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Best states for a research staff member
Quoted expert
Don Snyder
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It seems like research staff members are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for research staff members aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. In fact, our research shows that Rhode Island is the best state for research staff members in America. The best city in America for research staff members with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for research staff members. Rhode Island is the best state for research staff members, where the median salary is $137,291.If you are currently seeking employment as a research staff member, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for research staff members in 2025
1. Rhode Island
Total research staff member jobs: 281 Average annual salary: $137,291 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $200,000 Location Quotient: 1.32. Maine
Total research staff member jobs: 347 Average annual salary: $126,271 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 1.473. Delaware
Total research staff member jobs: 289 Average annual salary: $132,237 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 1.294. Connecticut
Total research staff member jobs: 514 Average annual salary: $156,375 Lowest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $223,000 Location Quotient: 0.875. New Jersey
Total research staff member jobs: 1,636 Average annual salary: $123,274 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.166. California
Total research staff member jobs: 7,819 Average annual salary: $119,060 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 1.57. Indiana
Total research staff member jobs: 898 Average annual salary: $132,325 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 0.778. Tennessee
Total research staff member jobs: 927 Average annual salary: $111,410 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 0.899. Ohio
Total research staff member jobs: 1,652 Average annual salary: $108,879 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 0.9110. Minnesota
Total research staff member jobs: 1,134 Average annual salary: $110,595 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
Research staff member jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research staff member
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research staff member
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $137,291 | $94,000 | 1,059,639 | 281 |
| 2 | Maine | $126,271 | $85,000 | 1,335,907 | 347 |
| 3 | Delaware | $132,237 | $90,000 | 961,939 | 289 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $156,375 | $109,000 | 3,588,184 | 514 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $123,274 | $84,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,636 |
| 6 | California | $119,060 | $82,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,819 |
| 7 | Indiana | $132,325 | $91,000 | 6,666,818 | 898 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $111,410 | $77,000 | 6,715,984 | 927 |
| 9 | Ohio | $108,879 | $74,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,652 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $110,595 | $76,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,134 |
| 11 | Arizona | $111,213 | $77,000 | 7,016,270 | 921 |
| 12 | Vermont | $104,698 | $70,000 | 623,657 | 204 |
| 13 | Montana | $113,791 | $79,000 | 1,050,493 | 163 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $107,491 | $72,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,435 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $100,865 | $68,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,819 |
| 16 | Washington | $104,842 | $73,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,819 |
| 17 | Oregon | $102,248 | $71,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,405 |
| 18 | Alaska | $114,854 | $86,000 | 739,795 | 103 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $107,841 | $73,000 | 5,795,483 | 703 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $98,269 | $66,000 | 1,342,795 | 456 |
| 21 | Michigan | $100,882 | $68,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,203 |
| 22 | Colorado | $104,297 | $72,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,022 |
| 23 | Maryland | $113,639 | $77,000 | 6,052,177 | 764 |
| 24 | Nevada | $101,882 | $70,000 | 2,998,039 | 314 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $92,900 | $64,000 | 869,666 | 227 |
| 26 | New York | $107,324 | $73,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,825 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $103,516 | $70,000 | 693,972 | 296 |
| 28 | Illinois | $96,416 | $65,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,152 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $95,992 | $67,000 | 579,315 | 84 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $87,091 | $60,000 | 755,393 | 212 |
| 31 | Virginia | $95,125 | $65,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,447 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $93,314 | $64,000 | 3,930,864 | 383 |
| 33 | Iowa | $93,763 | $64,000 | 3,145,711 | 413 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $92,234 | $64,000 | 3,004,279 | 312 |
| 35 | Texas | $86,160 | $59,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,380 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $91,549 | $62,000 | 4,454,189 | 388 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $87,878 | $60,000 | 1,815,857 | 203 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $89,483 | $62,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,316 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $85,286 | $59,000 | 2,088,070 | 307 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $76,768 | $53,000 | 1,920,076 | 380 |
| 41 | Idaho | $86,517 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 223 |
| 42 | Missouri | $77,687 | $53,000 | 6,113,532 | 942 |
| 43 | Alabama | $86,494 | $59,000 | 4,874,747 | 515 |
| 44 | Kansas | $84,138 | $58,000 | 2,913,123 | 384 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $65,726 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 188 |
| 46 | Florida | $76,641 | $51,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,383 |
| 47 | Utah | $66,834 | $46,000 | 3,101,833 | 567 |
| 48 | Georgia | $71,488 | $49,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,437 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $69,914 | $48,000 | 4,684,333 | 434 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $72,270 | $49,000 | 2,984,100 | 210 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $71,099 | $49,000 | 5,024,369 | 439 |
Highest paying states for research staff members
| Rank | State | Avg. Research Staff Member Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $137,291 |
| 2 | Maine | $126,271 |
| 3 | Delaware | $132,237 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $156,375 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $123,274 |
| 6 | California | $119,060 |
| 7 | Indiana | $132,325 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $111,410 |
| 9 | Ohio | $108,879 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $110,595 |
| 11 | Arizona | $111,213 |
| 12 | Vermont | $104,698 |
| 13 | Montana | $113,791 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $107,491 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $100,865 |
| 16 | Washington | $104,842 |
| 17 | Oregon | $102,248 |
| 18 | Alaska | $114,854 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $107,841 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $98,269 |
| 21 | Michigan | $100,882 |
| 22 | Colorado | $104,297 |
| 23 | Maryland | $113,639 |
| 24 | Nevada | $101,882 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $92,900 |
| 26 | New York | $107,324 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $103,516 |
| 28 | Illinois | $96,416 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $95,992 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $87,091 |
| 31 | Virginia | $95,125 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $93,314 |
| 33 | Iowa | $93,763 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $92,234 |
| 35 | Texas | $86,160 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $91,549 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $87,878 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $89,483 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $85,286 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $76,768 |
| 41 | Idaho | $86,517 |
| 42 | Missouri | $77,687 |
| 43 | Alabama | $86,494 |
| 44 | Kansas | $84,138 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $65,726 |
| 46 | Florida | $76,641 |
| 47 | Utah | $66,834 |
| 48 | Georgia | $71,488 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $69,914 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $72,270 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $71,099 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research staff members
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research staff members 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