24.23 |
| 25 | Michigan | $56,538 | $27.18 |
| 26 | Washington | $52,287 | $25.14 |
| 27 | Nevada | $56,629 | $27.23 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $52,241 | $25.12 |
| 29 | Virginia | $49,129 | $23.62 |
| 30 | Illinois | $50,363 | $24.21 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $52,608 | $25.29 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $47,299 | $22.74 |
| 33 | Iowa | $50,403 | $24.23 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $51,140 | $24.59 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $50,103 | $24.09 |
| 36 | Idaho | $47,778 | $22.97 |
| 37 | Ohio | $48,680 | $23.40 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $45,080 | $21.67 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $47,964 | $23.06 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $44,654 | $21.47 |
| 41 | Kansas | $47,283 | $22.73 |
| 42 | Missouri | $42,874 | $20.61 |
| 43 | Texas | $43,560 | $20.94 |
| 44 | Alabama | $45,145 | $21.70 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $42,873 | $20.61 |
| 46 | Utah | $36,964 | $17.77 |
| 47 | Florida | $40,418 | $19.43 |
| 48 | Georgia | $37,113 | $17.84 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $36,424 | $17.51 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $37,536 | $18.05 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $35,984 | $17.30 |
Highest paying cities for post-doctoral scientists
The highest-paying cities for post-doctoral scientists are Newark, NJ, Urban Honolulu, HI, and Mountain View, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark, NJ | $77,508 | $37.26 |
| 2 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $72,055 | $34.64 |
| 3 | Mountain View, CA | $71,565 | $34.41 |
| 4 | New Haven, CT | $69,536 | $33.43 |
| 5 | Cambridge, MA | $68,894 | $33.12 |
| 6 | Indianapolis, IN | $67,917 | $32.65 |
| 7 | Newark, DE | $67,151 | $32.28 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $60,140 | $28.91 |
| 9 | Boulder, CO | $59,611 | $28.66 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $58,831 | $28.28 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $57,548 | $27.67 |
| 12 | Eden Prairie, MN | $57,288 | $27.54 |
| 13 | Kalamazoo, MI | $56,126 | $26.98 |
| 14 | Washington, DC | $52,657 | $25.32 |
| 15 | Seattle, WA | $52,456 | $25.22 |
| 16 | Ashburn, VA | $50,670 | $24.36 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | $50,464 | $24.26 |
| 18 | Cleveland, OH | $49,513 | $23.80 |
| 19 | Las Cruces, NM | $47,808 | $22.98 |
| 20 | Manhattan, KS | $47,553 | $22.86 |
Post-doctoral scientist salary details
A post-doctoral scientist's salary ranges from $43,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $78,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a post-doctoral scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| 75th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| Average | $58,490 | $4,874 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
Highest paying post-doctoral scientist jobs
The highest paying types of post-doctoral scientists are medical science liaison, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Quality Control Analyst | $59,217 | $4,935 | $28.47 | 85,546 |
| Research And Development Chemist | $77,233 | $6,436 | $37.13 | 100,225 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Research Chemist | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36.46 | 53,769 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for post-doctoral scientists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Kimberley Cousins
John M. Pfau Endowed Professor and Department Chair, California State University San Bernardino
Top companies hiring post-doctoral scientists now:
Which companies pay post-doctoral scientists the most?
Post-doctoral scientist salaries at Amazon and IBM are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average post-doctoral scientist salary at companies like Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon | $93,572 | $44.99 |
| 2 | IBM | $82,490 | $39.66 |
| 3 | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $73,961 | $35.56 |
| 4 | Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research | $72,561 | $34.89 |
| 5 | Gillette | $71,676 | $34.46 |
| 6 | Bayer | $71,652 | $34.45 |
| 7 | Regeneron | $71,609 | $34.43 |
| 8 | Boehringer Ingelheim | $71,386 | $34.32 |
| 9 | Eli Lilly and Company | $71,194 | $34.23 |
| 10 | Zoetis | $70,931 | $34.10 |
| 11 | Johnson & Johnson | $70,868 | $34.07 |
| 12 | Sandia National Labs | $70,570 | $33.93 |
| 13 | Biogen | $70,524 | $33.91 |
| 14 | Gilead Sciences | $70,206 | $33.75 |
| 15 | Pfizer | $67,962 | $32.67 |
| 16 | Ethicon | $66,459 | $31.95 |
| 17 | BASF | $66,060 | $31.76 |
| 18 | Syngenta | $64,203 | $30.87 |
| 19 | National Medical Association | $64,143 | $30.84 |
| 20 | Miriam Hospital | $63,440 | $30.50 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Post-Doctoral Scientist salary by industry
The average post-doctoral scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average post-doctoral scientist salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $70,701, the highest of any industry.
- The average post-doctoral scientist salary in the finance industry is $69,180.
- Post-doctoral scientists in the education industry earn an average salary of $55,851, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for post-doctoral scientists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $70,701 | $33.99 |
| 2 | Technology | $69,180 | $33.26 |
| 3 | Health Care | $60,792 | $29.23 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $60,780 | $29.22 |
| 5 | Non Profits | $57,960 | $27.87 |
| 6 | Finance | $56,759 | $27.29 |
| 7 | Education | $55,851 | $26.85 |
High paying post-doctoral scientist jobs
Post-doctoral scientist salary trends
The average post-doctoral scientist salary has risen by $9,830 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average post-doctoral scientist earned $48,660 annually, but today, they earn $58,490 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for post-doctoral scientists over the last decade.
Compare post-doctoral scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average post-doctoral scientist salary over time
Compare post-doctoral scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Post-doctoral scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $58,500 | $28.12 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $56,800 | $27.28 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $54,200 | $26.06 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $52,500 | $25.23 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $51,500 | $24.75 | -2.1% |
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