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Best states for a research physicist
Quoted expert
Robert Brown
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Research physicist opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for research physicists, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for research physicists.As research physicists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for research physicists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a research physicist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
New Hampshire is the best state for jobs for research physicists, and Mississippi is the worst. The most common pay in New Hampshire is $100,238, while the median pay in Mississippi is $48,107.If you are currently seeking employment as a research physicist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for research physicists in 2026
1. New Hampshire
Total research physicist jobs: 172 Average annual salary: $100,238 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
2. Rhode Island
Total research physicist jobs: 145 Average annual salary: $87,135 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
3. Connecticut
Total research physicist jobs: 273 Average annual salary: $101,903 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
4. Minnesota
Total research physicist jobs: 645 Average annual salary: $88,705 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
5. Wyoming
Total research physicist jobs: 55 Average annual salary: $83,917 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
6. Colorado
Total research physicist jobs: 585 Average annual salary: $86,754 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
7. New Mexico
Total research physicist jobs: 189 Average annual salary: $83,537 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
8. Ohio
Total research physicist jobs: 782 Average annual salary: $85,696 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1
9. New York
Total research physicist jobs: 116 Average annual salary: $108,834 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 0.12
10. Nebraska
Total research physicist jobs: 207 Average annual salary: $81,320 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
Research physicist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research physicist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research physicist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $100,238 | $66,000 | 1,342,795 | 172 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $87,135 | $58,000 | 1,059,639 | 145 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $101,903 | $67,000 | 3,588,184 | 273 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $88,705 | $59,000 | 5,576,606 | 645 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $83,917 | $57,000 | 579,315 | 55 |
| 6 | Colorado | $86,754 | $58,000 | 5,607,154 | 585 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $83,537 | $54,000 | 2,088,070 | 189 |
| 8 | Ohio | $85,696 | $57,000 | 11,658,609 | 782 |
| 9 | New York | $108,834 | $72,000 | 19,849,399 | 116 |
| 10 | Nebraska | $81,320 | $54,000 | 1,920,076 | 207 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $79,504 | $53,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,264 |
| 12 | Vermont | $81,041 | $53,000 | 623,657 | 93 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $84,182 | $56,000 | 5,795,483 | 388 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $82,506 | $55,000 | 9,005,644 | 876 |
| 15 | Delaware | $84,061 | $56,000 | 961,939 | 101 |
| 16 | Maryland | $97,303 | $64,000 | 6,052,177 | 73 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $76,561 | $49,000 | 6,715,984 | 559 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $82,036 | $53,000 | 3,930,864 | 208 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $89,669 | $59,000 | 6,859,819 | 120 |
| 20 | Michigan | $76,992 | $51,000 | 9,962,311 | 710 |
| 21 | Utah | $76,761 | $52,000 | 3,101,833 | 283 |
| 22 | Nevada | $80,251 | $54,000 | 2,998,039 | 111 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $74,510 | $49,000 | 1,815,857 | 120 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $77,453 | $52,000 | 755,393 | 62 |
| 25 | Maine | $74,320 | $49,000 | 1,335,907 | 109 |
| 26 | Montana | $76,128 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 89 |
| 27 | Alabama | $76,963 | $49,000 | 4,874,747 | 147 |
| 28 | California | $72,607 | $49,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,807 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $85,398 | $56,000 | 693,972 | 10 |
| 30 | Missouri | $73,162 | $48,000 | 6,113,532 | 509 |
| 31 | Oregon | $68,991 | $48,000 | 4,142,776 | 530 |
| 32 | Illinois | $73,276 | $48,000 | 12,802,023 | 991 |
| 33 | Alaska | $81,039 | $64,000 | 739,795 | 3 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $74,453 | $48,000 | 5,024,369 | 176 |
| 35 | Arizona | $70,873 | $47,000 | 7,016,270 | 480 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $70,872 | $46,000 | 10,273,419 | 725 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $72,911 | $46,000 | 4,684,333 | 162 |
| 38 | Texas | $69,460 | $44,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,608 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $71,301 | $47,000 | 4,454,189 | 175 |
| 40 | Washington | $75,057 | $53,000 | 7,405,743 | 52 |
| 41 | Kansas | $68,371 | $45,000 | 2,913,123 | 182 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $63,297 | $49,000 | 1,427,538 | 61 |
| 43 | Virginia | $58,520 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 816 |
| 44 | Indiana | $62,330 | $41,000 | 6,666,818 | 451 |
| 45 | Georgia | $63,641 | $41,000 | 10,429,379 | 697 |
| 46 | Florida | $58,878 | $37,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,255 |
| 47 | Idaho | $62,564 | $43,000 | 1,716,943 | 114 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $50,197 | $33,000 | 869,666 | 95 |
| 49 | Iowa | $58,138 | $38,000 | 3,145,711 | 189 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $52,554 | $34,000 | 3,004,279 | 123 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $48,107 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 116 |
Highest paying states for research physicists
| Rank | State | Avg. Research Physicist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $100,238 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $87,135 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $101,903 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $88,705 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $83,917 |
| 6 | Colorado | $86,754 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $83,537 |
| 8 | Ohio | $85,696 |
| 9 | New York | $108,834 |
| 10 | Nebraska | $81,320 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $79,504 |
| 12 | Vermont | $81,041 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $84,182 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $82,506 |
| 15 | Delaware | $84,061 |
| 16 | Maryland | $97,303 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $76,561 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $82,036 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $89,669 |
| 20 | Michigan | $76,992 |
| 21 | Utah | $76,761 |
| 22 | Nevada | $80,251 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $74,510 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $77,453 |
| 25 | Maine | $74,320 |
| 26 | Montana | $76,128 |
| 27 | Alabama | $76,963 |
| 28 | California | $72,607 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $85,398 |
| 30 | Missouri | $73,162 |
| 31 | Oregon | $68,991 |
| 32 | Illinois | $73,276 |
| 33 | Alaska | $81,039 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $74,453 |
| 35 | Arizona | $70,873 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $70,872 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $72,911 |
| 38 | Texas | $69,460 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $71,301 |
| 40 | Washington | $75,057 |
| 41 | Kansas | $68,371 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $63,297 |
| 43 | Virginia | $58,520 |
| 44 | Indiana | $62,330 |
| 45 | Georgia | $63,641 |
| 46 | Florida | $58,878 |
| 47 | Idaho | $62,564 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $50,197 |
| 49 | Iowa | $58,138 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $52,554 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $48,107 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research physicists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research physicists to find work opportunities?
Robert Brown
Institute Professor and Distinguished University Professor, Case Western Reserve University
Biophysics and nanophysics, which are increasingly overlapping, are primary directions in this century. With medical physics as a subset of biophysics and quantum computers also growing in biomolecular approaches, we see NE Ohio having more and more opportunities. Greater Cleveland is influential with world-class medical institutions and medical instrument companies. The threat of more pandemics and the aging population are significant forces that will make NE Ohio more and more attractive as a biotechnical region.
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Updated January 8, 2025