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Best states for a research and development chemist
Quoted expert
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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It seems like research and development chemists are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for research and development chemists aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. In order to help you decide which state is the best for research and development chemists, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for research and development chemist 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 research and development chemists.We found that Texas is the best state for research and development chemist jobs, whereas Maine is the worst.
10 best states for research and development chemists in 2026
1. Texas
Total research and development chemist jobs: 4,452 Average annual salary: $84,870 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
2. Delaware
Total research and development chemist jobs: 153 Average annual salary: $99,198 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
3. Tennessee
Total research and development chemist jobs: 1,081 Average annual salary: $84,949 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
4. Vermont
Total research and development chemist jobs: 113 Average annual salary: $92,741 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
5. Virginia
Total research and development chemist jobs: 986 Average annual salary: $106,245 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 0.66
6. Oklahoma
Total research and development chemist jobs: 447 Average annual salary: $87,863 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
7. Minnesota
Total research and development chemist jobs: 1,593 Average annual salary: $78,455 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
8. Rhode Island
Total research and development chemist jobs: 178 Average annual salary: $85,199 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
9. Ohio
Total research and development chemist jobs: 1,895 Average annual salary: $78,256 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
10. New Mexico
Total research and development chemist jobs: 423 Average annual salary: $76,893 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
Research and development chemist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research and development chemist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research and development chemist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $84,870 | $52,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,452 |
| 2 | Delaware | $99,198 | $66,000 | 961,939 | 153 |
| 3 | Tennessee | $84,949 | $54,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,081 |
| 4 | Vermont | $92,741 | $63,000 | 623,657 | 113 |
| 5 | Virginia | $106,245 | $70,000 | 8,470,020 | 986 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $87,863 | $55,000 | 3,930,864 | 447 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $78,455 | $52,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,593 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $85,199 | $57,000 | 1,059,639 | 178 |
| 9 | Ohio | $78,256 | $52,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,895 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $76,893 | $47,000 | 2,088,070 | 423 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $86,313 | $58,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,305 |
| 12 | Alaska | $84,175 | $61,000 | 739,795 | 125 |
| 13 | Idaho | $85,581 | $53,000 | 1,716,943 | 151 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $83,422 | $56,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,254 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $76,845 | $50,000 | 1,815,857 | 250 |
| 16 | Washington | $89,697 | $56,000 | 7,405,743 | 423 |
| 17 | Oregon | $79,869 | $51,000 | 4,142,776 | 686 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $95,844 | $64,000 | 693,972 | 91 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $74,870 | $50,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,045 |
| 20 | Montana | $83,326 | $52,000 | 1,050,493 | 100 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $83,501 | $56,000 | 3,588,184 | 391 |
| 22 | Iowa | $75,536 | $50,000 | 3,145,711 | 549 |
| 23 | Kansas | $73,581 | $47,000 | 2,913,123 | 496 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $74,576 | $48,000 | 4,454,189 | 525 |
| 25 | California | $76,718 | $46,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,499 |
| 26 | Missouri | $71,221 | $46,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,170 |
| 27 | Michigan | $69,122 | $46,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,595 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $74,225 | $47,000 | 5,024,369 | 562 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $68,286 | $45,000 | 755,393 | 180 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $74,353 | $50,000 | 1,342,795 | 222 |
| 31 | Maryland | $82,755 | $55,000 | 6,052,177 | 532 |
| 32 | Nevada | $71,749 | $43,000 | 2,998,039 | 322 |
| 33 | Colorado | $77,048 | $48,000 | 5,607,154 | 658 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $65,213 | $44,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,910 |
| 35 | Georgia | $69,627 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,846 |
| 36 | Indiana | $67,578 | $44,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,142 |
| 37 | Arizona | $64,643 | $39,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,218 |
| 38 | Utah | $70,956 | $43,000 | 3,101,833 | 357 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $58,793 | $51,000 | 1,427,538 | 159 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $61,415 | $40,000 | 1,920,076 | 482 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $70,229 | $45,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,006 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $61,212 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 434 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $64,771 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 271 |
| 44 | Alabama | $64,990 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 522 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $52,502 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 226 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $64,570 | $40,000 | 4,684,333 | 385 |
| 47 | Illinois | $67,366 | $45,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,296 |
| 48 | Florida | $55,050 | $34,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,878 |
| 49 | New York | $68,244 | $46,000 | 19,849,399 | 802 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $58,198 | $37,000 | 579,315 | 59 |
| 51 | Maine | $54,938 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 147 |
Highest paying states for research and development chemists
| Rank | State | Avg. Research And Development Chemist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $84,870 |
| 2 | Delaware | $99,198 |
| 3 | Tennessee | $84,949 |
| 4 | Vermont | $92,741 |
| 5 | Virginia | $106,245 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $87,863 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $78,455 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $85,199 |
| 9 | Ohio | $78,256 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $76,893 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $86,313 |
| 12 | Alaska | $84,175 |
| 13 | Idaho | $85,581 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $83,422 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $76,845 |
| 16 | Washington | $89,697 |
| 17 | Oregon | $79,869 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $95,844 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $74,870 |
| 20 | Montana | $83,326 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $83,501 |
| 22 | Iowa | $75,536 |
| 23 | Kansas | $73,581 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $74,576 |
| 25 | California | $76,718 |
| 26 | Missouri | $71,221 |
| 27 | Michigan | $69,122 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $74,225 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $68,286 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $74,353 |
| 31 | Maryland | $82,755 |
| 32 | Nevada | $71,749 |
| 33 | Colorado | $77,048 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $65,213 |
| 35 | Georgia | $69,627 |
| 36 | Indiana | $67,578 |
| 37 | Arizona | $64,643 |
| 38 | Utah | $70,956 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $58,793 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $61,415 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $70,229 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $61,212 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $64,771 |
| 44 | Alabama | $64,990 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $52,502 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $64,570 |
| 47 | Illinois | $67,366 |
| 48 | Florida | $55,050 |
| 49 | New York | $68,244 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $58,198 |
| 51 | Maine | $54,938 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research and development chemists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research and development chemists to find work opportunities?
Dr. James Leahy Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry, University of South Florida
One of the great things about chemistry is that there are so many areas for our graduates to work, whether in health care, quality control, energy, defense, or elsewhere. Each of these areas is well represented geographically, with specific concentrations for each. Much of the energy research is based in Texas and Oklahoma. Defense research is often proximal to bases. Healthcare research has hubs in the northeast (primarily Boston) and west coast (mainly the Bay area). Quality control is often wherever manufacturing is taking place. We're fortunate that many of these opportunities are present in the Tampa area, with solar energy, MacDill, biotech companies, and manufacturers like Yuengling and Coca Cola, nearby.
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Updated January 8, 2025