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Best states for a research manager
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to research manager jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Our research found that California is the best state for research managers, while Washington and California are ranked highest in terms of median salary. California has a median salary of $113,214 and Washington has the highest median salary among all 50 states for research managers.
We figured that the best places for research manager 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.We found that the Midwest is best for research managers, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for research manager jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for research managers in 2026
1. California
Total research manager jobs: 4,018 Average annual salary: $113,214 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
2. New Jersey
Total research manager jobs: 865 Average annual salary: $100,921 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
3. Rhode Island
Total research manager jobs: 129 Average annual salary: $88,598 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
4. Oregon
Total research manager jobs: 547 Average annual salary: $88,183 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
5. Massachusetts
Total research manager jobs: 886 Average annual salary: $91,415 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
6. Delaware
Total research manager jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $90,827 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1
7. Washington
Total research manager jobs: 291 Average annual salary: $119,237 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 0.46
8. New Hampshire
Total research manager jobs: 175 Average annual salary: $80,692 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
9. Connecticut
Total research manager jobs: 309 Average annual salary: $84,093 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
10. Pennsylvania
Total research manager jobs: 1,267 Average annual salary: $78,413 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
Research manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $113,214 | $69,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,018 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $100,921 | $62,000 | 9,005,644 | 865 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $88,598 | $55,000 | 1,059,639 | 129 |
| 4 | Oregon | $88,183 | $52,000 | 4,142,776 | 547 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $91,415 | $57,000 | 6,859,819 | 886 |
| 6 | Delaware | $90,827 | $56,000 | 961,939 | 109 |
| 7 | Washington | $119,237 | $73,000 | 7,405,743 | 291 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $80,692 | $50,000 | 1,342,795 | 175 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $84,093 | $52,000 | 3,588,184 | 309 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $78,413 | $48,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,267 |
| 11 | Maine | $81,979 | $51,000 | 1,335,907 | 112 |
| 12 | Arizona | $83,257 | $51,000 | 7,016,270 | 486 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $87,322 | $53,000 | 693,972 | 172 |
| 14 | Virginia | $83,890 | $51,000 | 8,470,020 | 848 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $79,130 | $50,000 | 5,576,606 | 667 |
| 16 | New York | $90,608 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 823 |
| 17 | Ohio | $79,517 | $48,000 | 11,658,609 | 830 |
| 18 | Colorado | $75,142 | $48,000 | 5,607,154 | 658 |
| 19 | Texas | $77,862 | $48,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,629 |
| 20 | Illinois | $75,704 | $47,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,067 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $70,154 | $43,000 | 2,088,070 | 183 |
| 22 | Maryland | $82,508 | $50,000 | 6,052,177 | 431 |
| 23 | Michigan | $68,833 | $42,000 | 9,962,311 | 742 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $70,129 | $43,000 | 6,715,984 | 504 |
| 25 | Nevada | $78,116 | $46,000 | 2,998,039 | 112 |
| 26 | Alaska | $81,494 | $50,000 | 739,795 | 16 |
| 27 | Idaho | $76,472 | $46,000 | 1,716,943 | 109 |
| 28 | Indiana | $69,939 | $43,000 | 6,666,818 | 508 |
| 29 | Vermont | $65,335 | $40,000 | 623,657 | 88 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $69,661 | $43,000 | 5,024,369 | 159 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $66,051 | $40,000 | 10,273,419 | 775 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $66,302 | $42,000 | 3,930,864 | 205 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $63,678 | $41,000 | 869,666 | 79 |
| 34 | Utah | $63,618 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 274 |
| 35 | Alabama | $66,814 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 148 |
| 36 | Georgia | $65,744 | $41,000 | 10,429,379 | 737 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $63,185 | $38,000 | 1,815,857 | 116 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $69,641 | $50,000 | 1,427,538 | 64 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $66,655 | $41,000 | 4,684,333 | 168 |
| 40 | Florida | $64,080 | $40,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,314 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $62,527 | $40,000 | 755,393 | 61 |
| 42 | Iowa | $62,390 | $39,000 | 3,145,711 | 197 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $60,777 | $38,000 | 5,795,483 | 399 |
| 44 | Missouri | $56,778 | $35,000 | 6,113,532 | 528 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $55,452 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 52 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $56,799 | $36,000 | 1,920,076 | 184 |
| 47 | Kansas | $60,918 | $38,000 | 2,913,123 | 185 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $61,093 | $38,000 | 3,004,279 | 118 |
| 49 | Montana | $57,959 | $36,000 | 1,050,493 | 92 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $56,513 | $35,000 | 2,984,100 | 114 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $54,013 | $33,000 | 4,454,189 | 183 |
Highest paying states for research managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Research Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $113,214 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $100,921 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $88,598 |
| 4 | Oregon | $88,183 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $91,415 |
| 6 | Delaware | $90,827 |
| 7 | Washington | $119,237 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $80,692 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $84,093 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $78,413 |
| 11 | Maine | $81,979 |
| 12 | Arizona | $83,257 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $87,322 |
| 14 | Virginia | $83,890 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $79,130 |
| 16 | New York | $90,608 |
| 17 | Ohio | $79,517 |
| 18 | Colorado | $75,142 |
| 19 | Texas | $77,862 |
| 20 | Illinois | $75,704 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $70,154 |
| 22 | Maryland | $82,508 |
| 23 | Michigan | $68,833 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $70,129 |
| 25 | Nevada | $78,116 |
| 26 | Alaska | $81,494 |
| 27 | Idaho | $76,472 |
| 28 | Indiana | $69,939 |
| 29 | Vermont | $65,335 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $69,661 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $66,051 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $66,302 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $63,678 |
| 34 | Utah | $63,618 |
| 35 | Alabama | $66,814 |
| 36 | Georgia | $65,744 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $63,185 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $69,641 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $66,655 |
| 40 | Florida | $64,080 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $62,527 |
| 42 | Iowa | $62,390 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $60,777 |
| 44 | Missouri | $56,778 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $55,452 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $56,799 |
| 47 | Kansas | $60,918 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $61,093 |
| 49 | Montana | $57,959 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $56,513 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $54,013 |
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Updated January 8, 2025