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Associate scientist salary
Average associate scientist salary
$76,461
Understanding the Associate Scientist Salary
The average salary for an Associate Scientist in the United States stands at $76,461 per year. This figure represents a significant opportunity for those entering the scientific field. The salary can vary based on several factors, including location, experience, and specific industry requirements.
Salary Variation by State
States like California and New York often offer higher salaries, reflecting the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. For instance, an Associate Scientist in California may earn upwards of $90,000, whereas opportunities in less populated areas may average around $70,000.
Industry Impact on Earnings
Industries such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology tend to offer competitive compensation packages. Additionally, roles in government research institutions may provide benefits such as job security and retirement plans, which are attractive to many professionals.
Maximizing Your Potential
As you pursue a career as an Associate Scientist, consider seeking roles that not only match your salary expectations but also align with your career ambitions. Networking and continuous education can further enhance your opportunities in this evolving field.
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Where can an Associate Scientist earn more?
Associate scientist salary estimates from across the web
Average associate scientist salary by state
The highest-paying states for associate scientists are California, Hawaii, and Tennessee. The lowest average associate scientist salary states are Mississippi, South Carolina, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for associate scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $105,857 | $50.89 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $82,031 | $39.44 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $101,669 | $48.88 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $83,215 | $40.01 |
| 5 | Maine | $85,901 | $41.30 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $81,189 | $39.03 |
| 7 | Delaware | $77,635 | $37.32 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $90,709 | $43.61 |
| 9 | Washington | $79,319 | $38.13 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $76,454 | $36.76 |
| 11 | Nevada | $85,189 | $40.96 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $80,341 | $38.63 |
| 13 | Maryland | $77,160 | $37.10 |
| 14 | Alaska | $79,305 | $38.13 |
| 15 | Arizona | $81,077 | $38.98 |
| 16 | Oregon | $75,898 | $36.49 |
| 17 | Montana | $72,404 | $34.81 |
| 18 | Indiana | $77,888 | $37.45 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $72,618 | $34.91 |
| 20 | Illinois | $74,470 | $35.80 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $70,741 | $34.01 |
| 22 | New York | $71,376 | $34.32 |
| 23 | Michigan | $70,161 | $33.73 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $67,288 | $32.35 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $72,194 | $34.71 |
| 26 | Virginia | $66,888 | $32.16 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $67,079 | $32.25 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $64,187 | $30.86 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $69,257 | $33.30 |
| 30 | Ohio | $65,484 | $31.48 |
| 31 | Utah | $62,486 | $30.04 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $66,884 | $32.16 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $60,322 | $29.00 |
| 34 | Colorado | $66,178 | $31.82 |
| 35 | Vermont | $61,641 | $29.64 |
| 36 | Iowa | $62,940 | $30.26 |
| 37 | Idaho | $61,791 | $29.71 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $62,898 | $30.24 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $57,080 | $27.44 |
| 40 | Florida | $61,939 | $29.78 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $61,209 | $29.43 |
| 42 | Alabama | $60,832 | $29.25 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $58,341 | $28.05 |
| 44 | Texas | $56,491 | $27.16 |
| 45 | Georgia | $60,522 | $29.10 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $50,164 | $24.12 |
| 47 | Kansas | $53,821 | $25.88 |
| 48 | Missouri | $48,757 | $23.44 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $54,211 | $26.06 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $55,187 | $26.53 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $53,984 | $25.95 |
Highest paying cities for associate scientists
The highest-paying cities for associate scientists are San Francisco, CA, Newark, NJ, and New Haven, CT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $113,839 | $54.73 |
| 2 | Newark, NJ | $82,166 | $39.50 |
| 3 | New Haven, CT | $81,252 | $39.06 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $80,191 | $38.55 |
| 5 | Newark, DE | $77,660 | $37.34 |
| 6 | Bloomington, IN | $77,405 | $37.21 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $77,347 | $37.19 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $76,510 | $36.78 |
| 9 | North Chicago, IL | $74,853 | $35.99 |
| 10 | Bartlesville, OK | $72,118 | $34.67 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $71,430 | $34.34 |
| 12 | Madison, WI | $70,520 | $33.90 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $67,450 | $32.43 |
| 14 | Boulder, CO | $66,089 | $31.77 |
| 15 | Durham, NC | $64,597 | $31.06 |
| 16 | Ames, IA | $62,850 | $30.22 |
| 17 | Miami, FL | $61,998 | $29.81 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $60,677 | $29.17 |
| 19 | Houston, TX | $56,365 | $27.10 |
| 20 | Columbia, SC | $54,343 | $26.13 |
Associate Scientists are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Associate scientist salary details
An associate scientist's salary ranges from $53,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $109,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an associate scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $109,000 | $9,083 | $52 |
| 75th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| Average | $76,461 | $6,372 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
Highest paying associate scientist jobs
The highest paying types of associate scientists are medical science liaison, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Chemical Technician | $42,584 | $3,549 | $20.47 | 40,191 |
| Quality Control Analyst | $59,217 | $4,935 | $28.47 | 85,546 |
| Quality Control Chemist | $58,892 | $4,908 | $28.31 | 90,467 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for associate scientists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Howard Whiteman
Professor of Biological Sciences, Director of the Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University
Top companies hiring associate scientists now:
Which companies pay associate scientists the most?
Associate scientist salaries at Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average associate scientist salary at companies like The Art Institute of Chicago and 10x Genomics are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phillips 66 | $131,676 | $63.31 |
| 2 | ConocoPhillips | $115,585 | $55.57 |
| 3 | The Art Institute of Chicago | $110,037 | $52.90 |
| 4 | 10x Genomics | $104,756 | $50.36 |
| 5 | Theranos | $103,441 | $49.73 |
| 6 | Parsons | $102,907 | $49.47 |
| 7 | Genentech | $101,944 | $49.01 |
| 8 | PRO Unlimited | $101,785 | $48.94 |
| 9 | Koch Industries | $99,583 | $47.88 |
| 10 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $98,475 | $47.34 |
| 11 | Brookhaven National Laboratory | $98,347 | $47.28 |
| 12 | The Kraft Group | $96,035 | $46.17 |
| 13 | Natera | $95,972 | $46.14 |
| 14 | OMNOVA Solutions | $94,049 | $45.22 |
| 15 | The Dow Chemical Company | $93,536 | $44.97 |
| 16 | Editas Medicine | $93,248 | $44.83 |
| 17 | Sony Electronics | $93,230 | $44.82 |
| 18 | Quidel | $93,151 | $44.78 |
| 19 | Biogen | $92,032 | $44.25 |
| 20 | Sutro Biopharma | $91,948 | $44.21 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Associate Scientist salary by industry
The average associate scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average associate scientist salary in the manufacturing industry is $80,987, the highest of any industry.
- The average associate scientist salary in the finance industry is $79,184.
- Associate scientists in the finance industry earn an average salary of $73,779, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for associate scientists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $80,987 | $38.94 |
| 2 | Health Care | $79,184 | $38.07 |
| 3 | Pharmaceutical | $77,437 | $37.23 |
| 4 | Finance | $73,779 | $35.47 |
High paying associate scientist jobs
Associate scientist salary trends
The average associate scientist salary has risen by $12,851 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average associate scientist earned $63,610 annually, but today, they earn $76,461 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for associate scientists over the last decade.
Compare associate scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average associate scientist salary over time
Compare associate scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Associate scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $76,500 | $36.76 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $74,200 | $35.67 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $70,900 | $34.07 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $68,600 | $32.98 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $67,300 | $32.35 | -2.1% |
Recently added associate scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresenius Kabi USA | Associate Scientist-2Nd Shift | Grand Island, NY | 06/28/2025 | $44,871 |
| Erm | Consulting Associate, Scientist | Irvine, CA | 06/28/2025 | $61,299 |
| Actalent | Associate Scientist-Data Reviewer | Coral Springs, FL | 06/28/2025 | $66,784 |
| Actalent | Associate Scientist | Osceola, AR | 06/27/2025 | $49,000 |
| Bristol Myers Squibb | Associate Direc. Patient Safety Scientist | Princeton, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $150,300 |
| Kelly Services | Associate Scientist | Northbrook, IL | 06/24/2025 | $73,045 |
| Asahi Kasei America | Associate Scientist I | Fremont, CA | 06/24/2025 | $70,000 |
| Weston Solutions Holdings, Inc. | Associate Scientist or Geoscientist | Edison, NJ | 06/23/2025 | $44,485 |
| Evotec Se | Associate Scientist, Purification | Seattle, WA | 06/23/2025 | $78,000 |
| Parsons | Associate Scientist | Syracuse, NY | 06/20/2025 | $45,664 |
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