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Job outlook for postdoctoral scholars in the United States
Postdoctoral scholar job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected postdoctoral scholar job growth rate is 17% from 2018-2028.
About 20,800 new jobs for postdoctoral scholars are projected over the next decade.
Postdoctoral scholar salaries have increased 14% for postdoctoral scholars in the last 5 years.
There are over 5,087 postdoctoral scholars currently employed in the United States.
There are 18,983 active postdoctoral scholar job openings in the US.
The average postdoctoral scholar salary is $57,587.
Are postdoctoral scholar jobs in demand?
Postdoctoral scholar job and salary trends over time
Postdoctoral scholar jobs over time
Postdoctoral scholar job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,087 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 5,500 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 5,630 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,334 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 4,172 | 0.00% |
Average postdoctoral scholar salary over time
Postdoctoral scholar salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $57,587 | $27.69 | +3.1% |
| 2025 | $55,875 | $26.86 | +4.7% |
| 2024 | $53,371 | $25.66 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $51,659 | $24.84 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $50,677 | $24.36 | --2.1% |
Postdoctoral scholar jobs by state
Most common states for postdoctoral scholars
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,792 | 26% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 125 | 18% |
| 3 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 873 | 10% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 630 | 10% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 97 | 10% |
| 6 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 690 | 9% |
| 7 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 355 | 9% |
| 8 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,949 | 7% |
| 9 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 408 | 7% |
| 10 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,191 | 6% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 775 | 6% |
| 12 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 322 | 6% |
| 13 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 200 | 6% |
| 14 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 85 | 6% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 61 | 6% |
| 16 | Vermont | 623,657 | 37 | 6% |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 293 | 5% |
| 18 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 266 | 5% |
| 19 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 71 | 5% |
| 20 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 51 | 5% |
Most common cities for postdoctoral scholars
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Livermore | 13 | 15% | $71,096 |
| 2 | Annapolis | 4 | 10% | $52,449 |
| 3 | Mountain View | 7 | 9% | $71,347 |
| 4 | Flagstaff | 5 | 7% | $63,543 |
| 5 | Frankfort | 2 | 7% | $44,849 |
| 6 | Cambridge | 4 | 4% | $57,841 |
| 7 | Lansing | 4 | 3% | $49,309 |
| 8 | Baltimore | 13 | 2% | $52,679 |
| 9 | Gainesville | 3 | 2% | $46,254 |
| 10 | Pasadena | 3 | 2% | $69,464 |
| 11 | Ankeny | 1 | 2% | $42,946 |
| 12 | Los Angeles | 29 | 1% | $69,554 |
| 13 | Boston | 4 | 1% | $57,885 |
| 14 | Saint Paul | 2 | 1% | $63,525 |
| 15 | Atlanta | 2 | 0% | $37,491 |
| 16 | Denver | 2 | 0% | $57,667 |
| 17 | Sacramento | 2 | 0% | $70,515 |
Postdoctoral Scholar job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of postdoctoral scholar experts
SUNY Stony Brook
University of San Diego
Northwestern University
New Mexico State University
Washington State University
Purdue University
Butler University
Ohio State University
University of Texas at Austin
Vanderbilt University
University of Houston
Fairfield University
Duquesne University
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of St Andrews
University of California, Berkeley
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
What general advice would you give to a Postdoctoral Scholar?
Dr. Vitaly Citovsky: One cannot get high salaries with a bachelor's degree in biology. To maximize your future salary you need to get a terminal degree such as PhD or MD. Alternatively one could go to law school. If you still want to begin working after BSc, look for industry jobs; these would be low-level technicians but make much more money than in academia.
What will help Postdoctoral Scholars increase their earning potential?
Nicole Danos PhD: In addition to many sought after hard skills that our Biology program graduate have been trained in (cell and microbial culture, DNA sequencing and bioinformatics, antibody staining, data analysis and biostatistics), graduates should remember to leverage the other scientific skills they learned. This includes things like researching and summarizing the state of knowledge in a field, distilling relevant information for peers and supervisors, presenting experimental designs and results and all around thinking about problems from start to finish. All of our graduates should be able to leverage these soft science skills, since they all had to do an independent research project.
What will help Postdoctoral Scholars increase their earning potential?
Nathaniel Stern: Within academic physics, your potential can be maximized by doing impactful work in graduate school that matters to other people. The next step is to communicate this impact broadly, and then figure out how to take the next step in the field. That is a lot of steps, but if one can successfully do those things in graduate school, they can build the profile, community, and intellectual leadership to demand the highest salary. Outside of academic physics, the requirements are probably not that different, but I do not have explicit knowledge of them myself. So I would fall back on the standard goals of innovation and communication, which should help one succeed in any knowledge-related career.
What will help Postdoctoral Scholars increase their earning potential?
Meghan McGee-Lawrence Ph.D.: Cast a wide net! A huge variety of career paths can be pursued with a degree like this, including industry, academic research, healthcare, education, and more. It is a very versatile degree, and can be a foundation for a multitude of different professions. Talk to recent graduates from your program (as many as possible!) and see what they did with their degree – the more information you can collect, the better prepared you’ll be to seek out opportunities yourself. Take the time to figure out where your interests lie – and understand that you may have to try a few different paths out before you find the right one for you. The first position you land after graduation doesn’t have to be the job you perform for the next 30 years of your life – so use each opportunity as a learning experience to figure out what you’d really like to do long-term.
What will help Postdoctoral Scholars increase their earning potential?
Michael Marks: I think using AI as a research tool is going to be big in the near future. Learn the ins and outs of an AI platform or two and observe how others are using it in research (e.g., creating stimuli, interacting with participants).
What will help Postdoctoral Scholars increase their earning potential?
Lindsey du Toit: Take every opportunity you can to learn, network, and build an effective team of people that bring a greater breadth and depth of skills and expertise to the work on which you will be focusing. Cultivate a life-long sense of intellectual curiosity and learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Treat ignorance as an opportunity to learn. Questions demonstrate you want to understand the situation/problem effectively and that you are paying attention. Always demonstrate integrity in your work. It is one of the most valuable traits you can bring to your career. Be kind and supportive of your colleagues.
Yan Cong
Purdue University
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What Postdoctoral Scholar skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Yan Cong: AI singularity, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), et cetera are topics that trigger a lot of debate nowadays and they will be prevalent in the near future. Perspectives from humanities and linguistics would contribute to the ongoing debate and provide new opportunities for future innovative technologies that are linked to languages, linguistics and humanities.
What Postdoctoral Scholar skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Aarran Shaw: What I like is the freedom to design and pursue my own research projects. What I dislike is how long it took me to find a tenure-track position. Academia is a tough path to follow - I obtained my PhD in 2016 and didn’t land a permanent job until 2023. I did 7 years as a postdoctoral scholar with no job security before I got my current job.
Dr. Judson Jeffries
ProfessorOhio State University
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to a Postdoctoral Scholar?
Dr. Judson Jeffries: Introduce yourself to some of the more noteworthy people in the field at conferences. Establish a relationship with those folks. I am not saying that your circle should include only the most celebrated academics in your field, but you want to get to know maybe 3 to 4 such persons for the following reasons: 1) to position oneself to get sage, counsel and advice from seasoned academics 2) to learn about various opportunities that may not be publicly advertised and 3) at some point the person 's department will need people to evaluate that person for tenure and promotion. Some departments will ask the junior professor for a list of names. At that point the junior professor will be equipped to provide that list. Finally, go into those fields understanding that you have a responsibility to advocate on behalf of those historically marginalized groups that you're studying. What's more, that person needs to understand that what comes with that is doing research that addresses some of the challenges those groups face.
What Postdoctoral Scholar skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Judson Jeffries: Easy, have a vita that clearly shows strong credentials such as publications and the like, which will help said person get multiple interviews, which may lead to multiple offers. Once that person gets multiple offers, that person cannot be shy about negotiating. Everything is negotiable.
What will help Postdoctoral Scholars increase their earning potential?
Dr. Judson Jeffries: Grant writing ability. Scholars will become increasingly reliant on securing grants as universities and colleges continue to tighten their belts. This is especially true for state schools where some state legislatures are not as generous with funding as they once were. The state supported The Ohio State University is one such example. There are many more.
What will help Postdoctoral Scholars increase their earning potential?
Autumn Mathias Ph.D., LCSW: I think it is important for graduates to look at projections on the Bureau of Labor Statistics
website and to conduct general research on the state of certain industries at the time of
graduation. For instance, the tech industry is currently very saturated; some people who started
positions as user experience researchers just a few years ago were laid off. Individuals who have
years of experience in these positions will then have an advantage in securing new positions.
That being said, I believe that quantitative research skills in particular are advantageous for many
positions. This includes attaining coding skills and learning coding languages such as Python, R,
and Java.
In addition to the tech industry, the higher education market for individuals with a Master's
degree or PhD in sociology for tenure-track, full-time assistant professor positions in sociology
proves to remain highly competitive, as there are far more graduates than full-time positions.
That being said, some Master's programs emphasize an applied focus that prepares students for a
variety of research and evaluation positions.
In relation to research skills focused on data collection and analysis, sociology majors develop
writing and presentation skills that are crucial to success in any field. Also, the major's emphasis
on a critical global perspective along with cultural humility, cultural competence, empathy, and
overall interpersonal skills are sought-after skills in many fields. For instance, the U.S. is
experiencing a serious shortage of mental health professionals. Although some mental health
positions require a bachelor's or Master's degree in social work, others are also open to
individuals with a bachelor's degree in sociology or psychology.
Mary Neuburger
Director, Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian StudiesUniversity of Texas at Austin
Slavic, Baltic And Albanian Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What general advice would you give to a Postdoctoral Scholar?
Mary Neuburger: Network as much as possible, online (LinkedIn or social media) and at events related to Russian studies or policy. These tend to be open to the public at most large er universities and some smaller. Attend, ask good questions, and introduce yourself to people. Make sure you highlight all of the skills you have gained on your CV-include projects in courses, extracurricular activities, study abroad etc.
What will help Postdoctoral Scholars increase their earning potential?
Mary Neuburger: Increase your experience and education in the field. Think about a Russian Studies master's program, for which you can get funding and gain more education and professional experience. UT Austin is looking for good applicants! Also think about doing workshops in various technical skills or platforms to bolster your resume. Think about initiating a club, small organization or project, and taking a leadership role. Highlight these efforts on your cv.
Phillis Sheppard Ph.D.
E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Chair Professor of Religion, Psychology, and Culture and Womanist ThoughtVanderbilt University
Theological And Ministerial Studies
What general advice would you give to a Postdoctoral Scholar?
Phillis Sheppard Ph.D.: I tell recent graduates to read the contract and the faculty manual. Make sure you understand the long term implications of your early salary. Second, plan for retirement now; do not wait until you are making the salary of your fantasies. Take advantage of opportunities to learn about financial health and management. Third, position yourself. Write and publish directly and clearly in your field of study and adjacent areas. Fourth, create a plan with vision for the career you think you want. Finally, one way or the other, you will carve out a career or job, but a vocation is nurtured by paying attention to where you experience passion and a deep sense of belonging. A vocation is where your heart and intellect find a meaningful place in responding to the world's needs. Your salary best positions you when it supports your whole life and commitments.
What Postdoctoral Scholar skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Phillis Sheppard Ph.D.: I think it can be easy to immerse oneself in a specific area of study and become well informed, but isolated. I encourage graduate students to also expose themselves to the many co-curricular learning opportunities and intellectual ideas that will stretch and deepen their approach. Many of us have been taught to interrogate ideas that differ from our own. Graduate studies invite and require us to interrogate our own ideas and convictions too.
What will help Postdoctoral Scholars increase their earning potential?
Phillis Sheppard Ph.D.: I tell recent graduates read the contract and the faculty manual. Make sure you understand the long term implications of your early salary. Second, plan for retirement now; do not wait until you are making the salary of your fantasies. Take advantage of opportunities to learn about financial health and management. Third, position yourself. Write and publish directly and clearly in your field of study and adjacent areas. Fourth, create a plan with vision for the career you think you want. Finally, one way or the other, you will carve out a career or job, but a vocation is nurtured by paying attention to where and you experience passion and a deep sense of belonging. A vocation is where your heart and intellect find a meaningful place in responding to the world's needs. Your salary best positions you when it supports you whole life and commitments.
Badri Roysam D.Sc.
Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen University Professor Chair, Electrical & Computer Engineering Department University of HoustonUniversity of Houston
Petroleum Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Postdoctoral Scholar?
Badri Roysam D.Sc.: The fundamentals of the discipline, and critical thinking skills will continue to be important.
What will help Postdoctoral Scholars increase their earning potential?
Badri Roysam D.Sc.: Make yourself valuable, and become good at articulating your value proposition.
Alessandra Bryant PhD, LMFT
Assistant Professor, Marriage and Family Therapy Fairfield UniversityFairfield University
Human Development, Family Studies, And Related Services
What will help Postdoctoral Scholars increase their earning potential?
Alessandra Bryant PhD, LMFT: -Pursue a master's degree in a more specific human development related field. Do your research-look for reputable programs in areas with earning potential post-grad.
Jan Levine
Professor of Law and Director, Legal Research & Writing ProgramDuquesne University
School of Law
What skills stand out on Postdoctoral Scholar resumes?
Jan Levine: Formal recognition from one or both of the two major leading research companies, Westlaw and Lexis, is usually helpful, but pluses would also be listing experience doing research and applying it for a law review article or upper-level course paper, as a research assistant for a faculty member, or for a judge or law firm during an externship/internship or summer job.
What soft skills should all Postdoctoral Scholars possess?
Jan Levine: While research skills are important, conveying what was found is even more important. Legal research is not conducted in isolation as an experiment in the bibliography; what matters is using what's found to solve a legal problem. So that means demonstrating the application of the fruits of research in a written document, such as an office memorandum, appellate brief, law review article, or another professional setting or context.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Postdoctoral Scholars?
Jan Levine: Understanding how to plan a research effort, knowing how to update research, so it is timely, finding materials online and in print (which is often ignored or downplayed), demonstrating a critical examination of sources (i.e., reading them closely and coming up with an independent professional assessment of the reliability and validity of the materials), and knowing to find and use non-legal sources of information to apply to a legal problem (including talking with experts, going beyond online and print research). Plus, good researchers know how to use librarians and secondary sources of the law to expand the scope of their work and to be more efficient in their research (both in time and cost). Finally, the ability to organize material is crucial to a well-conducted search for material.
What skills will help Postdoctoral Scholars earn the most?
Jan Levine: Efficiency in research, clarity in explanation of the use of researched materials, and having a conscious plan of how to conduct research.
Mario Jimenez Chacon
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Humanities Department
What skills stand out on Postdoctoral Scholar resumes?
Mario Jimenez Chacon: The skills that stand out the most demonstrate that the candidate knows how to do independent, sustained, and relevant research. For example, having received some type of grant stands out because it shows that the researcher can formulate their ideas clearly in writing and that the ideas are relevant for their field of research. Also, a candidate who can engage in interdisciplinary research stands out; having the ability to have a conversation with multiple disciplines is an indispensable quality to have as a researcher in our times.
What soft skills should all Postdoctoral Scholars possess?
Mario Jimenez Chacon: Interpersonal skills, work ethic, the ability to work in teams, flexibility, and communication skills are all fundamental soft skills. Researchers are also humans and work with humans, so it's essential to have these soft skills to create a welcoming research community.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Postdoctoral Scholars?
Mario Jimenez Chacon: Of course, a researcher needs to have the ability to perform high-level, intense research; therefore, a qualified researcher needs to have the hard skills associated with their field, for example, the appropriate certification/ degrees or the ability to use technology effectively. Moreover, nowadays, a researcher needs to dominate more than one language; being multilingual is a skill that makes the candidate really stand out.
What skills will help Postdoctoral Scholars earn the most?
Mario Jimenez Chacon: The skills that will make you earn the most depend very much on their field of research. However, doing the best research possible all the time, having great interpersonal skills, and understanding that one must never stop learning will make you an outstanding candidate in any field.
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.
Director, Center for STEM Research, Education, and Outreach, Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, ISSP Sustainability Excellence AssociateSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville
Department of Environmental Sciences
What skills stand out on Postdoctoral Scholar resumes?
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: Quantitative literacy skills stand out. Environmental science students who have not shied away from taking courses requiring math and computational skills indicate a student is willing to persist in a challenging area. This might be demonstrated by using statistical software such as R and Python or working with large databases.
What soft skills should all Postdoctoral Scholars possess?
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: -Strong written and oral communication are most important. If you cannot write well, you cannot be a successful scientist. Period.
-Evidence of skills in working as part of a team of diverse people and ability to understand the culture and language across scientific/technical disciplines--for example, an environmental chemist who understands something about policy or an environmental health specialist that would be able to collect and interpret data collected from community members.
-Willingness to be a lifelong learner.
-Something that helps an applicant stand out, such as experience with project management software or a foreign language.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Postdoctoral Scholars?
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: -How to use and calibrate field equipment such as water sampling or water quality measurement.
-How to design a research study/experimental design.
-GIS skills
-Environmental statistics skills
-Knowledge of lab and field safety protocols
-Something that helps an applicant to stand out, such as drone pilot certification.
What skills will help Postdoctoral Scholars earn the most?
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: Quantitative skills such as statistics, computer programming, and GIS.
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes
Deputy DirectorUniversity of St Andrews
Graduate School for Interdisciplinary Studies
What skills stand out on Postdoctoral Scholar resumes?
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: Evidence of working between and across disciplinary boundaries. Evidence of new and innovative research premised on multiple disciplines. Evidence of synergies developed from combining one or more research disciplines.
What soft skills should all Postdoctoral Scholars possess?
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: The ability to communicate to academics and practitioners from out-with immediate disciplinary boundaries. The ability to listen to differing perspectives and work to understand differing perspectives through bridging knowledge gaps.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Postdoctoral Scholars?
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: This would be dependent upon the disciplines involved and would be hugely varied.
What skills will help Postdoctoral Scholars earn the most?
Dr. Jeffrey Hughes: I would suggest that cultivating the above skills would result in increased earning potential.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Postdoctoral Scholar job market given the pandemic?
Dennis Baldocchi: We received 130 applications for a plant ecology position, with 70 who are postdocs. So supply is surely outpacing demand. We got a lot of people interested in below ground processes, so if there is a trend, connecting below ground is becoming more possible and more important. With all the dna sequencing we are starting. Another cohort is working on the Earth System modeling connection to Ecology and how ecosystems are responding to land use change, changing climate etc