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Best states for a research scientist lead
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 scientist lead 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 scientist leads, while California and Alaska are ranked highest in terms of median salary. California has a median salary of $138,120 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for research scientist leads.
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 scientist leads.We found that California is the best state for research scientist lead jobs, whereas Louisiana is the worst.
10 best states for research scientist leads in 2025
1. California
Total research scientist lead jobs: 6,096 Average annual salary: $138,120 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $215,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
2. Alaska
Total research scientist lead jobs: 159 Average annual salary: $119,521 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
3. Montana
Total research scientist lead jobs: 317 Average annual salary: $104,921 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.76
4. Rhode Island
Total research scientist lead jobs: 225 Average annual salary: $116,751 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
5. Nevada
Total research scientist lead jobs: 488 Average annual salary: $106,433 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
6. New Jersey
Total research scientist lead jobs: 1,710 Average annual salary: $113,025 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
7. Maine
Total research scientist lead jobs: 195 Average annual salary: $105,940 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
8. Connecticut
Total research scientist lead jobs: 519 Average annual salary: $104,179 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1
9. Michigan
Total research scientist lead jobs: 2,005 Average annual salary: $88,724 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
10. Minnesota
Total research scientist lead jobs: 944 Average annual salary: $104,585 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
Research scientist lead jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research scientist lead
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research scientist lead
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $138,120 | $88,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,096 |
| 2 | Alaska | $119,521 | $77,000 | 739,795 | 159 |
| 3 | Montana | $104,921 | $65,000 | 1,050,493 | 317 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $116,751 | $82,000 | 1,059,639 | 225 |
| 5 | Nevada | $106,433 | $65,000 | 2,998,039 | 488 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $113,025 | $78,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,710 |
| 7 | Maine | $105,940 | $76,000 | 1,335,907 | 195 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $104,179 | $72,000 | 3,588,184 | 519 |
| 9 | Michigan | $88,724 | $59,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,005 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $104,585 | $69,000 | 5,576,606 | 944 |
| 11 | Delaware | $97,894 | $67,000 | 961,939 | 230 |
| 12 | Oregon | $95,759 | $58,000 | 4,142,776 | 788 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $91,808 | $65,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,372 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $90,049 | $61,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,109 |
| 15 | Vermont | $88,784 | $63,000 | 623,657 | 160 |
| 16 | New York | $99,279 | $69,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,720 |
| 17 | Virginia | $89,049 | $60,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,771 |
| 18 | Idaho | $80,189 | $48,000 | 1,716,943 | 440 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $98,425 | $72,000 | 1,427,538 | 124 |
| 20 | Indiana | $91,320 | $60,000 | 6,666,818 | 646 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $84,808 | $60,000 | 1,342,795 | 283 |
| 22 | Washington | $93,155 | $57,000 | 7,405,743 | 925 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $85,404 | $55,000 | 6,715,984 | 730 |
| 24 | Arizona | $87,610 | $53,000 | 7,016,270 | 718 |
| 25 | Maryland | $86,951 | $59,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,001 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $70,820 | $45,000 | 869,666 | 298 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $77,959 | $48,000 | 579,315 | 93 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $81,943 | $54,000 | 1,815,857 | 169 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $79,311 | $52,000 | 5,795,483 | 689 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $69,354 | $42,000 | 2,088,070 | 512 |
| 31 | Ohio | $78,322 | $52,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,174 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $71,573 | $45,000 | 3,004,279 | 455 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $74,347 | $49,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,499 |
| 34 | Colorado | $76,551 | $47,000 | 5,607,154 | 890 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $71,145 | $44,000 | 3,930,864 | 576 |
| 36 | Illinois | $77,546 | $51,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,745 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $65,502 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 527 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $70,632 | $46,000 | 755,393 | 136 |
| 39 | Kansas | $64,781 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 615 |
| 40 | Texas | $70,694 | $43,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,463 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $79,670 | $54,000 | 693,972 | 148 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $70,523 | $46,000 | 4,454,189 | 286 |
| 43 | Florida | $67,583 | $42,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,836 |
| 44 | Utah | $62,647 | $37,000 | 3,101,833 | 469 |
| 45 | Iowa | $65,955 | $42,000 | 3,145,711 | 306 |
| 46 | Georgia | $65,007 | $41,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,098 |
| 47 | Missouri | $54,492 | $35,000 | 6,113,532 | 844 |
| 48 | Alabama | $63,357 | $40,000 | 4,874,747 | 277 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $62,842 | $39,000 | 2,984,100 | 156 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $60,786 | $39,000 | 5,024,369 | 382 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $55,628 | $34,000 | 4,684,333 | 262 |
Highest paying states for research scientist leads
| Rank | State | Avg. Research Scientist Lead Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $138,120 |
| 2 | Alaska | $119,521 |
| 3 | Montana | $104,921 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $116,751 |
| 5 | Nevada | $106,433 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $113,025 |
| 7 | Maine | $105,940 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $104,179 |
| 9 | Michigan | $88,724 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $104,585 |
| 11 | Delaware | $97,894 |
| 12 | Oregon | $95,759 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $91,808 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $90,049 |
| 15 | Vermont | $88,784 |
| 16 | New York | $99,279 |
| 17 | Virginia | $89,049 |
| 18 | Idaho | $80,189 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $98,425 |
| 20 | Indiana | $91,320 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $84,808 |
| 22 | Washington | $93,155 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $85,404 |
| 24 | Arizona | $87,610 |
| 25 | Maryland | $86,951 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $70,820 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $77,959 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $81,943 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $79,311 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $69,354 |
| 31 | Ohio | $78,322 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $71,573 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $74,347 |
| 34 | Colorado | $76,551 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $71,145 |
| 36 | Illinois | $77,546 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $65,502 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $70,632 |
| 39 | Kansas | $64,781 |
| 40 | Texas | $70,694 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $79,670 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $70,523 |
| 43 | Florida | $67,583 |
| 44 | Utah | $62,647 |
| 45 | Iowa | $65,955 |
| 46 | Georgia | $65,007 |
| 47 | Missouri | $54,492 |
| 48 | Alabama | $63,357 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $62,842 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $60,786 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $55,628 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research scientist leads
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research scientist leads 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