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Best states for a research microbiologist
Quoted expert
Don Snyder
- 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 microbiologist 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. As research microbiologists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for research microbiologists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a research microbiologist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for research microbiologists. Massachusetts is the best state for research microbiologists, where the median salary is $91,823.We found that Massachusetts is the best state for research microbiologist jobs, whereas Louisiana is the worst.
10 best states for research microbiologists in 2025
1. Massachusetts
Total research microbiologist jobs: 1,509 Average annual salary: $91,823 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.97
2. Vermont
Total research microbiologist jobs: 88 Average annual salary: $90,105 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
3. California
Total research microbiologist jobs: 3,982 Average annual salary: $90,828 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.63
4. New Jersey
Total research microbiologist jobs: 829 Average annual salary: $82,896 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
5. Virginia
Total research microbiologist jobs: 726 Average annual salary: $95,117 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
6. Rhode Island
Total research microbiologist jobs: 119 Average annual salary: $70,688 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
7. New Hampshire
Total research microbiologist jobs: 163 Average annual salary: $70,366 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
8. North Dakota
Total research microbiologist jobs: 60 Average annual salary: $87,768 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
9. Georgia
Total research microbiologist jobs: 701 Average annual salary: $75,957 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
10. West Virginia
Total research microbiologist jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $71,888 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
Research microbiologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research microbiologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research microbiologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $91,823 | $61,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,509 |
| 2 | Vermont | $90,105 | $60,000 | 623,657 | 88 |
| 3 | California | $90,828 | $59,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,982 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $82,896 | $55,000 | 9,005,644 | 829 |
| 5 | Virginia | $95,117 | $63,000 | 8,470,020 | 726 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $70,688 | $47,000 | 1,059,639 | 119 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $70,366 | $47,000 | 1,342,795 | 163 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $87,768 | $58,000 | 755,393 | 60 |
| 9 | Georgia | $75,957 | $50,000 | 10,429,379 | 701 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $71,888 | $47,000 | 1,815,857 | 109 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $70,257 | $47,000 | 3,588,184 | 275 |
| 12 | Michigan | $64,389 | $42,000 | 9,962,311 | 723 |
| 13 | Colorado | $66,622 | $45,000 | 5,607,154 | 647 |
| 14 | Delaware | $68,918 | $46,000 | 961,939 | 101 |
| 15 | Arizona | $68,275 | $45,000 | 7,016,270 | 471 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $64,142 | $42,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,018 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $75,763 | $53,000 | 1,427,538 | 63 |
| 18 | Maryland | $76,166 | $50,000 | 6,052,177 | 324 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $69,246 | $46,000 | 4,454,189 | 174 |
| 20 | Maine | $63,998 | $43,000 | 1,335,907 | 109 |
| 21 | New York | $72,279 | $48,000 | 19,849,399 | 737 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $59,753 | $39,000 | 6,715,984 | 466 |
| 23 | Oregon | $60,769 | $38,000 | 4,142,776 | 492 |
| 24 | Nevada | $67,481 | $44,000 | 2,998,039 | 95 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $59,942 | $39,000 | 5,576,606 | 653 |
| 26 | Illinois | $60,166 | $40,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,004 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $56,874 | $38,000 | 579,315 | 53 |
| 28 | Iowa | $61,796 | $41,000 | 3,145,711 | 192 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $60,588 | $40,000 | 3,930,864 | 194 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $68,059 | $45,000 | 693,972 | 103 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $58,683 | $38,000 | 5,795,483 | 378 |
| 32 | Washington | $63,413 | $40,000 | 7,405,743 | 435 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $57,182 | $37,000 | 10,273,419 | 727 |
| 34 | Missouri | $55,876 | $37,000 | 6,113,532 | 507 |
| 35 | Indiana | $56,437 | $37,000 | 6,666,818 | 476 |
| 36 | Alaska | $62,684 | $37,000 | 739,795 | 25 |
| 37 | Montana | $57,313 | $38,000 | 1,050,493 | 86 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $52,211 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 171 |
| 39 | Alabama | $56,841 | $37,000 | 4,874,747 | 142 |
| 40 | Ohio | $54,441 | $36,000 | 11,658,609 | 685 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $50,769 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 201 |
| 42 | Idaho | $54,384 | $36,000 | 1,716,943 | 114 |
| 43 | Florida | $53,634 | $35,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,250 |
| 44 | Utah | $51,356 | $34,000 | 3,101,833 | 262 |
| 45 | Texas | $51,930 | $34,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,392 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $50,346 | $33,000 | 2,984,100 | 110 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $46,523 | $31,000 | 869,666 | 78 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $49,067 | $32,000 | 3,004,279 | 118 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $50,807 | $33,000 | 5,024,369 | 145 |
| 50 | Kansas | $46,703 | $31,000 | 2,913,123 | 189 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $46,221 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 160 |
Highest paying states for research microbiologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Research Microbiologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $91,823 |
| 2 | Vermont | $90,105 |
| 3 | California | $90,828 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $82,896 |
| 5 | Virginia | $95,117 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $70,688 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $70,366 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $87,768 |
| 9 | Georgia | $75,957 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $71,888 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $70,257 |
| 12 | Michigan | $64,389 |
| 13 | Colorado | $66,622 |
| 14 | Delaware | $68,918 |
| 15 | Arizona | $68,275 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $64,142 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $75,763 |
| 18 | Maryland | $76,166 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $69,246 |
| 20 | Maine | $63,998 |
| 21 | New York | $72,279 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $59,753 |
| 23 | Oregon | $60,769 |
| 24 | Nevada | $67,481 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $59,942 |
| 26 | Illinois | $60,166 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $56,874 |
| 28 | Iowa | $61,796 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $60,588 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $68,059 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $58,683 |
| 32 | Washington | $63,413 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $57,182 |
| 34 | Missouri | $55,876 |
| 35 | Indiana | $56,437 |
| 36 | Alaska | $62,684 |
| 37 | Montana | $57,313 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $52,211 |
| 39 | Alabama | $56,841 |
| 40 | Ohio | $54,441 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $50,769 |
| 42 | Idaho | $54,384 |
| 43 | Florida | $53,634 |
| 44 | Utah | $51,356 |
| 45 | Texas | $51,930 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $50,346 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $46,523 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $49,067 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $50,807 |
| 50 | Kansas | $46,703 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $46,221 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research microbiologists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research microbiologists 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