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Best states for a research scientist
Quoted expert
Don Snyder
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Do you want to become a research scientist at Meta, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for research scientists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for research scientists. We found that California is the best state in the nation for research scientists, and people in Monterey earn the most in the field.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for research scientists. California is the best state for research scientists, where the median salary is $117,928.We found that the South is best for research scientists, and the Northeast is the worst. Menlo Park, CA is the best city in the country for research scientist jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for research scientists in 2026
1. California
Total research scientist jobs: 6,711 Average annual salary: $117,928 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
2. New Jersey
Total research scientist jobs: 1,496 Average annual salary: $92,492 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
3. Connecticut
Total research scientist jobs: 538 Average annual salary: $94,575 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
4. Delaware
Total research scientist jobs: 228 Average annual salary: $87,389 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
5. Hawaii
Total research scientist jobs: 126 Average annual salary: $102,340 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 1
6. Maine
Total research scientist jobs: 172 Average annual salary: $92,271 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
7. Rhode Island
Total research scientist jobs: 189 Average annual salary: $84,269 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
8. Indiana
Total research scientist jobs: 705 Average annual salary: $98,309 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
9. Vermont
Total research scientist jobs: 143 Average annual salary: $79,112 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
10. Tennessee
Total research scientist jobs: 689 Average annual salary: $88,781 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
Research scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research scientist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research scientist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $117,928 | $74,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,711 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $92,492 | $63,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,496 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $94,575 | $65,000 | 3,588,184 | 538 |
| 4 | Delaware | $87,389 | $59,000 | 961,939 | 228 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $102,340 | $72,000 | 1,427,538 | 126 |
| 6 | Maine | $92,271 | $64,000 | 1,335,907 | 172 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $84,269 | $58,000 | 1,059,639 | 189 |
| 8 | Indiana | $98,309 | $66,000 | 6,666,818 | 705 |
| 9 | Vermont | $79,112 | $54,000 | 623,657 | 143 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $88,781 | $60,000 | 6,715,984 | 689 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $80,074 | $55,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,056 |
| 12 | Oregon | $80,367 | $49,000 | 4,142,776 | 763 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $78,031 | $53,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,798 |
| 14 | Maryland | $82,704 | $56,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,171 |
| 15 | Washington | $81,104 | $50,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,136 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $82,962 | $55,000 | 5,576,606 | 884 |
| 17 | New York | $76,198 | $52,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,637 |
| 18 | Arizona | $78,755 | $49,000 | 7,016,270 | 745 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $72,067 | $48,000 | 579,315 | 93 |
| 20 | Illinois | $74,001 | $50,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,861 |
| 21 | Nevada | $78,449 | $49,000 | 2,998,039 | 168 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $71,381 | $49,000 | 1,342,795 | 264 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $72,139 | $48,000 | 5,795,483 | 693 |
| 24 | Alaska | $79,047 | $48,000 | 739,795 | 88 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $76,536 | $52,000 | 693,972 | 246 |
| 26 | Michigan | $70,290 | $47,000 | 9,962,311 | 913 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $66,856 | $45,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,321 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $68,758 | $46,000 | 1,815,857 | 161 |
| 29 | Virginia | $64,483 | $44,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,640 |
| 30 | Montana | $66,855 | $43,000 | 1,050,493 | 154 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $61,827 | $41,000 | 869,666 | 171 |
| 32 | Ohio | $66,183 | $45,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,078 |
| 33 | Colorado | $61,787 | $41,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,046 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $66,196 | $44,000 | 3,004,279 | 190 |
| 35 | Iowa | $64,996 | $44,000 | 3,145,711 | 335 |
| 36 | Idaho | $59,968 | $38,000 | 1,716,943 | 219 |
| 37 | Kansas | $62,799 | $42,000 | 2,913,123 | 346 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $62,903 | $42,000 | 4,454,189 | 294 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $57,046 | $38,000 | 755,393 | 116 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $58,079 | $39,000 | 1,920,076 | 265 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $61,638 | $41,000 | 3,930,864 | 249 |
| 42 | Florida | $58,883 | $38,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,938 |
| 43 | Utah | $51,336 | $33,000 | 3,101,833 | 441 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $49,029 | $32,000 | 2,088,070 | 299 |
| 45 | Missouri | $51,038 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 740 |
| 46 | Georgia | $53,742 | $36,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,102 |
| 47 | Alabama | $56,271 | $37,000 | 4,874,747 | 280 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $55,475 | $37,000 | 5,024,369 | 342 |
| 49 | Texas | $49,053 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,263 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $48,194 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 149 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $45,093 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 260 |
Highest paying states for research scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Research Scientist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $117,928 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $92,492 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $94,575 |
| 4 | Delaware | $87,389 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $102,340 |
| 6 | Maine | $92,271 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $84,269 |
| 8 | Indiana | $98,309 |
| 9 | Vermont | $79,112 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $88,781 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $80,074 |
| 12 | Oregon | $80,367 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $78,031 |
| 14 | Maryland | $82,704 |
| 15 | Washington | $81,104 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $82,962 |
| 17 | New York | $76,198 |
| 18 | Arizona | $78,755 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $72,067 |
| 20 | Illinois | $74,001 |
| 21 | Nevada | $78,449 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $71,381 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $72,139 |
| 24 | Alaska | $79,047 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $76,536 |
| 26 | Michigan | $70,290 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $66,856 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $68,758 |
| 29 | Virginia | $64,483 |
| 30 | Montana | $66,855 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $61,827 |
| 32 | Ohio | $66,183 |
| 33 | Colorado | $61,787 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $66,196 |
| 35 | Iowa | $64,996 |
| 36 | Idaho | $59,968 |
| 37 | Kansas | $62,799 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $62,903 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $57,046 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $58,079 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $61,638 |
| 42 | Florida | $58,883 |
| 43 | Utah | $51,336 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $49,029 |
| 45 | Missouri | $51,038 |
| 46 | Georgia | $53,742 |
| 47 | Alabama | $56,271 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $55,475 |
| 49 | Texas | $49,053 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $48,194 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $45,093 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research scientists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research scientists 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