Best states for a postdoc fellow

Q: What is the best state for postdoc fellows?

The best state to be a postdoc fellow is Tennessee based on postdoc fellow salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for postdoc fellows?

The highest paying state for postdoc fellows is Iowa based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for postdoc fellows?

The worst state for postdoc fellows is Iowa, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for postdoc fellows? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for postdoc fellow jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Although there are abundant postdoc fellow jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. Tennessee is the best state in the country for postdoc fellow jobs.

To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for postdoc fellows.Tennessee is the best state, and Mililani Town is the city with the highest pay for postdoc fellows.

10 best states for postdoc fellows in 2026

1. Tennessee
Total postdoc fellow jobs: 153
Average annual salary: $73,434
Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000
Location Quotient:
1.15
Postdoc fellow jobs in Tennessee
2. Montana
Total postdoc fellow jobs: 22
Average annual salary: $68,590
Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000
Location Quotient:
0.84
Postdoc fellow jobs in Montana
3. Maine
Total postdoc fellow jobs: 24
Average annual salary: $66,875
Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000
Location Quotient:
0.8
Postdoc fellow jobs in Maine
4. Minnesota
Total postdoc fellow jobs: 183
Average annual salary: $61,307
Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000
Location Quotient:
1.21
Postdoc fellow jobs in Minnesota
5. California
Total postdoc fellow jobs: 579
Average annual salary: $69,089
Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000
Location Quotient:
0.87
Postdoc fellow jobs in California
6. New Jersey
Total postdoc fellow jobs: 302
Average annual salary: $62,551
Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000
Location Quotient:
1.68
Postdoc fellow jobs in New Jersey
7. Arizona
Total postdoc fellow jobs: 87
Average annual salary: $66,401
Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000
Location Quotient:
0.66
Postdoc fellow jobs in Arizona
8. Massachusetts
Total postdoc fellow jobs: 843
Average annual salary: $59,634
Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000
Location Quotient:
4.04
Postdoc fellow jobs in Massachusetts
9. Alaska
Total postdoc fellow jobs: 13
Average annual salary: $65,032
Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000
Location Quotient:
0.69
Postdoc fellow jobs in Alaska
10. Colorado
Total postdoc fellow jobs: 255
Average annual salary: $59,248
Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000
Location Quotient:
1.89
Postdoc fellow jobs in Colorado

Postdoc fellow jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a postdoc fellow

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a postdoc fellow

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Tennessee	$73,434	$51,000	6,715,984	153
2	Montana	$68,590	$49,000	1,050,493	22
3	Maine	$66,875	$46,000	1,335,907	24
4	Minnesota	$61,307	$44,000	5,576,606	183
5	California	$69,089	$46,000	39,536,653	579
6	New Jersey	$62,551	$42,000	9,005,644	302
7	Arizona	$66,401	$45,000	7,016,270	87
8	Massachusetts	$59,634	$41,000	6,859,819	843
9	Alaska	$65,032	$51,000	739,795	13
10	Colorado	$59,248	$41,000	5,607,154	255
11	Hawaii	$81,173	$61,000	1,427,538	7
12	Connecticut	$65,862	$45,000	3,588,184	43
13	Oregon	$58,270	$39,000	4,142,776	97
14	Indiana	$65,988	$46,000	6,666,818	50
15	Delaware	$58,093	$39,000	961,939	22
16	Vermont	$55,550	$38,000	623,657	21
17	Nevada	$64,321	$43,000	2,998,039	11
18	Wyoming	$54,813	$39,000	579,315	10
19	District of Columbia	$56,262	$38,000	693,972	92
20	Rhode Island	$54,791	$37,000	1,059,639	21
21	North Carolina	$53,141	$36,000	10,273,419	169
22	West Virginia	$50,413	$35,000	1,815,857	39
23	Missouri	$52,216	$36,000	6,113,532	137
24	Illinois	$54,723	$39,000	12,802,023	162
25	Oklahoma	$53,442	$37,000	3,930,864	35
26	Idaho	$52,248	$36,000	1,716,943	29
27	New Hampshire	$52,995	$36,000	1,342,795	26
28	Nebraska	$50,292	$35,000	1,920,076	61
29	Maryland	$51,594	$35,000	6,052,177	176
30	New Mexico	$49,724	$34,000	2,088,070	75
31	Arkansas	$52,663	$36,000	3,004,279	13
32	New York	$49,787	$34,000	19,849,399	870
33	Washington	$50,758	$35,000	7,405,743	168
34	Pennsylvania	$50,362	$34,000	12,805,537	163
35	Georgia	$49,444	$33,000	10,429,379	229
36	Wisconsin	$49,699	$35,000	5,795,483	77
37	Kansas	$47,577	$33,000	2,913,123	55
38	Ohio	$47,795	$33,000	11,658,609	128
39	Michigan	$48,103	$34,000	9,962,311	93
40	South Dakota	$47,834	$34,000	869,666	10
41	Alabama	$47,699	$32,000	4,874,747	42
42	Virginia	$44,586	$30,000	8,470,020	191
43	Louisiana	$42,194	$28,000	4,684,333	67
44	North Dakota	$44,369	$32,000	755,393	11
45	Florida	$45,604	$30,000	20,984,400	174
46	Utah	$43,825	$30,000	3,101,833	40
47	Mississippi	$44,174	$30,000	2,984,100	25
48	Kentucky	$45,853	$32,000	4,454,189	16
49	Texas	$40,511	$27,000	28,304,596	298
50	South Carolina	$39,426	$26,000	5,024,369	38
51	Iowa	$37,404	$26,000	3,145,711	30

Highest paying states for postdoc fellows

Rank	State	Avg. Postdoc Fellow Salary
1	Tennessee	$73,434
2	Montana	$68,590
3	Maine	$66,875
4	Minnesota	$61,307
5	California	$69,089
6	New Jersey	$62,551
7	Arizona	$66,401
8	Massachusetts	$59,634
9	Alaska	$65,032
10	Colorado	$59,248
11	Hawaii	$81,173
12	Connecticut	$65,862
13	Oregon	$58,270
14	Indiana	$65,988
15	Delaware	$58,093
16	Vermont	$55,550
17	Nevada	$64,321
18	Wyoming	$54,813
19	District of Columbia	$56,262
20	Rhode Island	$54,791
21	North Carolina	$53,141
22	West Virginia	$50,413
23	Missouri	$52,216
24	Illinois	$54,723
25	Oklahoma	$53,442
26	Idaho	$52,248
27	New Hampshire	$52,995
28	Nebraska	$50,292
29	Maryland	$51,594
30	New Mexico	$49,724
31	Arkansas	$52,663
32	New York	$49,787
33	Washington	$50,758
34	Pennsylvania	$50,362
35	Georgia	$49,444
36	Wisconsin	$49,699
37	Kansas	$47,577
38	Ohio	$47,795
39	Michigan	$48,103
40	South Dakota	$47,834
41	Alabama	$47,699
42	Virginia	$44,586
43	Louisiana	$42,194
44	North Dakota	$44,369
45	Florida	$45,604
46	Utah	$43,825
47	Mississippi	$44,174
48	Kentucky	$45,853
49	Texas	$40,511
50	South Carolina	$39,426
51	Iowa	$37,404

Postdoc fellow best states FAQs

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What is the worst state for postdoc fellows?

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Best states for Postdoc Fellows

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total postdoc fellow jobs:	153
Average annual salary:	$73,434
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$51,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$105,000
Location Quotient:	1.15

Best states for a postdoc fellow

10 best states for postdoc fellows in 2026

1. Tennessee

2. Montana

3. Maine

4. Minnesota

5. California

6. New Jersey

7. Arizona

8. Massachusetts

9. Alaska

10. Colorado