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The average salary for a Production Scientist is $77,464 per year, with hourly wages around $37. Salaries in this field can vary significantly based on experience, industry, and geographic location. For example, entry-level positions may start lower, while those with advanced skills and experience can command salaries above the average.
In terms of location, states such as California and Massachusetts often offer higher salaries due to the concentration of biotech and pharmaceutical companies. It's also beneficial to note that the demand for Production Scientists is growing, especially in sectors focused on innovative product development.
Understanding how salaries differ by state can guide job seekers in their career decisions. States like California and New York typically have the highest salaries for Production Scientists, while regions with less demand may offer lower compensation. Additionally, industry specialization can influence earnings, with scientists in pharmaceuticals often earning more than those in other sectors.
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The highest-paying states for production scientists are California, Tennessee, and Connecticut. The lowest average production scientist salary states are Utah, Washington, and Alaska.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,245 | $45.79 |
| 2 | Delaware | $74,460 | $35.80 |
| 3 | Indiana | $69,944 | $33.63 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $69,407 | $33.37 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $78,222 | $37.61 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $78,979 | $37.97 |
| 7 | Maine | $68,807 | $33.08 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $82,182 | $39.51 |
| 9 | Maryland | $65,791 | $31.63 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $66,872 | $32.15 |
| 11 | Arizona | $71,845 | $34.54 |
| 12 | Nevada | $74,619 | $35.87 |
| 13 | Virginia | $63,517 | $30.54 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $63,866 | $30.70 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $58,310 | $28.03 |
| 16 | Vermont | $56,651 | $27.24 |
| 17 | New York | $62,389 | $29.99 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $71,741 | $34.49 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $57,438 | $27.61 |
| 20 | Ohio | $54,203 | $26.06 |
| 21 | Oregon | $56,090 | $26.97 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $59,699 | $28.70 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $49,819 | $23.95 |
| 24 | Illinois | $51,081 | $24.56 |
| 25 | Michigan | $52,437 | $25.21 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $53,262 | $25.61 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $47,993 | $23.07 |
| 28 | Georgia | $53,682 | $25.81 |
| 29 | Florida | $55,969 | $26.91 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $61,092 | $29.37 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $50,276 | $24.17 |
| 32 | Missouri | $49,867 | $23.97 |
| 33 | Texas | $51,907 | $24.96 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $50,500 | $24.28 |
| 35 | Colorado | $50,383 | $24.22 |
| 36 | Alabama | $50,116 | $24.09 |
| 37 | Montana | $50,193 | $24.13 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $50,608 | $24.33 |
| 39 | Kansas | $43,161 | $20.75 |
| 40 | Idaho | $44,907 | $21.59 |
| 41 | Utah | $41,942 | $20.16 |
| 42 | Washington | $40,958 | $19.69 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $44,988 | $21.63 |
| 44 | Iowa | $34,523 | $16.60 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $39,331 | $18.91 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $45,746 | $21.99 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $42,582 | $20.47 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $43,741 | $21.03 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $35,455 | $17.05 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $44,901 | $21.59 |
| 51 | Alaska | $40,006 | $19.23 |
The highest-paying cities for production scientists are South San Francisco, CA, Newark, NJ, and Portland, ME.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South San Francisco, CA | $98,839 | $47.52 |
| 2 | Newark, NJ | $78,127 | $37.56 |
| 3 | Portland, ME | $70,333 | $33.81 |
| 4 | Cambridge, MA | $69,287 | $33.31 |
| 5 | Reading, PA | $67,245 | $32.33 |
| 6 | Frederick, MD | $65,218 | $31.35 |
| 7 | Eugene, OR | $60,415 | $29.05 |
| 8 | Durham, NC | $58,591 | $28.17 |
| 9 | Buffalo, NY | $56,750 | $27.28 |
| 10 | Cleveland, OH | $55,388 | $26.63 |
| 11 | Chaska, MN | $53,286 | $25.62 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $52,577 | $25.28 |
| 13 | Urbana, IL | $52,351 | $25.17 |
| 14 | Saint Louis, MO | $51,656 | $24.83 |
| 15 | Aurora, CO | $50,031 | $24.05 |
| 16 | Milwaukee, WI | $48,616 | $23.37 |
| 17 | Seattle, WA | $41,010 | $19.72 |
| 18 | Fargo, ND | $36,125 | $17.37 |
A production scientist's salary ranges from $48,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $124,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $124,000 | $10,333 | $60 |
| 75th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| Average | $77,464 | $6,455 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| 10th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
The highest paying types of production scientists are senior scientist, scientist, and staff 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 |
| Chemical Technician | $42,584 | $3,549 | $20.47 | 40,191 |
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Research And Development Chemist | $77,233 | $6,436 | $37.13 | 100,225 |
Top companies hiring production scientists now:
Production scientist salaries at Beckman Coulter and Baker Hughes are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average production scientist salary at companies like Integrated DNA Technologies and Illumina are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beckman Coulter | $111,464 | $53.59 |
| 2 | Baker Hughes | $103,371 | $49.70 |
| 3 | Integrated DNA Technologies | $99,569 | $47.87 |
| 4 | Illumina | $99,304 | $47.74 |
| 5 | Promega | $95,632 | $45.98 |
| 6 | Exact Sciences | $95,630 | $45.98 |
| 7 | Weatherford International | $89,499 | $43.03 |
| 8 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | $88,335 | $42.47 |
| 9 | Aldevron | $85,008 | $40.87 |
| 10 | Sigma-Aldrich | $80,372 | $38.64 |
| 11 | Opus One Winery | $79,725 | $38.33 |
| 12 | EMD Millipore | $76,883 | $36.96 |
| 13 | Life Tech International | $72,542 | $34.88 |
| 14 | Flagship Pioneering | $70,973 | $34.12 |
| 15 | Sana Biotechnology | $68,415 | $32.89 |
| 16 | Adaptive Biotechnologies | $65,000 | $31.25 |
| 17 | DSM Services USA Inc | $64,869 | $31.19 |
| 18 | Eurofins | $64,211 | $30.87 |
| 19 | Alloy Therapeutics | $64,175 | $30.85 |
| 20 | Sanofi US | $62,146 | $29.88 |
The average production scientist salary has risen by $13,019 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average production scientist earned $64,445 annually, but today, they earn $77,464 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for production scientists over the last decade.
Compare production scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare production scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $77,500 | $37.24 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | $75,200 | $36.14 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $71,800 | $34.52 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $69,500 | $33.41 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $68,200 | $32.77 | -2.1% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole-Parmer Instrument Company | Scientist I, Production | North Charleston, SC | 06/23/2025 | $41,740 |
| Twist Bioscience | Staff Bioinformatics Production Scientist | South San Francisco, CA | 06/21/2025 | $160,314 |
| Danaher | Scientist I Production Operations | Chaska, MN | 06/19/2025 | $60,000 |
| Beckman Coulter | Scientist I Production Operations | Chaska, MN | 06/19/2025 | $60,000 |
| Cole-Parmer Instrument Company | Scientist I, Production | Raleigh, NC | 06/16/2025 | $41,740 |
| Cole-Parmer Instrument Company | Scientist, Production | Buffalo, NY | 06/16/2025 | $50,000 |
| Cole-Parmer Instrument Company | Scientist, Production | Buffalo, NY | 05/03/2025 | $50,000 |
| Twist Bioscience | Staff Bioinformatics Production Scientist | South San Francisco, CA | 05/03/2025 | $160,314 |
| The Boston Beer Company | Production Sensory Scientist | Cincinnati, OH | 04/28/2025 | $61,100 |
| Twist Bioscience | Staff Bioinformatics Production Scientist | South San Francisco, CA | 04/28/2025 | $160,314 |
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