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Best states for a research associate
Quoted expert
Don Snyder
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
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- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and life, physical, and social science careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to research associate jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for research associates.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of research associates in America is $87,000.
We figured that the best places for research associate jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.Massachusetts is the best state, and Dartmouth is the city with the highest pay for research associates.
10 best states for research associates in 2025
1. Massachusetts
Total research associate jobs: 3,055 Average annual salary: $71,991 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 2.74
2. New Jersey
Total research associate jobs: 1,219 Average annual salary: $69,731 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
3. New Mexico
Total research associate jobs: 230 Average annual salary: $63,145 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
4. Connecticut
Total research associate jobs: 365 Average annual salary: $68,933 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
5. District of Columbia
Total research associate jobs: 297 Average annual salary: $68,059 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
6. Delaware
Total research associate jobs: 133 Average annual salary: $65,974 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
7. Oregon
Total research associate jobs: 668 Average annual salary: $59,457 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
8. Rhode Island
Total research associate jobs: 170 Average annual salary: $58,703 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
9. Illinois
Total research associate jobs: 1,267 Average annual salary: $61,086 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
10. Pennsylvania
Total research associate jobs: 1,648 Average annual salary: $56,461 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
Research associate jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research associate
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research associate
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $71,991 | $50,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,055 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $69,731 | $47,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,219 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $63,145 | $42,000 | 2,088,070 | 230 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $68,933 | $47,000 | 3,588,184 | 365 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $68,059 | $46,000 | 693,972 | 297 |
| 6 | Delaware | $65,974 | $45,000 | 961,939 | 133 |
| 7 | Oregon | $59,457 | $39,000 | 4,142,776 | 668 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $58,703 | $40,000 | 1,059,639 | 170 |
| 9 | Illinois | $61,086 | $41,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,267 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $56,461 | $38,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,648 |
| 11 | Alaska | $64,145 | $53,000 | 739,795 | 94 |
| 12 | New York | $60,060 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,967 |
| 13 | California | $60,536 | $39,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,486 |
| 14 | Georgia | $61,926 | $42,000 | 10,429,379 | 832 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $57,606 | $39,000 | 10,273,419 | 965 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $56,675 | $39,000 | 1,342,795 | 210 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $56,190 | $37,000 | 5,576,606 | 748 |
| 18 | Maryland | $57,545 | $39,000 | 6,052,177 | 919 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $54,910 | $37,000 | 1,815,857 | 145 |
| 20 | Washington | $53,804 | $36,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,212 |
| 21 | Idaho | $56,334 | $38,000 | 1,716,943 | 144 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $57,255 | $39,000 | 5,024,369 | 211 |
| 23 | Florida | $55,934 | $38,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,396 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $55,230 | $37,000 | 4,454,189 | 211 |
| 25 | Virginia | $53,766 | $36,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,063 |
| 26 | Colorado | $52,194 | $36,000 | 5,607,154 | 735 |
| 27 | Ohio | $50,974 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 928 |
| 28 | Maine | $52,248 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 128 |
| 29 | Missouri | $50,372 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 659 |
| 30 | Arizona | $52,510 | $34,000 | 7,016,270 | 534 |
| 31 | Indiana | $50,850 | $34,000 | 6,666,818 | 540 |
| 32 | Michigan | $50,397 | $33,000 | 9,962,311 | 794 |
| 33 | Vermont | $48,512 | $34,000 | 623,657 | 108 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $52,632 | $35,000 | 4,684,333 | 188 |
| 35 | Nevada | $52,002 | $34,000 | 2,998,039 | 134 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $56,419 | $32,000 | 1,427,538 | 72 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $49,889 | $33,000 | 5,795,483 | 506 |
| 38 | Utah | $48,658 | $33,000 | 3,101,833 | 334 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $49,777 | $34,000 | 3,004,279 | 134 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $46,488 | $31,000 | 6,715,984 | 636 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $47,067 | $32,000 | 1,920,076 | 245 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $46,504 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 62 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $47,755 | $32,000 | 755,393 | 70 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $48,021 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 126 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $43,355 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 108 |
| 46 | Kansas | $45,420 | $31,000 | 2,913,123 | 216 |
| 47 | Texas | $41,885 | $28,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,930 |
| 48 | Montana | $41,781 | $29,000 | 1,050,493 | 109 |
| 49 | Iowa | $43,022 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 258 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $40,614 | $27,000 | 3,930,864 | 218 |
| 51 | Alabama | $41,883 | $28,000 | 4,874,747 | 178 |
Highest paying states for research associates
| Rank | State | Avg. Research Associate Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $71,991 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $69,731 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $63,145 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $68,933 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $68,059 |
| 6 | Delaware | $65,974 |
| 7 | Oregon | $59,457 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $58,703 |
| 9 | Illinois | $61,086 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $56,461 |
| 11 | Alaska | $64,145 |
| 12 | New York | $60,060 |
| 13 | California | $60,536 |
| 14 | Georgia | $61,926 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $57,606 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $56,675 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $56,190 |
| 18 | Maryland | $57,545 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $54,910 |
| 20 | Washington | $53,804 |
| 21 | Idaho | $56,334 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $57,255 |
| 23 | Florida | $55,934 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $55,230 |
| 25 | Virginia | $53,766 |
| 26 | Colorado | $52,194 |
| 27 | Ohio | $50,974 |
| 28 | Maine | $52,248 |
| 29 | Missouri | $50,372 |
| 30 | Arizona | $52,510 |
| 31 | Indiana | $50,850 |
| 32 | Michigan | $50,397 |
| 33 | Vermont | $48,512 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $52,632 |
| 35 | Nevada | $52,002 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $56,419 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $49,889 |
| 38 | Utah | $48,658 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $49,777 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $46,488 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $47,067 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $46,504 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $47,755 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $48,021 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $43,355 |
| 46 | Kansas | $45,420 |
| 47 | Texas | $41,885 |
| 48 | Montana | $41,781 |
| 49 | Iowa | $43,022 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $40,614 |
| 51 | Alabama | $41,883 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research associates
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research associates to find work opportunities?
Don Snyder
Associate Director, Industry Advising: STEM, William and Mary
Strong tech markets in the U.S. include Austin, Raleigh, Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Columbus. Some markets are established in tech, while other markets are more up-and-coming. Smaller cities that may be "off the radar" include Huntsville and Tucson. Graduates need to look at different factors when exploring cities, including the cost of living. The dollar will go a lot further in Raleigh than in San Francisco. And some cities that were once more affordable may have a higher cost of living now due to the recent influx of residents.
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Updated January 8, 2025