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Research and development technician salary
Average research and development technician salary
$83,552
Average Salary Overview
The average salary for a Research and Development Technician is estimated at $83,552 annually. This figure can vary based on several factors including experience level, education, and the specific industry of employment.
Salary by Experience
Entry-level technicians may start with salaries around $60,000, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $100,000. Experience in specialized fields, such as biotechnology, can significantly enhance earning potential.
Regional Salary Variations
Salaries also differ by location. For example, technicians in metropolitan areas or states with a high cost of living, like California or New York, often receive higher compensation. In contrast, regions with lower living costs may offer salaries below the national average.
Job Outlook and Opportunities
The demand for Research and Development Technicians remains strong, particularly in sectors focused on innovation and product development. Professionals in this field can explore roles in diverse industries, including pharmaceuticals, engineering, and technology.
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Where can a Research And Development Technician earn more?
Research and development technician salaries by experience level
Average research and development technician salary by state
The average research and development technician salary in Connecticut, California, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average research and development technician salary states are Montana, Colorado, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for research and development technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $95,941 | $46.13 |
| 2 | Texas | $92,054 | $44.26 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $89,614 | $43.08 |
| 4 | California | $104,922 | $50.44 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $102,784 | $49.42 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $105,469 | $50.71 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $102,279 | $49.17 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $85,255 | $40.99 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $92,150 | $44.30 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $83,884 | $40.33 |
| 11 | Vermont | $86,629 | $41.65 |
| 12 | Washington | $100,803 | $48.46 |
| 13 | Arkansas | $83,638 | $40.21 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $78,580 | $37.78 |
| 15 | Arizona | $80,576 | $38.74 |
| 16 | Nevada | $85,211 | $40.97 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $82,418 | $39.62 |
| 18 | Alaska | $82,086 | $39.46 |
| 19 | Georgia | $81,064 | $38.97 |
| 20 | Illinois | $84,938 | $40.84 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $75,623 | $36.36 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $75,385 | $36.24 |
| 23 | Virginia | $86,848 | $41.75 |
| 24 | Missouri | $75,422 | $36.26 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $89,530 | $43.04 |
| 26 | Idaho | $80,676 | $38.79 |
| 27 | New York | $86,293 | $41.49 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $76,987 | $37.01 |
| 29 | Delaware | $81,786 | $39.32 |
| 30 | Iowa | $75,161 | $36.14 |
| 31 | Maine | $75,543 | $36.32 |
| 32 | Ohio | $72,364 | $34.79 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $76,689 | $36.87 |
| 34 | Michigan | $69,436 | $33.38 |
| 35 | Maryland | $82,609 | $39.72 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $77,482 | $37.25 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $72,431 | $34.82 |
| 38 | Oregon | $73,860 | $35.51 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $70,387 | $33.84 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $65,028 | $31.26 |
| 41 | Montana | $63,680 | $30.62 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $72,182 | $34.70 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $69,168 | $33.25 |
| 44 | Florida | $64,260 | $30.89 |
| 45 | Kansas | $65,619 | $31.55 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $58,634 | $28.19 |
| 47 | Indiana | $61,417 | $29.53 |
| 48 | Utah | $67,638 | $32.52 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $57,340 | $27.57 |
| 50 | Alabama | $62,528 | $30.06 |
| 51 | Colorado | $63,557 | $30.56 |
Highest paying cities for research and development technicians
The highest-paying cities for research and development technicians are Richmond, CA, Hartford, CT, and Jersey City, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond, CA | $117,316 | $56.40 |
| 2 | Hartford, CT | $105,154 | $50.55 |
| 3 | Jersey City, NJ | $102,907 | $49.47 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $101,343 | $48.72 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $95,919 | $46.11 |
| 6 | Round Rock, TX | $92,466 | $44.45 |
| 7 | Albuquerque, NM | $89,734 | $43.14 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $88,135 | $42.37 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $86,465 | $41.57 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $85,946 | $41.32 |
| 11 | North Chicago, IL | $85,887 | $41.29 |
| 12 | Oklahoma City, OK | $83,860 | $40.32 |
| 13 | Jonesboro, AR | $82,868 | $39.84 |
| 14 | Wilmington, DE | $81,852 | $39.35 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $81,023 | $38.95 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $80,739 | $38.82 |
| 17 | Raleigh, NC | $77,764 | $37.39 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $76,250 | $36.66 |
| 19 | Madison, WI | $74,854 | $35.99 |
| 20 | Columbus, OH | $71,983 | $34.61 |
Research And Development Technicians are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Research and development technician salary details
A research and development technician's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $125,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a research and development technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $125,000 | $10,417 | $60 |
| 75th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
| Average | $83,552 | $6,963 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
Highest paying research and development technician jobs
The highest paying types of research and development technicians are research and development manager, research and development engineer, and development technician.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Internship | $35,305 | $2,942 | $16.97 | 90,970 |
| Microbiological Laboratory Technician | $38,713 | $3,226 | $18.61 | 44,567 |
| Wildlife Technician | $33,462 | $2,789 | $16.09 | 9,809 |
| Biological Technician | $43,572 | $3,631 | $20.95 | 9,182 |
| Biological Science Technician | $35,390 | $2,949 | $17.01 | 13,801 |
| Microbiology Technician | $40,084 | $3,340 | $19.27 | 25,704 |
Top companies hiring research and development technicians now:
Which companies pay research and development technicians the most?
Research and development technician salaries at PayPal and Western Digital are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average research and development technician salary at companies like Apple and ZS are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PayPal | $147,862 | $71.09 |
| 2 | Western Digital | $145,513 | $69.96 |
| 3 | Apple | $144,826 | $69.63 |
| 4 | ZS | $143,411 | $68.95 |
| 5 | eBay | $130,646 | $62.81 |
| 6 | Applied Materials | $130,375 | $62.68 |
| 7 | Microsoft | $122,144 | $58.72 |
| 8 | Anaplan | $121,242 | $58.29 |
| 9 | Dell | $120,497 | $57.93 |
| 10 | Amazon | $119,905 | $57.65 |
| 11 | Citi | $119,679 | $57.54 |
| 12 | Sandia National Labs | $119,548 | $57.48 |
| 13 | VMware | $119,389 | $57.40 |
| 14 | Dolby Laboratories | $118,602 | $57.02 |
| 15 | Square | $118,285 | $56.87 |
| 16 | Salesforce | $117,162 | $56.33 |
| 17 | Enphase Energy | $115,658 | $55.60 |
| 18 | AbbVie | $115,316 | $55.44 |
| 19 | Genentech | $114,429 | $55.01 |
| 20 | QuantumScape | $113,608 | $54.62 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Research And Development Technician salary by industry
The average research and development technician salary varies across industries:
- The average research and development technician salary in the technology industry is $95,084, the highest of any industry.
- The average research and development technician salary in the finance industry is $83,730.
- Research and development technicians in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $57,122, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for research and development technicians
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $95,084 | $45.71 |
| 2 | Professional | $83,730 | $40.25 |
| 3 | Health Care | $81,886 | $39.37 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $75,722 | $36.40 |
| 5 | Hospitality | $57,122 | $27.46 |
High paying research and development technician jobs
Research and development technician salary trends
The average research and development technician salary has risen by $12,369 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average research and development technician earned $71,183 annually, but today, they earn $83,552 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for research and development technicians over the last decade.
Compare research and development technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average research and development technician salary over time
Compare research and development technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research and development technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $83,600 | $40.17 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $82,700 | $39.75 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | $80,200 | $38.57 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $79,000 | $37.97 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $76,700 | $36.86 | +2.0% |
Recently added research and development technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Family Insurance | Senior Insurance Product Development Analyst (Flex Office/Home) | Madison, WI | 06/30/2025 | $86,000 |
| American Electric Power | Industrial Hygiene Coordinator-Industrial Hygiene Consultant | Bridgman, MI | 06/29/2025 | $96,110 |
| Argo Group | Insurance Product Development Regulatory Compliance Analyst | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $84,500 |
| Perspecta | R&D Fabrication Technician | Bethesda, MD | 06/29/2025 | $66,000 |
| Eurofins Horti | R&D Laboratory Technician | Davis, CA | 06/29/2025 | $50,088 |
| Glean | Product Management | Palo Alto, CA | 06/29/2025 | $160,000 |
| Honeywell | Lead R&D Technician-Catalysis Research | Des Plaines, IL | 06/28/2025 | $69,831 |
| Johnson & Johnson | Principal R&D Technician (Claims D.)-Shockwave | Santa Clara, CA | 06/28/2025 | $79,178 |
| Indiana Michigan Power Company | Industrial Hygiene Coordinator-Industrial Hygiene Consultant | Bridgman, MI | 06/28/2025 | $96,110 |
| Cirtec Medical Corporation | R&D Engineering Technician I (Novelcath) | Brooklyn Park, MN | 06/28/2025 | $52,175 |
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