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Best states for a research laboratory manager
Quoted expert
Benjamin Scharff Ph.D.
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for research laboratory managers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for research laboratory manager 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 Maine is the best state for research laboratory managers, while Maryland and Tennessee are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Maine has a median salary of $85,360 and Maryland has the highest median salary among all 50 states for research laboratory managers.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for research laboratory managers.We found that the South is best for research laboratory managers, and the Northeast is the worst. Baltimore, MD is the best city in the country for research laboratory manager jobs, where as Maine is the best state in the country.
10 best states for research laboratory managers in 2025
1. Maine
Total research laboratory manager jobs: 207 Average annual salary: $85,360 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1.072. New Jersey
Total research laboratory manager jobs: 1,389 Average annual salary: $83,313 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.23. Massachusetts
Total research laboratory manager jobs: 2,135 Average annual salary: $77,526 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.594. Tennessee
Total research laboratory manager jobs: 807 Average annual salary: $89,359 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 0.945. California
Total research laboratory manager jobs: 6,138 Average annual salary: $80,934 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.446. Michigan
Total research laboratory manager jobs: 1,320 Average annual salary: $70,466 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1.177. Maryland
Total research laboratory manager jobs: 785 Average annual salary: $89,986 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 0.858. Connecticut
Total research laboratory manager jobs: 459 Average annual salary: $81,596 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 0.959. Minnesota
Total research laboratory manager jobs: 1,189 Average annual salary: $69,463 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.2310. Indiana
Total research laboratory manager jobs: 875 Average annual salary: $78,407 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
Research laboratory manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research laboratory manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research laboratory manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $85,360 | $60,000 | 1,335,907 | 207 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $83,313 | $58,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,389 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $77,526 | $54,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,135 |
| 4 | Tennessee | $89,359 | $62,000 | 6,715,984 | 807 |
| 5 | California | $80,934 | $52,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,138 |
| 6 | Michigan | $70,466 | $48,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,320 |
| 7 | Maryland | $89,986 | $62,000 | 6,052,177 | 785 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $81,596 | $57,000 | 3,588,184 | 459 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $69,463 | $48,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,189 |
| 10 | Indiana | $78,407 | $54,000 | 6,666,818 | 875 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $79,924 | $56,000 | 1,059,639 | 161 |
| 12 | Delaware | $82,545 | $57,000 | 961,939 | 157 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $86,896 | $65,000 | 1,427,538 | 111 |
| 14 | Montana | $69,195 | $48,000 | 1,050,493 | 172 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $67,649 | $47,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,741 |
| 16 | New York | $76,986 | $53,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,644 |
| 17 | Arizona | $64,797 | $44,000 | 7,016,270 | 916 |
| 18 | Oregon | $65,415 | $42,000 | 4,142,776 | 709 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $63,097 | $44,000 | 1,342,795 | 303 |
| 20 | Vermont | $62,720 | $43,000 | 623,657 | 153 |
| 21 | Ohio | $68,579 | $47,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,204 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $61,394 | $43,000 | 579,315 | 92 |
| 23 | Illinois | $65,196 | $45,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,688 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $76,066 | $52,000 | 693,972 | 171 |
| 25 | Washington | $65,002 | $42,000 | 7,405,743 | 941 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $63,647 | $44,000 | 3,930,864 | 337 |
| 27 | Virginia | $67,590 | $47,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,112 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $61,420 | $42,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,227 |
| 29 | Florida | $57,836 | $40,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,441 |
| 30 | Nevada | $64,697 | $42,000 | 2,998,039 | 211 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $55,649 | $38,000 | 1,815,857 | 218 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $56,830 | $39,000 | 5,795,483 | 764 |
| 33 | Iowa | $55,965 | $39,000 | 3,145,711 | 507 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $56,629 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 310 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $54,272 | $38,000 | 1,920,076 | 320 |
| 36 | Idaho | $54,300 | $36,000 | 1,716,943 | 241 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $57,479 | $40,000 | 4,454,189 | 380 |
| 38 | Alaska | $62,158 | $39,000 | 739,795 | 84 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $49,268 | $34,000 | 869,666 | 199 |
| 40 | Missouri | $53,534 | $37,000 | 6,113,532 | 817 |
| 41 | Colorado | $50,322 | $35,000 | 5,607,154 | 964 |
| 42 | Kansas | $53,159 | $37,000 | 2,913,123 | 400 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $51,049 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 284 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $47,280 | $32,000 | 755,393 | 137 |
| 45 | Alabama | $54,286 | $37,000 | 4,874,747 | 388 |
| 46 | Utah | $46,382 | $32,000 | 3,101,833 | 447 |
| 47 | Texas | $49,988 | $34,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,396 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $51,777 | $36,000 | 5,024,369 | 335 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $49,215 | $34,000 | 2,984,100 | 223 |
| 50 | Georgia | $48,487 | $33,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,157 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $40,887 | $28,000 | 4,684,333 | 355 |
Highest paying states for research laboratory managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Research Laboratory Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $85,360 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $83,313 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $77,526 |
| 4 | Tennessee | $89,359 |
| 5 | California | $80,934 |
| 6 | Michigan | $70,466 |
| 7 | Maryland | $89,986 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $81,596 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $69,463 |
| 10 | Indiana | $78,407 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $79,924 |
| 12 | Delaware | $82,545 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $86,896 |
| 14 | Montana | $69,195 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $67,649 |
| 16 | New York | $76,986 |
| 17 | Arizona | $64,797 |
| 18 | Oregon | $65,415 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $63,097 |
| 20 | Vermont | $62,720 |
| 21 | Ohio | $68,579 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $61,394 |
| 23 | Illinois | $65,196 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $76,066 |
| 25 | Washington | $65,002 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $63,647 |
| 27 | Virginia | $67,590 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $61,420 |
| 29 | Florida | $57,836 |
| 30 | Nevada | $64,697 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $55,649 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $56,830 |
| 33 | Iowa | $55,965 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $56,629 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $54,272 |
| 36 | Idaho | $54,300 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $57,479 |
| 38 | Alaska | $62,158 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $49,268 |
| 40 | Missouri | $53,534 |
| 41 | Colorado | $50,322 |
| 42 | Kansas | $53,159 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $51,049 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $47,280 |
| 45 | Alabama | $54,286 |
| 46 | Utah | $46,382 |
| 47 | Texas | $49,988 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $51,777 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $49,215 |
| 50 | Georgia | $48,487 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $40,887 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research laboratory managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research laboratory managers to find work opportunities?
Benjamin Scharff Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Mercyhurst University
History majors develop a broad range of skills that do well anywhere with a dynamic, robust, and healthy economy. If they plan on pursuing a degree in the field, they are better off searching in states that invest in and emphasize our civic institutions (schools, museums, etc.).
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Updated January 8, 2025