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Best states for a principal investigator
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to principal investigator jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Our research found that Oregon is the best state for principal investigators, while California and Oregon are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Oregon has a median salary of $107,718 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for principal investigators.
The median salary for principal investigators in Oregon is $107,718. Compare that to the median salary in Iowa of $65,248, which ranked worst for principal investigators, and you can see how your location is important for your career.Oregon is the best state, and Windsor is the city with the highest pay for principal investigators.
10 best states for principal investigators in 2025
1. Oregon
Total principal investigator jobs: 365 Average annual salary: $107,718 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
2. Connecticut
Total principal investigator jobs: 255 Average annual salary: $100,724 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
3. Washington
Total principal investigator jobs: 907 Average annual salary: $94,884 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 2.01
4. Vermont
Total principal investigator jobs: 100 Average annual salary: $89,939 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 2.11
5. New York
Total principal investigator jobs: 896 Average annual salary: $101,460 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
6. Delaware
Total principal investigator jobs: 71 Average annual salary: $101,511 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
7. West Virginia
Total principal investigator jobs: 71 Average annual salary: $93,575 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
8. Minnesota
Total principal investigator jobs: 455 Average annual salary: $90,283 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
9. Maryland
Total principal investigator jobs: 574 Average annual salary: $91,771 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
10. New Hampshire
Total principal investigator jobs: 156 Average annual salary: $85,596 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
Principal investigator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a principal investigator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a principal investigator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $107,718 | $71,000 | 4,142,776 | 365 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $100,724 | $71,000 | 3,588,184 | 255 |
| 3 | Washington | $94,884 | $63,000 | 7,405,743 | 907 |
| 4 | Vermont | $89,939 | $65,000 | 623,657 | 100 |
| 5 | New York | $101,460 | $71,000 | 19,849,399 | 896 |
| 6 | Delaware | $101,511 | $72,000 | 961,939 | 71 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $93,575 | $66,000 | 1,815,857 | 71 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $90,283 | $66,000 | 5,576,606 | 455 |
| 9 | Maryland | $91,771 | $65,000 | 6,052,177 | 574 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $85,596 | $61,000 | 1,342,795 | 156 |
| 11 | California | $111,232 | $74,000 | 39,536,653 | 572 |
| 12 | Alaska | $94,900 | $71,000 | 739,795 | 26 |
| 13 | Indiana | $88,355 | $63,000 | 6,666,818 | 197 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $81,857 | $57,000 | 12,805,537 | 890 |
| 15 | Ohio | $85,695 | $60,000 | 11,658,609 | 448 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $82,477 | $59,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,040 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $78,840 | $56,000 | 1,059,639 | 191 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $86,224 | $63,000 | 869,666 | 31 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $82,327 | $58,000 | 9,005,644 | 758 |
| 20 | Virginia | $79,866 | $57,000 | 8,470,020 | 966 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $80,133 | $57,000 | 2,088,070 | 118 |
| 22 | Nevada | $79,034 | $53,000 | 2,998,039 | 131 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $79,534 | $56,000 | 10,273,419 | 590 |
| 24 | Arizona | $75,847 | $53,000 | 7,016,270 | 589 |
| 25 | Michigan | $81,211 | $57,000 | 9,962,311 | 223 |
| 26 | Idaho | $75,216 | $51,000 | 1,716,943 | 139 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $88,153 | $62,000 | 693,972 | 65 |
| 28 | Illinois | $76,867 | $55,000 | 12,802,023 | 880 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $77,227 | $57,000 | 755,393 | 28 |
| 30 | Texas | $74,922 | $53,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,386 |
| 31 | Colorado | $75,919 | $54,000 | 5,607,154 | 541 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $74,284 | $53,000 | 3,004,279 | 178 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $75,077 | $54,000 | 5,795,483 | 338 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $83,604 | $63,000 | 1,427,538 | 31 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $74,642 | $53,000 | 2,984,100 | 55 |
| 36 | Montana | $70,538 | $50,000 | 1,050,493 | 91 |
| 37 | Georgia | $72,371 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 506 |
| 38 | Missouri | $72,333 | $52,000 | 6,113,532 | 232 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $72,433 | $52,000 | 3,930,864 | 64 |
| 40 | Florida | $68,538 | $49,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,301 |
| 41 | Utah | $73,421 | $51,000 | 3,101,833 | 46 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $67,903 | $48,000 | 4,454,189 | 147 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $71,185 | $50,000 | 4,684,333 | 94 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $68,296 | $49,000 | 6,715,984 | 165 |
| 45 | Alabama | $65,850 | $47,000 | 4,874,747 | 183 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $64,127 | $46,000 | 1,920,076 | 145 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $64,456 | $46,000 | 579,315 | 35 |
| 48 | Maine | $68,498 | $50,000 | 1,335,907 | 37 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $67,160 | $47,000 | 5,024,369 | 149 |
| 50 | Kansas | $64,085 | $46,000 | 2,913,123 | 137 |
| 51 | Iowa | $65,248 | $47,000 | 3,145,711 | 86 |
Highest paying states for principal investigators
| Rank | State | Avg. Principal Investigator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $107,718 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $100,724 |
| 3 | Washington | $94,884 |
| 4 | Vermont | $89,939 |
| 5 | New York | $101,460 |
| 6 | Delaware | $101,511 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $93,575 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $90,283 |
| 9 | Maryland | $91,771 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $85,596 |
| 11 | California | $111,232 |
| 12 | Alaska | $94,900 |
| 13 | Indiana | $88,355 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $81,857 |
| 15 | Ohio | $85,695 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $82,477 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $78,840 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $86,224 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $82,327 |
| 20 | Virginia | $79,866 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $80,133 |
| 22 | Nevada | $79,034 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $79,534 |
| 24 | Arizona | $75,847 |
| 25 | Michigan | $81,211 |
| 26 | Idaho | $75,216 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $88,153 |
| 28 | Illinois | $76,867 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $77,227 |
| 30 | Texas | $74,922 |
| 31 | Colorado | $75,919 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $74,284 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $75,077 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $83,604 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $74,642 |
| 36 | Montana | $70,538 |
| 37 | Georgia | $72,371 |
| 38 | Missouri | $72,333 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $72,433 |
| 40 | Florida | $68,538 |
| 41 | Utah | $73,421 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $67,903 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $71,185 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $68,296 |
| 45 | Alabama | $65,850 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $64,127 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $64,456 |
| 48 | Maine | $68,498 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $67,160 |
| 50 | Kansas | $64,085 |
| 51 | Iowa | $65,248 |
Principal investigator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025