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Research associate r & d salary
Average research associate r & d salary
$70,829
Understanding Research Associate R&D Salaries
In the field of research and development, Research Associates play a crucial role in conducting experiments and analyzing data. As of October 2025, the average salary for a Research Associate in R&D is $70,829 per year, translating to approximately $34 per hour. This figure, however, can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and specific industry.
For instance, highest-paying states for this role include California, Massachusetts, and New York, where salaries can exceed the national average. Furthermore, cities like San Francisco and Boston offer competitive compensation due to their high demand for skilled professionals. As you progress in your career, salary expectations tend to increase, with experienced Research Associates earning upwards of $90,000 annually.
Job opportunities in this field are abundant, especially in sectors like pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and academia. Research Associates often find themselves in dynamic environments, contributing to groundbreaking projects that shape our understanding of various scientific fields. If you're considering a career as a Research Associate, knowing these salary insights can help you navigate your career path effectively.
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Where can a Research Associate R & D earn more?
Research associate r & d salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level research associate r & d | $44,400 | $21.37 |
| Mid-level research associate r & d | $75,100 | $36.08 |
| Senior-level research associate r & d | $123,000 | $59.10 |
Average research associate r & d salary by state
The highest-paying states for research associate r & ds are Washington, Delaware, and New Jersey. The lowest average research associate r & d salary states are Wisconsin, Missouri, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for research associate r & ds
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $110,794 | $53.27 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $92,695 | $44.56 |
| 3 | Delaware | $100,311 | $48.23 |
| 4 | Oregon | $77,556 | $37.29 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $81,878 | $39.36 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $84,468 | $40.61 |
| 7 | Michigan | $73,042 | $35.12 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $72,849 | $35.02 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $71,838 | $34.54 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $71,763 | $34.50 |
| 11 | California | $77,013 | $37.03 |
| 12 | New York | $84,593 | $40.67 |
| 13 | Tennessee | $72,925 | $35.06 |
| 14 | Maine | $69,463 | $33.40 |
| 15 | Virginia | $73,109 | $35.15 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $67,309 | $32.36 |
| 17 | Arizona | $67,674 | $32.54 |
| 18 | Utah | $66,202 | $31.83 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $72,460 | $34.84 |
| 20 | Vermont | $65,824 | $31.65 |
| 21 | Georgia | $67,464 | $32.43 |
| 22 | Maryland | $70,990 | $34.13 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $62,605 | $30.10 |
| 24 | Iowa | $65,884 | $31.68 |
| 25 | Colorado | $64,116 | $30.82 |
| 26 | Montana | $66,259 | $31.86 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $63,822 | $30.68 |
| 28 | Texas | $64,920 | $31.21 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $62,860 | $30.22 |
| 30 | Nevada | $65,173 | $31.33 |
| 31 | Illinois | $62,970 | $30.27 |
| 32 | Idaho | $63,540 | $30.55 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $60,392 | $29.03 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $64,104 | $30.82 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $62,212 | $29.91 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $57,650 | $27.72 |
| 37 | Alaska | $64,404 | $30.96 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $62,628 | $30.11 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $58,101 | $27.93 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $60,676 | $29.17 |
| 41 | Ohio | $58,623 | $28.18 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $55,072 | $26.48 |
| 43 | Missouri | $53,192 | $25.57 |
| 44 | Kansas | $57,625 | $27.70 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $54,920 | $26.40 |
| 46 | Indiana | $52,241 | $25.12 |
| 47 | Florida | $52,285 | $25.14 |
| 48 | Alabama | $55,853 | $26.85 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $55,379 | $26.62 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $50,721 | $24.39 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $46,016 | $22.12 |
Highest paying cities for research associate r & ds
The highest-paying cities for research associate r & ds are Seattle, WA, Jersey City, NJ, and Cary, NC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $112,507 | $54.09 |
| 2 | Jersey City, NJ | $92,859 | $44.64 |
| 3 | Cary, NC | $85,600 | $41.15 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $84,954 | $40.84 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $84,755 | $40.75 |
| 6 | Stamford, CT | $81,931 | $39.39 |
| 7 | Oak Ridge, TN | $74,826 | $35.97 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $72,918 | $35.06 |
| 9 | Charlottesville, VA | $72,852 | $35.02 |
| 10 | Washington, DC | $72,529 | $34.87 |
| 11 | Norwood, MA | $71,904 | $34.57 |
| 12 | Baltimore, MD | $71,184 | $34.22 |
| 13 | Cumberland, RI | $67,219 | $32.32 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $65,328 | $31.41 |
| 15 | Las Vegas, NV | $64,379 | $30.95 |
| 16 | Boulder, CO | $64,061 | $30.80 |
| 17 | Skokie, IL | $63,474 | $30.52 |
| 18 | Omaha, NE | $63,089 | $30.33 |
| 19 | Kansas City, MO | $52,734 | $25.35 |
| 20 | Fishers, IN | $52,235 | $25.11 |
Research associate r & d salary details
A research associate r & d's salary ranges from $49,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $101,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a research associate r & d's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| 75th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| Average | $70,829 | $5,902 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
| 10th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
Highest paying research associate r & d jobs
The highest paying types of research associate r & ds are research leader, scientist, and research and development scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientist | $97,344 | $8,112 | $46.80 | 62,467 |
| Marketing Internship | $30,260 | $2,522 | $14.55 | 122,135 |
| Marketing Consultant | $70,593 | $5,883 | $33.94 | 88,935 |
| Marketing Coordinator | $48,326 | $4,027 | $23.23 | 91,281 |
| Research And Development Scientist | $90,278 | $7,523 | $43.40 | 129,803 |
| Market Research Analyst | $51,687 | $4,307 | $24.85 | 71,240 |
Top companies hiring research associate r & ds now:
Which companies pay research associate r & ds the most?
Research associate r & d salaries at Apple and AstraZeneca are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average research associate r & d salary at companies like AQR Capital Management and SAS Institute are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $115,563 | $55.56 |
| 2 | AstraZeneca | $112,151 | $53.92 |
| 3 | AQR Capital Management | $112,135 | $53.91 |
| 4 | SAS Institute | $109,459 | $52.62 |
| 5 | Eli Lilly and Company | $106,619 | $51.26 |
| 6 | Accenture | $101,815 | $48.95 |
| 7 | Cowen | $101,094 | $48.60 |
| 8 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $100,924 | $48.52 |
| 9 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $98,485 | $47.35 |
| 10 | Pacira BioSciences | $98,316 | $47.27 |
| 11 | Check Point Software Technologies | $95,644 | $45.98 |
| 12 | Genentech | $95,580 | $45.95 |
| 13 | Gap Inc. | $94,787 | $45.57 |
| 14 | Keysight Technologies | $93,720 | $45.06 |
| 15 | North Shore High School | $89,515 | $43.04 |
| 16 | Reckitt Benckiser | $86,323 | $41.50 |
| 17 | Abbott | $86,148 | $41.42 |
| 18 | VMware | $85,091 | $40.91 |
| 19 | Astellas Pharma | $85,062 | $40.90 |
| 20 | Nostrum Laboratories | $84,334 | $40.55 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Research Associate R & D salary by industry
The average research associate r & d salary varies across industries:
- The average research associate r & d salary in the technology industry is $94,471, the highest of any industry.
- The average research associate r & d salary in the finance industry is $82,087.
- Research associate r & ds in the health care industry earn an average salary of $70,059, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for research associate r & ds
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $94,471 | $45.42 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $82,087 | $39.46 |
| 3 | Pharmaceutical | $78,981 | $37.97 |
| 4 | Health Care | $70,059 | $33.68 |
High paying research associate r & d jobs
Research associate r & d salary trends
The average research associate r & d salary has risen by $5,984 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average research associate r & d earned $64,845 annually, but today, they earn $70,829 a year. That works out to a 5% change in pay for research associate r & ds over the last decade.
Compare research associate r & d salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average research associate r & d salary over time
Compare research associate r & d salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research associate r & d salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,800 | $34.05 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $68,700 | $33.01 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $67,900 | $32.66 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | $68,100 | $32.72 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $67,300 | $32.37 | +0.7% |
Recently added research associate r & d salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania | Retail Associate Freedom Rd/Cranberry Township, PA Retention Bonus! | Kane, PA | 06/29/2025 | $25,044 |
| Southern Indiana Power | Retail Associate-S. College Mall RD. | Bloomington, IN | 06/29/2025 | $27,131 |
| Actalent | R&D Associate (Food Science) | Steeleville, IL | 06/25/2025 | $65,000 |
| Codexis | Analytical Development Research Associate III | Redwood City, CA | 06/24/2025 | $89,000 |
| Jpmorgan Chase | (Associate Banker, Chicago RD and Sauk Trail, South | South Chicago Heights, IL | 06/20/2025 | $46,958 |
| Forklift Operator I | R&D Associate | Ione, CA | 06/16/2025 | $43,827 |
| GT's Living Foods | R&D Associate | Los Angeles, CA | 06/13/2025 | $43,827 |
| St. Mary's Food Bank | Development Associate-Donor Database & Research | Phoenix, AZ | 06/11/2025 | $60,000 |
| Outpace Bio | Research Associate II/Senior Research Associate, Analytical Development | Seattle, WA | 06/11/2025 | $90,000 |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Analytical Development Research Associate-Testing, Operation and Automation | Boston, MA | 05/30/2025 | $63,100 |
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