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Research And Development Scientist Salary

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There are many factors that determine how much you should be earning as a Research And Development Scientist. Use Zippia's Salary Calculator to see how your pay matches up.

How Much Does a Research And Development Scientist Earn In The United States?

Average Yearly Salary
Updated December 31, 2020
$83,000
$62,000
$83,000
$111,000
The average research and development scientist makes about $83,513 per year. That's $40.15 per hour! Those in the lower 10%, such as entry-level positions, only make about $62,000 a year. Meanwhile, the top 10% are sitting pretty with an average salary of $111,000. Many of research and development scientists seem to be drawn to manufacturing and pharmaceutical companies. Unless they care more about money, in which case research and development scientists tend to work at technology, health care, and manufacturing companies. Even the employees who work in these industries can confirm that's where the money is. Although money is important, a lot of people base their career decisions solely on location. That's why we found that Nevada, Delaware and Connecticut pay research and development scientists the highest salaries.
Best Paying Cities
Newark, DE
$96,953
Berkeley, CA
$94,420
Chandler, AZ
$91,369
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Where Research And Development Scientists Earn The Most

The darker areas on the map show where research and development scientists earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary

How Much Do Research And Development Scientists Earn In Different Cities?

While a research and development scientist can average a salary of $83,513 per year, or $40.15 per hour, there are many opportunities for research and development scientists to make more. For example, in Newark, DE you might make $96,953 per year. Other high-paying locations include Berkeley, CA, Chandler, AZ and Paterson, NJ. If you're in an entry-level position, your best bet is to move to Newark, DE where the average starting salary is $60,000. The highest paying states for research and development scientists include Nevada, Delaware and Connecticut. Meanwhile, Mississippi, Indiana, and North Dakota offer the lowest salaries.
City
Average Salary

Newark, DE

Salary Range75k - 124k$97k$96,953

Berkeley, CA

Salary Range75k - 117k$94k$94,420

Chandler, AZ

Salary Range70k - 118k$91k$91,369

Paterson, NJ

Salary Range70k - 113k$90k$89,747

Greenville, NC

Salary Range66k - 116k$88k$87,888

Saint Paul, MN

Salary Range63k - 109k$83k$83,034

Erie, PA

Salary Range63k - 104k$82k$81,572

Boston, MA

Salary Range64k - 99k$80k$80,217

New York, NY

Salary Range59k - 95k$75k$75,112

Oak Ridge, TN

Salary Range54k - 99k$74k$73,537
$38k
$124k

High Paying Research And Development Scientist Jobs

Which Companies Pay Research And Development Scientists The Most?

If you want to get paid the most as a research and development scientist, being employed by a company such as SAS or Procter & Gamble would be a smart choice, as they are the highest paying companies in this field. Additionally, companies like General Mills and Parker Hannifin also report highly competitive salaries for research and development scientists.
Company
Average Salary
SAS
Salary Range99k - 120k$109k$109,283
Procter & Gamble
Salary Range92k - 120k$106k$105,819
General Mills
Salary Range92k - 120k$106k$105,805
Parker Hannifin
Salary Range92k - 120k$106k$105,767
Campbell Soup
Salary Range92k - 120k$106k$105,678
The Dow Chemical Company
Salary Range92k - 120k$106k$105,605
Kraft Heinz Company
Salary Range91k - 119k$104k$104,294
Shell Energy North America
Salary Range92k - 116k$104k$103,691
Keysight Technologies
Salary Range90k - 116k$103k$102,729
Insys Therapeutics
Salary Range90k - 116k$102k$102,333
$87k
$120k

The largest raises come from changing jobs.

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Research And Development Scientist Salary History

Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

    How Much Do Research And Development Scientists Make In Different Industries?

    Research and development scientist salaries can vary on many factors, including what industry a job is in. In fact, jobs with technology, health care, and manufacturing companies tend to be the highest paying. Furthermore, a research and development scientist can make a yearly salary of $102,877 while working for technology companies. All the while, other research and development scientists are making $93,804 at health care companies and $90,629 at manufacturing companies. One industry research and development scientists may want to avoid is the pharmaceutical industry as it offers the lowest average salary at $85,286.
    Industry
    Average Salary

    Technology

    Salary Range91k - 116k$103k$102,877

    Health Care

    Salary Range82k - 107k$94k$93,804

    Manufacturing

    Salary Range76k - 107k$91k$90,629

    Pharmaceutical

    Salary Range70k - 103k$85k$85,286
    $70k
    $116k

    How Experience Affects Research And Development Scientist Salaries

    The salary for a research and development scientist can vary depending on the years of experience that a person has, from entry level to senior level. Data on how experience level affects total compensation is provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as part of their National Compensation Survey, which is based on factors such as knowledge, complexity, contacts, and environment.
    Entry LevelSenior Level
    Amount of Experience

    Recently Added Research And Development Scientist Salaries

    CompanyJobLocationDate AddedSalary
    Spherion
    Spherion
    Research and Developement
    Research and Developement
    Research and Developement
    Erie, PA
    Erie, PA
    11/10/2020
    11/10/2020
    $27,131
    $27,131
    11/10/2020
    National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
    National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
    R & D Scientist
    R & D Scientist
    R & D Scientist
    Reston, VA
    Reston, VA
    10/31/2020
    10/31/2020
    $142,701
    $142,701
    10/31/2020
    National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
    National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
    R & D Scientist
    R & D Scientist
    R & D Scientist
    Gaithersburg, MD
    Gaithersburg, MD
    10/31/2020
    10/31/2020
    $142,701
    $142,701
    10/31/2020
    CTG
    CTG
    R & D Lab Scientist
    R & D Lab Scientist
    R & D Lab Scientist
    Saint Louis, MO
    Saint Louis, MO
    10/21/2020
    10/21/2020
    $60,001
    $60,001
    10/21/2020
    Kelly Services
    Kelly Services
    Analytical R&D Scientist
    Analytical R&D Scientist
    Analytical R&D Scientist
    Waukesha, WI
    Waukesha, WI
    10/14/2020
    10/14/2020
    $120,000
    $120,000
    10/14/2020
    Los Alamos National Laboratory
    Los Alamos National Laboratory
    R&D Scientist (Scientist)
    R&D Scientist (Scientist)
    R&D Scientist (Scientist)
    Los Alamos, NM
    Los Alamos, NM
    10/08/2020
    10/08/2020
    $110,400
    $110,400
    10/08/2020
    Spherion
    Spherion
    Research and Developement
    Research and Developement
    Research and Developement
    Erie, PA
    Erie, PA
    09/25/2020
    09/25/2020
    $27,131
    $27,131
    09/25/2020
    Aerotek
    Aerotek
    R&D Food Scientist
    R&D Food Scientist
    R&D Food Scientist
    Fullerton, CA
    Fullerton, CA
    09/25/2020
    09/25/2020
    $45,000
    $45,000
    09/25/2020
    Kelly Services
    Kelly Services
    Scientist-Research & Development
    Scientist-Research & Development
    Scientist-Research & Development
    Hillsborough, CA
    Hillsborough, CA
    09/22/2020
    09/22/2020
    $54,784
    $54,784
    09/22/2020
    Kelly Services
    Kelly Services
    Analytical R&D Scientist
    Analytical R&D Scientist
    Analytical R&D Scientist
    Jacksonville, FL
    Jacksonville, FL
    09/18/2020
    09/18/2020
    $70,000
    $70,000
    09/18/2020
    Show More

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    Updated December 31, 2020