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Best states for a research and development technician
Quoted expert
Linnea Ritchie Ph.D.
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for research and development technicians? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for research and development technician jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Our research found that Massachusetts is the best state for research and development technicians, while Connecticut and California are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Massachusetts has a median salary of $95,941 and Connecticut has the highest median salary among all 50 states for research and development technicians.
In order to get you the best states for research and development technicians, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a research and development technician, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for research and development technicians in 2025
1. Massachusetts
Total research and development technician jobs: 2,269 Average annual salary: $95,941 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
2. Texas
Total research and development technician jobs: 4,883 Average annual salary: $92,054 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
3. New Mexico
Total research and development technician jobs: 490 Average annual salary: $89,614 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
4. California
Total research and development technician jobs: 6,128 Average annual salary: $104,922 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
5. New Jersey
Total research and development technician jobs: 1,546 Average annual salary: $102,784 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
6. Connecticut
Total research and development technician jobs: 544 Average annual salary: $105,469 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
7. New Hampshire
Total research and development technician jobs: 286 Average annual salary: $102,279 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
8. Pennsylvania
Total research and development technician jobs: 3,159 Average annual salary: $85,255 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
9. Rhode Island
Total research and development technician jobs: 234 Average annual salary: $92,150 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
10. Tennessee
Total research and development technician jobs: 1,309 Average annual salary: $83,884 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
Research and development technician jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research and development technician
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research and development technician
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $95,941 | $66,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,269 |
| 2 | Texas | $92,054 | $58,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,883 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $89,614 | $57,000 | 2,088,070 | 490 |
| 4 | California | $104,922 | $66,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,128 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $102,784 | $70,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,546 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $105,469 | $72,000 | 3,588,184 | 544 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $102,279 | $70,000 | 1,342,795 | 286 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $85,255 | $58,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,159 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $92,150 | $63,000 | 1,059,639 | 234 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $83,884 | $55,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,309 |
| 11 | Vermont | $86,629 | $59,000 | 623,657 | 163 |
| 12 | Washington | $100,803 | $65,000 | 7,405,743 | 808 |
| 13 | Arkansas | $83,638 | $54,000 | 3,004,279 | 506 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $78,580 | $50,000 | 579,315 | 171 |
| 15 | Arizona | $80,576 | $51,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,438 |
| 16 | Nevada | $85,211 | $53,000 | 2,998,039 | 382 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $82,418 | $53,000 | 3,930,864 | 547 |
| 18 | Alaska | $82,086 | $63,000 | 739,795 | 187 |
| 19 | Georgia | $81,064 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,095 |
| 20 | Illinois | $84,938 | $56,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,822 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $75,623 | $50,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,341 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $75,385 | $50,000 | 1,815,857 | 332 |
| 23 | Virginia | $86,848 | $59,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,343 |
| 24 | Missouri | $75,422 | $49,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,436 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $89,530 | $61,000 | 693,972 | 166 |
| 26 | Idaho | $80,676 | $51,000 | 1,716,943 | 191 |
| 27 | New York | $86,293 | $59,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,568 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $76,987 | $49,000 | 2,984,100 | 368 |
| 29 | Delaware | $81,786 | $56,000 | 961,939 | 205 |
| 30 | Iowa | $75,161 | $49,000 | 3,145,711 | 675 |
| 31 | Maine | $75,543 | $52,000 | 1,335,907 | 252 |
| 32 | Ohio | $72,364 | $48,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,096 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $76,689 | $51,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,457 |
| 34 | Michigan | $69,436 | $46,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,896 |
| 35 | Maryland | $82,609 | $56,000 | 6,052,177 | 942 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $77,482 | $48,000 | 4,684,333 | 457 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $72,431 | $58,000 | 1,427,538 | 186 |
| 38 | Oregon | $73,860 | $48,000 | 4,142,776 | 827 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $70,387 | $46,000 | 1,920,076 | 490 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $65,028 | $43,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,876 |
| 41 | Montana | $63,680 | $41,000 | 1,050,493 | 291 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $72,182 | $47,000 | 5,024,369 | 775 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $69,168 | $46,000 | 4,454,189 | 671 |
| 44 | Florida | $64,260 | $40,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,520 |
| 45 | Kansas | $65,619 | $43,000 | 2,913,123 | 603 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $58,634 | $39,000 | 755,393 | 217 |
| 47 | Indiana | $61,417 | $40,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,348 |
| 48 | Utah | $67,638 | $42,000 | 3,101,833 | 444 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $57,340 | $38,000 | 869,666 | 229 |
| 50 | Alabama | $62,528 | $40,000 | 4,874,747 | 661 |
| 51 | Colorado | $63,557 | $41,000 | 5,607,154 | 880 |
Highest paying states for research and development technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. Research And Development Technician Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $95,941 |
| 2 | Texas | $92,054 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $89,614 |
| 4 | California | $104,922 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $102,784 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $105,469 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $102,279 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $85,255 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $92,150 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $83,884 |
| 11 | Vermont | $86,629 |
| 12 | Washington | $100,803 |
| 13 | Arkansas | $83,638 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $78,580 |
| 15 | Arizona | $80,576 |
| 16 | Nevada | $85,211 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $82,418 |
| 18 | Alaska | $82,086 |
| 19 | Georgia | $81,064 |
| 20 | Illinois | $84,938 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $75,623 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $75,385 |
| 23 | Virginia | $86,848 |
| 24 | Missouri | $75,422 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $89,530 |
| 26 | Idaho | $80,676 |
| 27 | New York | $86,293 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $76,987 |
| 29 | Delaware | $81,786 |
| 30 | Iowa | $75,161 |
| 31 | Maine | $75,543 |
| 32 | Ohio | $72,364 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $76,689 |
| 34 | Michigan | $69,436 |
| 35 | Maryland | $82,609 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $77,482 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $72,431 |
| 38 | Oregon | $73,860 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $70,387 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $65,028 |
| 41 | Montana | $63,680 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $72,182 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $69,168 |
| 44 | Florida | $64,260 |
| 45 | Kansas | $65,619 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $58,634 |
| 47 | Indiana | $61,417 |
| 48 | Utah | $67,638 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $57,340 |
| 50 | Alabama | $62,528 |
| 51 | Colorado | $63,557 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research and development technicians
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research and development technicians to find work opportunities?
Linnea Ritchie Ph.D.
PhD Student, Syracuse University
This is a difficult question. For health and safety reasons, students should be encouraged to look for jobs in areas with a low percent positive case rate. That being said, anyone deeply interested in pandemic research may find more concentrated research efforts being conducted in areas more drastically impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, cities in the US that were more affected by COVID-19 in the early months are beginning to show an increase in job recovery.
Research and development technician best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025