Post job

Research and development director demographics and statistics in the US

Research and development director demographics research summary. Zippia estimates research and development director demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our research and development director estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about research and development directors after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 14,885 research and development directors currently employed in the United States.
  • 20.8% of all research and development directors are women, while 79.2% are men.
  • The average research and development director age is 47 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of research and development directors is White (68.4%), followed by Asian (15.5%), Hispanic or Latino (8.4%) and Unknown (4.6%).
  • Research and development directors are most in-demand in Chicago, IL.
  • The finance industry is the highest-paying for research and development directors.
  • 9% of all research and development directors are LGBT.
On this page
Research and development director demographics by:

Research and development director gender statistics

20.8% of research and development directors are women and 79.2% of research and development directors are men.
  • Male, 79.2%
  • Female, 20.8%

Research and development director gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male79.2%
Female20.8%

Research and development director gender pay gap

Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$130,567
female-income
Female income
$124,907

Research and development director gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in research and development director positions over time. Currently, 20.8% of research and development directors are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Research and development director gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201085.10%14.90%
201182.88%17.12%
201283.89%16.11%
201383.01%16.99%
201481.95%18.05%
201582.01%17.99%
201683.15%16.85%
201781.60%18.40%
201881.48%18.52%
201980.04%19.96%
202080.50%19.50%
202179.19%20.81%

Research and development director related jobs gender ratio

We compared research and development directors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, pipeline superintendent and agronomy research manager have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Community Health Nursing Director7%93%
Early Childhood Services Coordinator7%93%
Tourist Home Keeper8%92%
Research And Development Director79%21%
Station Superintendent98%2%
Agronomy Research Manager98%2%
Pipeline Superintendent99%1%

Research and development director demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among research and development directors is White, which makes up 68.4% of all research and development directors. Comparatively, 15.5% of research and development directors are Asian and 8.4% of research and development directors are Hispanic or Latino.
  • White, 68.4%
  • Asian, 15.5%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 8.4%
  • Unknown, 4.6%
  • Black or African American, 3.0%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%

Research and development director race

Research and development director racePercentages
White68.4%
Asian15.5%
Hispanic or Latino8.4%
Unknown4.6%
Black or African American3.0%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%

Research and development director race and ethnicity over time

See how research and development director racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Research and development director race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201078.03%2.48%11.66%5.93%
201179.05%2.47%11.23%5.81%
201277.77%3.26%11.49%5.69%
201374.67%2.89%13.94%6.60%
201475.85%2.58%13.66%5.80%
201574.62%3.03%13.66%6.50%
201674.16%2.33%14.72%6.75%
201774.60%3.23%13.20%6.68%
201874.15%2.32%14.39%6.91%
201974.32%2.37%13.89%6.79%
202071.64%2.45%15.89%6.38%
202168.41%2.97%15.47%8.39%

Research and development director wage gap by race

According to our data, asian research and development directors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino research and development directors have the lowest average salary at $125,551.
$146,000
$142,000
$138,000
$134,000
$130,000
$126,000
$122,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$131,859
White$128,607
Black or African American$125,623
Asian$141,876
Hispanic or Latino$125,551

Average research and development director age

See how the average age of research and development directors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Research and development director age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Unknown48
White4946
Black or African American46.5
Asian4544.5
Hispanic or Latino4747

Research and development director age breakdown

The average age of research and development directors is 40+ years years old, representing 77% of the research and development director population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Research and development director age breakdown

Research And Development Director YearsPercentages
40+ years77%
30-40 years22%
20-30 years1%

Research and development director educational attainment

The most common degree for research and development directors is bachelor's degree, with 62% of research and development directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 62%
  • Master's, 19%
  • Doctorate, 12%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

Research and development directors by degree level

Research and development director degreePercentages
Bachelor's62%
Master's19%
Doctorate12%
Associate4%
Other Degrees3%

Research and development director jobs you might like

Research and development director wage gap by degree level

According to the data, research and development directors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $165,347 annually. With a Master's degree, research and development directors earn a median annual income of $151,856 compared to $140,606 for research and development directors with an Bachelor's degree.
$166,000
$161,000
$156,000
$151,000
$146,000
$141,000
$136,000
Master's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Doctorate Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$151,856
Bachelor's Degree$140,606
Doctorate Degree$165,347

Research and development director employment statistics

Most research and development directors work for a private in the manufacturing industry.

Company size where research and development directors work

Below, you can see the size of companies where research and development directors work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Research and development director jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees7%
50 - 100 employees12%
100 - 500 employees21%
500 - 1,000 employees7%
1,000 - 10,000 employees29%
> 10,000 employees25%

Research and development director jobs by company type

Employees with the research and development director job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most research and development directors prefer to work at private companies over public companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Research and development director jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education7%
Public35%
Private57%
Government2%

Research and development director jobs by industry

The most common industries for research and development directors are manufacturing, health care and technology.

Manufacturing

Health Care

Technology

Fortune 500

Professional

Research and development director turnover and employment statistics

Research and development director unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for research and development directors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Research and development director unemployment rate by year

YearResearch and development director unemployment rate
20103.14%
20112.87%
20122.09%
20131.79%
20141.62%
20151.34%
20161.90%
20171.48%
20181.56%
20191.19%
20201.82%
20212.14%

Average research and development director tenure

The average research and development director stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,050 research and development directors resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Research and development director tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year7%
1-2 years36%
3-4 years19%
5-7 years18%
8-10 years8%
11+ years12%

Research and development director LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of research and development directors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Construction Manager4.08%44,431
Sports Betting Manager8.19%2,486
Research And Development Director8.93%-
Remote Encoding Operations Supervisor9.30%84,075
Resident Manager11.54%17,468
Health Services Manager11.66%162,609
Director Of Communications And Outreach14.16%22,919

Similar research and development director jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Construction Manager4.08%44,431
Sports Betting Manager8.19%2,486
Remote Encoding Operations Supervisor9.30%84,075
Resident Manager11.54%17,468
Health Services Manager11.66%162,609
Director Of Communications And Outreach14.16%22,919

Foreign languages spoken by research and development directors

The most common foreign language among research and development directors is Spanish at 28.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 21.6% and German is the third-most popular at 8.0%.
  • Spanish, 28.4%
  • French, 21.6%
  • German, 8.0%
  • Italian, 5.7%
  • Arabic, 4.5%
  • Other, 31.8%

Research and development director languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish28.4%
French21.6%
German8.0%
Italian5.7%
Arabic4.5%
Other31.8%

Research and development director jobs

Research and development director location demographics

The amount you can make as a research and development director can depend on where you live. For example, the highest salary of research and development directors is $178,433. Use our chart to find out where that salary is located.

Where do research and development directors earn the most?

Research and development directors earn the most in California, where the average research and development director salary is $156,514. The map here shows where research and development directors earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Which city has the most Research And Development Directors?

By looking through more than 2,050 resumes, we found that the most popular places for research and development directors are New York, NY and Chicago, IL.
Number of Research And Development Directors

Research and development director jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1California5,559$156,514
2Florida3,094$113,486
3Pennsylvania2,355$128,200
4New York2,202$145,189
5Georgia1,988$120,807
6Texas1,916$116,663
7North Carolina1,809$106,134
8Ohio1,597$129,442
9Illinois1,462$116,410
10Michigan1,392$108,648
11Minnesota1,357$124,652
12Arizona1,307$130,779
13New Jersey1,085$144,955
14South Carolina1,062$111,951
15Indiana1,050$113,194
16Tennessee1,011$106,689
17Virginia988$147,558
18Alabama984$108,220
19Wisconsin982$112,911
20Missouri930$130,838
21Maryland907$112,117
22Colorado809$113,488
23Louisiana799$121,829
24Oklahoma795$99,546
25Massachusetts721$145,808
26Oregon663$130,015
27Mississippi500$116,706
28Kentucky499$101,364
29Iowa492$100,664
30West Virginia479$111,172
31Kansas476$105,807
32Arkansas457$106,574
33Connecticut401$148,747
34Nebraska400$105,837
35New Hampshire379$128,820
36Utah361$116,474
37New Mexico351$112,054
38South Dakota349$113,764
39Nevada300$148,576
40Washington290$140,024
41Maine272$127,301
42Montana232$123,541
43Rhode Island169$114,735
44Hawaii159$84,193
45North Dakota152$110,357
46Idaho148$126,047
47District of Columbia140$112,198
48Alaska127$128,602
49Delaware126$120,156
50Vermont114$117,521
51Wyoming58$97,431

Where are research and development directors in high demand?

Research and development directors are in high demand in Chicago, IL. There are currently 11 job openings for research and development directors here. We looked over job openings to determine where in the country research and development directors are in the most demand.
Jobs openings

Research and development director demographics FAQs

Search for research and development director jobs

Browse executive management jobs