Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Principal scientist salary
Average principal scientist salary
$119,982
Understanding Principal Scientist Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Principal Scientist stands at $119,982 annually, with an hourly rate of approximately $58. This salary reflects the extensive knowledge and skills required in research and development roles, often found in industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and technology.
Factors influencing salary include geographic location, years of experience, and specific industry demands. For instance, states like California and Massachusetts typically offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and concentration of high-tech companies.
Principal Scientists in managerial positions or those with specialized expertise may also command higher salaries, often exceeding $130,000 annually. Additionally, opportunities for advancement exist, with many organizations offering pathways into executive roles.
Explore job listings and salary estimates across various platforms to find the best fit for your career aspirations. By understanding the salary landscape and job opportunities available, you can make informed decisions about your future as a Principal Scientist.
Let Zippi find your next principal scientist job
Let Zippi find your next principal scientist job
Where can a Principal Scientist earn more?
Principal scientist salary estimates from across the web
Average principal scientist salary by state
The highest-paying states for principal scientists are California, Tennessee, and Maine. The lowest average principal scientist salary states are South Dakota, Mississippi, and Missouri.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for principal scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | $124,270 | $59.75 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $122,082 | $58.69 |
| 3 | California | $147,782 | $71.05 |
| 4 | Delaware | $119,819 | $57.61 |
| 5 | Maine | $138,422 | $66.55 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $124,466 | $59.84 |
| 7 | Nevada | $117,092 | $56.29 |
| 8 | Arizona | $117,137 | $56.32 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $141,492 | $68.03 |
| 10 | Oregon | $111,708 | $53.71 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $113,165 | $54.41 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $109,129 | $52.47 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $120,600 | $57.98 |
| 14 | Washington | $114,719 | $55.15 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $104,263 | $50.13 |
| 16 | Alaska | $113,167 | $54.41 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $110,139 | $52.95 |
| 18 | New York | $107,142 | $51.51 |
| 19 | Virginia | $101,786 | $48.94 |
| 20 | Indiana | $109,670 | $52.73 |
| 21 | Illinois | $100,621 | $48.38 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $95,702 | $46.01 |
| 23 | Florida | $104,935 | $50.45 |
| 24 | Maryland | $100,388 | $48.26 |
| 25 | Idaho | $94,924 | $45.64 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $104,799 | $50.38 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $94,142 | $45.26 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $91,807 | $44.14 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $92,579 | $44.51 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $93,184 | $44.80 |
| 31 | Vermont | $100,217 | $48.18 |
| 32 | Ohio | $91,115 | $43.81 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $100,434 | $48.29 |
| 34 | Michigan | $93,933 | $45.16 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $91,437 | $43.96 |
| 36 | Texas | $89,711 | $43.13 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $88,213 | $42.41 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $89,255 | $42.91 |
| 39 | Iowa | $89,860 | $43.20 |
| 40 | Kansas | $85,477 | $41.09 |
| 41 | Colorado | $83,700 | $40.24 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $81,791 | $39.32 |
| 43 | Alabama | $87,701 | $42.16 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $81,794 | $39.32 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $82,445 | $39.64 |
| 46 | Missouri | $76,306 | $36.69 |
| 47 | Utah | $82,142 | $39.49 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $81,346 | $39.11 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $67,083 | $32.25 |
| 50 | Georgia | $68,817 | $33.09 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $69,745 | $33.53 |
Highest paying cities for principal scientists
The highest-paying cities for principal scientists are San Francisco, CA, Nutley, NJ, and Ridgefield, CT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $158,068 | $75.99 |
| 2 | Nutley, NJ | $124,812 | $60.01 |
| 3 | Ridgefield, CT | $121,734 | $58.53 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $115,717 | $55.63 |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MN | $113,214 | $54.43 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $109,371 | $52.58 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $107,195 | $51.54 |
| 8 | Weston, FL | $105,874 | $50.90 |
| 9 | Hoffman Estates, IL | $101,047 | $48.58 |
| 10 | Gaithersburg, MD | $100,239 | $48.19 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $96,077 | $46.19 |
| 12 | Kalamazoo, MI | $93,262 | $44.84 |
| 13 | Durham, NC | $92,375 | $44.41 |
| 14 | Houston, TX | $89,658 | $43.10 |
| 15 | Boulder, CO | $83,767 | $40.27 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $68,644 | $33.00 |
Principal scientist salary details
A principal scientist's salary ranges from $84,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $169,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a principal scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $169,000 | $14,083 | $81 |
| 75th Percentile | $144,000 | $12,000 | $69 |
| Average | $119,982 | $9,999 | $58 |
| 25th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| 10th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
Highest paying principal scientist jobs
The highest paying types of principal 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 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Quality Control Analyst | $59,217 | $4,935 | $28.47 | 85,546 |
| Research And Development Chemist | $77,233 | $6,436 | $37.13 | 100,225 |
| Quality Control Chemist | $58,892 | $4,908 | $28.31 | 90,467 |
Top companies hiring principal scientists now:
Which companies pay principal scientists the most?
Principal scientist salaries at PayPal and Microsoft are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average principal scientist salary at companies like Intercept Pharmaceuticals and 10x Genomics are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PayPal | $177,908 | $85.53 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $163,822 | $78.76 |
| 3 | Intercept Pharmaceuticals | $163,359 | $78.54 |
| 4 | 10x Genomics | $162,246 | $78.00 |
| 5 | Coty | $160,444 | $77.14 |
| 6 | Amazon | $156,251 | $75.12 |
| 7 | ImmunoGen | $156,105 | $75.05 |
| 8 | Adverum Biotechnologies | $152,679 | $73.40 |
| 9 | Broadcom | $152,525 | $73.33 |
| 10 | Yahoo | $151,256 | $72.72 |
| 11 | Reata Pharmaceuticals | $151,029 | $72.61 |
| 12 | Exelixis | $150,771 | $72.49 |
| 13 | Adobe | $148,251 | $71.27 |
| 14 | PTC Therapeutics | $146,699 | $70.53 |
| 15 | Bunge | $146,572 | $70.47 |
| 16 | GoDaddy | $146,444 | $70.41 |
| 17 | Walgreens | $146,251 | $70.31 |
| 18 | Fanatics | $145,903 | $70.15 |
| 19 | Genentech | $144,985 | $69.70 |
| 20 | Cepheid | $144,629 | $69.53 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Principal Scientist salary by industry
The average principal scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average principal scientist salary in the finance industry is $117,637, the highest of any industry.
- The average principal scientist salary in the finance industry is $117,172.
- Principal scientists in the pharmaceutical industry earn an average salary of $113,801, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for principal scientists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $117,637 | $56.56 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $117,172 | $56.33 |
| 3 | Health Care | $116,885 | $56.19 |
| 4 | Pharmaceutical | $113,801 | $54.71 |
High paying principal scientist jobs
Principal scientist salary trends
The average principal scientist salary has risen by $20,165 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average principal scientist earned $99,817 annually, but today, they earn $119,982 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for principal scientists over the last decade.
Compare principal scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average principal scientist salary over time
Compare principal scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Principal scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $120,000 | $57.68 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $116,000 | $55.97 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $111,000 | $53.46 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $108,000 | $51.75 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $106,000 | $50.76 | -2.1% |
Recently added principal scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exelixis | Principal Scientist, Biology (Biologics) | Alameda, CA | 06/30/2025 | $131,000 |
| Clorox | Principal Scientist Glad Product Materials | Willowbrook, IL | 06/30/2025 | $124,300 |
| Audubon Engineering | Director and Principal Scientist, Everglades Science Center (ESC) | Tavernier, FL | 06/30/2025 | $103,094 |
| Smith & Nephew | Principal AI Scientist-R+D Innovation | Pittsburgh, PA | 06/30/2025 | $158,000 |
| Oracle | Principal Applied Scientist (Oci-Gen AI) | Seattle, WA | 06/29/2025 | $120,100 |
| Legend Biotech | Principal Scientist-Cell Sciences | Somerset, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $142,146 |
| Immunome | Principal Scientist, Computational Biology | Bothell, WA | 06/28/2025 | $160,809 |
| Gsk | Principal Scientist/Investigator | Rockville, MD | 06/28/2025 | $108,900 |
| Johnson & Johnson | Principal Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry | San Diego, CA | 06/27/2025 | $115,000 |
| Microsoft Corporation | Principal Applied Scientist-Office AI Platform Team | Redmond, WA | 06/27/2025 | $188,000 |
Principal scientist salary FAQs
Search for principal scientist jobs