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Research and development internship salary
Average research and development internship salary
$38,489
Average Research and Development Internship Salary
The average salary for a research and development internship is $38,489 per year or approximately $19 per hour. This figure can vary based on several factors, including location, industry, and the intern's level of education.
Salary by State
Interns in states such as California and New York typically earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled workers. Understanding these variances can help interns negotiate better pay.
Highest Paying Cities
Cities like San Francisco, Boston, and Seattle often feature the highest salaries for research and development interns. Interns in these metropolitan areas benefit from a concentration of leading firms in technology and life sciences.
Career Opportunities
Research and development internships provide essential hands-on experience, allowing interns to apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings. Many interns secure offers for full-time roles upon graduation, making these internships a strategic stepping stone in their careers.
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Where can a Research And Development Internship earn more?
Average research and development internship salary by state
The highest-paying states for research and development interns are Pennsylvania, Maine, and North Dakota. The lowest average research and development internship salary states are Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for research and development interns
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $46,596 | $22.40 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $44,216 | $21.26 |
| 3 | South Dakota | $40,957 | $19.69 |
| 4 | Arizona | $41,333 | $19.87 |
| 5 | Maine | $45,330 | $21.79 |
| 6 | Vermont | $39,927 | $19.20 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $39,134 | $18.81 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $39,167 | $18.83 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $39,398 | $18.94 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $42,489 | $20.43 |
| 11 | Oregon | $40,807 | $19.62 |
| 12 | Texas | $38,348 | $18.44 |
| 13 | Washington | $39,089 | $18.79 |
| 14 | Nevada | $39,615 | $19.05 |
| 15 | Indiana | $38,607 | $18.56 |
| 16 | Virginia | $41,545 | $19.97 |
| 17 | Alaska | $40,573 | $19.51 |
| 18 | Michigan | $37,133 | $17.85 |
| 19 | Idaho | $38,546 | $18.53 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $39,593 | $19.04 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $35,666 | $17.15 |
| 22 | Colorado | $39,835 | $19.15 |
| 23 | Montana | $36,456 | $17.53 |
| 24 | Missouri | $37,933 | $18.24 |
| 25 | Ohio | $36,298 | $17.45 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $38,107 | $18.32 |
| 27 | Connecticut | $38,862 | $18.68 |
| 28 | Iowa | $36,085 | $17.35 |
| 29 | Kansas | $35,534 | $17.08 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $35,317 | $16.98 |
| 31 | California | $36,511 | $17.55 |
| 32 | Illinois | $37,978 | $18.26 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $34,537 | $16.60 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $35,447 | $17.04 |
| 35 | Delaware | $35,332 | $16.99 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $33,682 | $16.19 |
| 37 | Georgia | $34,995 | $16.82 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $37,896 | $18.22 |
| 39 | Utah | $35,037 | $16.84 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $33,936 | $16.32 |
| 41 | New York | $36,017 | $17.32 |
| 42 | Massachusetts | $35,913 | $17.27 |
| 43 | Maryland | $35,940 | $17.28 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $33,896 | $16.30 |
| 45 | Florida | $31,996 | $15.38 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $30,745 | $14.78 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $33,274 | $16.00 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $32,801 | $15.77 |
| 49 | Alabama | $32,458 | $15.60 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $30,540 | $14.68 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $30,205 | $14.52 |
Highest paying cities for research and development interns
The highest-paying cities for research and development interns are Easton, PA, Tempe, AZ, and Eugene, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Easton, PA | $46,624 | $22.42 |
| 2 | Tempe, AZ | $41,354 | $19.88 |
| 3 | Eugene, OR | $40,770 | $19.60 |
| 4 | Fort Collins, CO | $40,205 | $19.33 |
| 5 | Bridgewater, NJ | $39,601 | $19.04 |
| 6 | Minneapolis, MN | $39,428 | $18.96 |
| 7 | Albuquerque, NM | $39,181 | $18.84 |
| 8 | Cumberland, RI | $39,111 | $18.80 |
| 9 | Danbury, CT | $38,912 | $18.71 |
| 10 | Buffalo Grove, IL | $38,203 | $18.37 |
| 11 | Houston, TX | $38,018 | $18.28 |
| 12 | Farmington Hills, MI | $37,137 | $17.85 |
| 13 | Davis, CA | $37,022 | $17.80 |
| 14 | New York, NY | $35,987 | $17.30 |
| 15 | Boston, MA | $35,845 | $17.23 |
| 16 | Topeka, KS | $35,670 | $17.15 |
| 17 | Mason, OH | $35,581 | $17.11 |
| 18 | Madison, WI | $35,313 | $16.98 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $35,123 | $16.89 |
| 20 | Salt Lake City, UT | $35,078 | $16.86 |
Research And Development Interns are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Research and development internship salary details
A research and development internship's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $47,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a research and development internship's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| 75th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| Average | $38,489 | $3,207 | $19 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying research and development internship jobs
The highest paying types of research and development interns are senior computer scientist, senior data scientist, and architect and developer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist | $106,104 | $8,842 | $51.01 | 106,973 |
| Computer Scientist | $103,238 | $8,603 | $49.63 | 59,802 |
| Information Systems Internship | $31,643 | $2,637 | $15.21 | 164,783 |
| Mobile Applications Developer | $99,257 | $8,271 | $47.72 | 252,254 |
| Co-Operations Internship | $39,256 | $3,271 | $18.87 | 108,625 |
| Programming Internship | $31,896 | $2,658 | $15.33 | 49,839 |
Top companies hiring research and development interns now:
Which companies pay research and development interns the most?
Research and development internship salaries at Sandia National Labs and BD are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average research and development internship salary at companies like Sesame Workshop and FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sandia National Labs | $55,398 | $26.63 |
| 2 | BD | $47,656 | $22.91 |
| 3 | Sesame Workshop | $46,335 | $22.28 |
| 4 | FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA | $46,304 | $22.26 |
| 5 | CONMED | $45,819 | $22.03 |
| 6 | PSEA | $45,752 | $22.00 |
| 7 | BNSF Railway | $45,411 | $21.83 |
| 8 | Marvin and | $44,736 | $21.51 |
| 9 | Finastra | $42,872 | $20.61 |
| 10 | Gillette | $42,741 | $20.55 |
| 11 | Formlabs | $42,492 | $20.43 |
| 12 | Terros Health | $42,383 | $20.38 |
| 13 | Mars | $42,108 | $20.24 |
| 14 | L3Harris | $41,952 | $20.17 |
| 15 | Coherent | $41,908 | $20.15 |
| 16 | Rheem Manufacturing | $41,779 | $20.09 |
| 17 | General Mills | $41,524 | $19.96 |
| 18 | Bioventus | $41,343 | $19.88 |
| 19 | Johnson & Johnson | $41,187 | $19.80 |
| 20 | Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc. | $41,038 | $19.73 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Research And Development Internship salary by industry
The average research and development internship salary varies across industries:
- The average research and development internship salary in the health care industry is $41,635, the highest of any industry.
- The average research and development internship salary in the finance industry is $41,293.
- Research and development interns in the retail industry earn an average salary of $36,275, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for research and development interns
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $41,635 | $20.02 |
| 2 | Technology | $41,293 | $19.85 |
| 3 | Pharmaceutical | $40,375 | $19.41 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $39,748 | $19.11 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $38,405 | $18.46 |
| 6 | Retail | $36,275 | $17.44 |
High paying research and development internship jobs
Research and development internship salary trends
The average research and development internship salary has risen by $7,424 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average research and development internship earned $31,065 annually, but today, they earn $38,489 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for research and development interns over the last decade.
Compare research and development internship salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average research and development internship salary over time
Compare research and development internship salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research and development internship salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,500 | $18.50 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $37,200 | $17.89 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $36,400 | $17.49 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $35,200 | $16.92 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $34,400 | $16.52 | +1.1% |
Recently added research and development internship salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABB Ltd. | R&D Intern-Fall 2025 | Memphis, TN | 06/23/2025 | $41,740 |
| New Jersey Future | Trail Development Research Intern (Summer 2025) | Downe, NJ | 06/21/2025 | $37,566 |
| Ajinomoto Frozen Foods | Food R&D Intern | Ontario, CA | 06/20/2025 | $54,262 |
| Envista Holdings Corporation | R&D Engineering Intern | Brea, CA | 06/10/2025 | $41,600 |
| Global | R&D Intern | Baltimore, MD | 06/10/2025 | $35,479 |
| Pangea Laboratory | R&D Research Intern | Tustin, CA | 06/03/2025 | $41,740 |
| Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond | Summer Internship-Community Development Research (Graduate) | Philadelphia, PA | 05/27/2025 | $54,262 |
| E.L.F. Cosmetics | Intern, R&D | New York, NY | 05/26/2025 | $41,740 |
| Global | R&D Intern | Baltimore, MD | 05/26/2025 | $35,479 |
| New World Medical Inc. | Engineering Intern, Research and Development | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 05/25/2025 | $41,740 |
Research and development internship salary FAQs
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