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Research specialist salary
Average research specialist salary
$52,662
Understanding Research Specialist Salaries
A Research Specialist typically earns an average salary of $52,662 annually. This figure varies based on several factors, including location, experience, and the industry in which they work. For instance, Research Specialists in metropolitan areas like San Francisco or New York may see higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for specialized skills.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions generally start lower, with salaries around $40,000, while experienced professionals can earn upwards of $70,000 annually. Factors such as advanced degrees and certifications also positively influence earning potential.
Highest Paying States
States like California, Massachusetts, and New York often report higher salaries for Research Specialists. These states offer robust job markets and competitive compensation packages.
Job Opportunities
Research Specialists can find employment in various sectors, including healthcare, education, and technology. Roles in research organizations and universities frequently offer the best opportunities for growth and advancement.
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Where can a Research Specialist earn more?
Research specialist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level research specialist | $33,000 | $15.89 |
| Mid-level research specialist | $55,800 | $26.83 |
| Senior-level research specialist | $91,400 | $43.94 |
Research specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average research specialist salary by state
The average research specialist salary in Washington, Delaware, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average research specialist salary states are Arizona, Louisiana, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for research specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $68,064 | $32.72 |
| 2 | Delaware | $74,145 | $35.65 |
| 3 | Washington | $82,662 | $39.74 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $65,133 | $31.31 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $61,459 | $29.55 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $59,858 | $28.78 |
| 7 | New York | $68,411 | $32.89 |
| 8 | Colorado | $61,613 | $29.62 |
| 9 | Maine | $63,598 | $30.58 |
| 10 | Michigan | $58,748 | $28.24 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $62,549 | $30.07 |
| 12 | Alaska | $69,301 | $33.32 |
| 13 | Utah | $55,671 | $26.76 |
| 14 | California | $59,139 | $28.43 |
| 15 | Idaho | $58,984 | $28.36 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $59,946 | $28.82 |
| 17 | Ohio | $56,853 | $27.33 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $52,870 | $25.42 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $52,379 | $25.18 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $50,520 | $24.29 |
| 21 | Texas | $54,473 | $26.19 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $50,167 | $24.12 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $49,689 | $23.89 |
| 24 | Iowa | $53,632 | $25.78 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $50,811 | $24.43 |
| 26 | Virginia | $53,927 | $25.93 |
| 27 | Indiana | $52,807 | $25.39 |
| 28 | Illinois | $52,281 | $25.14 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $48,623 | $23.38 |
| 30 | Vermont | $46,838 | $22.52 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $46,391 | $22.30 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $48,345 | $23.24 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $45,649 | $21.95 |
| 34 | Montana | $46,956 | $22.57 |
| 35 | Maryland | $52,679 | $25.33 |
| 36 | Florida | $47,873 | $23.02 |
| 37 | Nevada | $49,269 | $23.69 |
| 38 | Kansas | $48,225 | $23.19 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $48,320 | $23.23 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $47,405 | $22.79 |
| 41 | Missouri | $46,406 | $22.31 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $44,300 | $21.30 |
| 43 | Arizona | $43,563 | $20.94 |
| 44 | Georgia | $44,167 | $21.23 |
| 45 | Alabama | $44,184 | $21.24 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $41,977 | $20.18 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $44,035 | $21.17 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $42,170 | $20.27 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $42,843 | $20.60 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $38,396 | $18.46 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $36,671 | $17.63 |
Highest paying cities for research specialists
The highest-paying cities for research specialists are Seattle, WA, New York, NY, and Newark, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $83,399 | $40.10 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $68,352 | $32.86 |
| 3 | Newark, NJ | $65,360 | $31.42 |
| 4 | Berkeley, CA | $63,449 | $30.50 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $62,597 | $30.09 |
| 6 | Minneapolis, MN | $61,440 | $29.54 |
| 7 | New Haven, CT | $59,918 | $28.81 |
| 8 | Waltham, MA | $59,915 | $28.81 |
| 9 | East Lansing, MI | $58,762 | $28.25 |
| 10 | Ashburn, VA | $55,937 | $26.89 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $55,878 | $26.86 |
| 12 | Dallas, TX | $54,561 | $26.23 |
| 13 | Iowa City, IA | $53,328 | $25.64 |
| 14 | Baltimore, MD | $53,080 | $25.52 |
| 15 | Chapel Hill, NC | $52,766 | $25.37 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $52,559 | $25.27 |
| 17 | Philadelphia, PA | $50,758 | $24.40 |
| 18 | Memphis, TN | $48,242 | $23.19 |
| 19 | Madison, WI | $47,051 | $22.62 |
| 20 | Kansas City, MO | $46,776 | $22.49 |
Research specialist salary details
A research specialist's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $77,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a research specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $77,000 | $6,417 | $37 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| Average | $52,662 | $4,389 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying research specialist jobs
The highest paying types of research specialists are research leader, research scientist, and product specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Manager | $82,894 | $6,908 | $39.85 | 48,867 |
| Research Consultant | $83,492 | $6,958 | $40.14 | 61,865 |
| Market Research Analyst | $51,687 | $4,307 | $24.85 | 71,240 |
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Research Leader | $107,345 | $8,945 | $51.61 | 77,051 |
| Data Research Analyst | $57,865 | $4,822 | $27.82 | 135,144 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for research specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Heather Tanner Ph.D.
Associate Professor, The Ohio State University
Top companies hiring research specialists now:
Which companies pay research specialists the most?
Research specialist salaries at Novartis and SAS Institute are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average research specialist salary at companies like Bristol-Myers Squibb and Nike are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novartis | $108,330 | $52.08 |
| 2 | SAS Institute | $105,788 | $50.86 |
| 3 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $105,329 | $50.64 |
| 4 | Nike | $103,834 | $49.92 |
| 5 | Citi | $103,563 | $49.79 |
| 6 | MUFG EMEA | $99,970 | $48.06 |
| 7 | Brandywine Global Investment Management | $97,886 | $47.06 |
| 8 | BMO Capital Markets | $95,669 | $45.99 |
| 9 | Bose | $94,394 | $45.38 |
| 10 | Bayer | $94,318 | $45.35 |
| 11 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $94,259 | $45.32 |
| 12 | HSBC Bank | $93,653 | $45.03 |
| 13 | Morgan Stanley | $90,482 | $43.50 |
| 14 | Landesa | $90,207 | $43.37 |
| 15 | Aramco Services Company | $88,610 | $42.60 |
| 16 | Kimberly-Clark | $88,179 | $42.39 |
| 17 | Altice USA | $87,608 | $42.12 |
| 18 | Gillette | $87,185 | $41.92 |
| 19 | Nokia | $86,699 | $41.68 |
| 20 | The Dow Chemical Company | $84,812 | $40.77 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Research Specialist salary by industry
The average research specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average research specialist salary in the technology industry is $75,769, the highest of any industry.
- The average research specialist salary in the finance industry is $70,014.
- Research specialists in the education industry earn an average salary of $52,250, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for research specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $75,769 | $36.43 |
| 2 | Finance | $70,014 | $33.66 |
| 3 | Professional | $59,838 | $28.77 |
| 4 | Health Care | $56,300 | $27.07 |
| 5 | Education | $52,250 | $25.12 |
High paying research specialist jobs
Research specialist salary trends
The average research specialist salary has risen by $4,449 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average research specialist earned $48,213 annually, but today, they earn $52,662 a year. That works out to a 5% change in pay for research specialists over the last decade.
Compare research specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average research specialist salary over time
Compare research specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,700 | $25.32 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $51,000 | $24.54 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $50,500 | $24.28 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | $50,600 | $24.33 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $50,100 | $24.07 | +0.7% |
Recently added research specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Experienced Survey Research Specialist | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $113,900 |
| Bayer Cropscience Ltd. | Agronomic Research Specialist II (Field Nursery, Data/Workflow) | Kihei, HI | 06/30/2025 | $56,425 |
| Clemson University | Research Specialist | Clemson, SC | 06/30/2025 | $52,175 |
| University of Wisconsin Madison | Research Specialist-Biology of Aging | Madison, WI | 06/30/2025 | $45,000 |
| Working America Associa | Research and Analytics Specialist | Washington, DC | 06/29/2025 | $75,421 |
| Working America Associa | Research and Analytics Specialist | Philadelphia, PA | 06/29/2025 | $68,770 |
| Washington University In St. Louis | Research Specialist-Pathology & Immunology | Saint Louis, MO | 06/29/2025 | $43,888 |
| Perkinelmer | Research Specialist-Cell Culture | Boston, MA | 06/28/2025 | $58,240 |
| Dignity Health | Credit Research Specialist | Phoenix, AZ | 06/28/2025 | $37,566 |
| After School Matters | Research and Evaluation Specialist | Chicago, IL | 06/28/2025 | $60,000 |
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