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Lead scientist salary
Average lead scientist salary
$110,028
Lead Scientist Salary Overview
The average salary for a Lead Scientist is $110,028 per year. This figure represents a competitive compensation package, reflecting the expertise required in this role. Salaries can range from $80,000 to $150,000, depending on various factors including geographical location, years of experience, and industry demand.
Geographical Influence
Lead Scientists in states like California, Massachusetts, and New York often earn more due to higher living costs and demand for skilled professionals. For example, California offers some of the highest salaries, often exceeding $120,000 annually.
Industry Variations
Different sectors pay varying amounts for this role. For instance, pharmaceutical companies typically offer higher salaries than academic institutions. As companies compete for top talent, understanding these dynamics can help job seekers target their applications effectively.
Experience Matters
Entry-level positions might start at about $80,000, while seasoned professionals with specialized expertise can command salaries well above $130,000. Continuous learning and skill enhancement are key strategies for advancing in this field.
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Where can a Lead Scientist earn more?
Lead scientist salary estimates from across the web
Average lead scientist salary by state
The average lead scientist salary in Tennessee, California, and Nevada are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average lead scientist salary states are North Dakota, Louisiana, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lead scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | $119,115 | $57.27 |
| 2 | Nevada | $122,055 | $58.68 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $110,069 | $52.92 |
| 4 | California | $137,550 | $66.13 |
| 5 | Alaska | $107,517 | $51.69 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $108,741 | $52.28 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $112,532 | $54.10 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $115,084 | $55.33 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $138,783 | $66.72 |
| 10 | Maine | $112,012 | $53.85 |
| 11 | Indiana | $119,111 | $57.26 |
| 12 | Delaware | $107,247 | $51.56 |
| 13 | Arizona | $117,430 | $56.46 |
| 14 | New York | $104,216 | $50.10 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $103,092 | $49.56 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $95,654 | $45.99 |
| 17 | Michigan | $92,084 | $44.27 |
| 18 | Oregon | $102,477 | $49.27 |
| 19 | Illinois | $100,510 | $48.32 |
| 20 | Maryland | $99,366 | $47.77 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $89,082 | $42.83 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $90,141 | $43.34 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $91,146 | $43.82 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $87,969 | $42.29 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $104,948 | $50.46 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $86,291 | $41.49 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $93,715 | $45.06 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $92,620 | $44.53 |
| 29 | Vermont | $94,052 | $45.22 |
| 30 | Ohio | $91,882 | $44.17 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $93,715 | $45.06 |
| 32 | Virginia | $92,014 | $44.24 |
| 33 | Missouri | $85,222 | $40.97 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $87,483 | $42.06 |
| 35 | Texas | $89,385 | $42.97 |
| 36 | Colorado | $92,160 | $44.31 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $84,175 | $40.47 |
| 38 | Idaho | $80,939 | $38.91 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $87,430 | $42.03 |
| 40 | Kansas | $80,875 | $38.88 |
| 41 | Washington | $83,609 | $40.20 |
| 42 | Alabama | $85,204 | $40.96 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $78,821 | $37.89 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $82,633 | $39.73 |
| 45 | Florida | $81,642 | $39.25 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $78,999 | $37.98 |
| 47 | Utah | $75,871 | $36.48 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $77,350 | $37.19 |
| 49 | Georgia | $76,275 | $36.67 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $73,601 | $35.39 |
| 51 | Iowa | $65,266 | $31.38 |
Highest paying cities for lead scientists
The highest-paying cities for lead scientists are Santa Cruz, CA, Memphis, TN, and Tempe, AZ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Cruz, CA | $146,513 | $70.44 |
| 2 | Memphis, TN | $137,850 | $66.27 |
| 3 | Tempe, AZ | $117,446 | $56.46 |
| 4 | Minneapolis, MN | $110,002 | $52.89 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $108,798 | $52.31 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $104,988 | $50.48 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $104,261 | $50.13 |
| 8 | Skokie, IL | $101,006 | $48.56 |
| 9 | Pittsburgh, PA | $94,688 | $45.52 |
| 10 | Neenah, WI | $92,702 | $44.57 |
| 11 | Manassas, VA | $92,324 | $44.39 |
| 12 | Boulder, CO | $92,026 | $44.24 |
| 13 | Kalamazoo, MI | $91,786 | $44.13 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $89,672 | $43.11 |
| 15 | Albuquerque, NM | $88,291 | $42.45 |
| 16 | Durham, NC | $87,932 | $42.27 |
| 17 | Seattle, WA | $84,154 | $40.46 |
| 18 | Miramar, FL | $81,603 | $39.23 |
| 19 | Wichita, KS | $80,896 | $38.89 |
| 20 | Lake Charles, LA | $78,123 | $37.56 |
Lead scientist salary details
A lead scientist's salary ranges from $78,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $153,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lead scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $153,000 | $12,750 | $74 |
| 75th Percentile | $131,000 | $10,917 | $63 |
| Average | $110,028 | $9,169 | $53 |
| 25th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| 10th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
Highest paying lead scientist jobs
The highest paying types of lead 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 |
| Quality Control Analyst | $59,217 | $4,935 | $28.47 | 85,546 |
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Quality Control Chemist | $58,892 | $4,908 | $28.31 | 90,467 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Research And Development Chemist | $77,233 | $6,436 | $37.13 | 100,225 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for lead 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 lead scientists now:
Which companies pay lead scientists the most?
Lead scientist salaries at PayPal and Amazon are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lead scientist salary at companies like Chevron and Exelixis are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PayPal | $163,399 | $78.56 |
| 2 | Amazon | $151,975 | $73.06 |
| 3 | Chevron | $144,269 | $69.36 |
| 4 | Exelixis | $128,482 | $61.77 |
| 5 | CyberCoders | $127,927 | $61.50 |
| 6 | Target | $126,632 | $60.88 |
| 7 | Best Buy | $123,615 | $59.43 |
| 8 | Envision | $123,265 | $59.26 |
| 9 | FICO | $122,923 | $59.10 |
| 10 | Complete Genomics | $120,507 | $57.94 |
| 11 | General Electric | $120,503 | $57.93 |
| 12 | Systems & Technology Research | $120,430 | $57.90 |
| 13 | STR Holdings | $119,764 | $57.58 |
| 14 | NatureWorks | $118,259 | $56.86 |
| 15 | Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings | $116,419 | $55.97 |
| 16 | Novozymes | $116,383 | $55.95 |
| 17 | Visa | $115,934 | $55.74 |
| 18 | Amgen | $114,715 | $55.15 |
| 19 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $114,021 | $54.82 |
| 20 | Kinsley Power Systems | $113,478 | $54.56 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lead scientist salary trends
The average lead scientist salary has risen by $18,492 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead scientist earned $91,536 annually, but today, they earn $110,028 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for lead scientists over the last decade.
Compare lead scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lead scientist salary over time
Compare lead scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lead scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $110,000 | $52.90 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | $107,000 | $51.33 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $102,000 | $49.03 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $98,700 | $47.45 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $96,800 | $46.55 | -2.1% |
Recently added lead scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exelixis | Scientist III-Lead Discovery | Alameda, CA | 06/30/2025 | $89,500 |
| Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. | Algorithm Scientist Technical Lead | Fremont, CA | 06/27/2025 | $130,000 |
| Kerry | Scientist/Panel Leader | Beloit, WI | 06/24/2025 | $75,602 |
| Kerry | Scientist/Panel Leader | Beloit, KS | 06/21/2025 | $75,602 |
| Parsons | Bacterial Immunology Lead Scientist | Frederick, MD | 06/20/2025 | $128,700 |
| Kerry Ingredients and Flavours | Scientist/Panel Leader | Beloit, WI | 06/20/2025 | $75,602 |
| TRC Companies, Inc. | Wetland Scientist/Lead Wetland Delineator | Ithaca, NY | 06/19/2025 | $52,175 |
| Quantinuum | Lead Laser Scientist | Broomfield, CO | 06/18/2025 | $160,000 |
| Michael Baker | Wetland Scientist/Lead Wetland Delineator | Hamilton, NJ | 06/10/2025 | $120,000 |
| Wsp USA Buildings Inc. | Lead Climate Scientist | Louisville, KY | 06/10/2025 | $107,000 |
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