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Research and development program manager salary
Average research and development program manager salary
$116,594
Understanding Research and Development Program Manager Salaries
The average salary for a Research and Development Program Manager is approximately $116,594 annually. This figure varies significantly by state and city, reflecting the demand for skilled professionals in different regions. For example, cities like San Francisco and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and competitive job markets.
Experience plays a vital role in salary determination. Entry-level positions typically start lower, while those with extensive experience can command salaries exceeding $150,000. Additionally, industries such as technology and pharmaceuticals tend to offer more lucrative compensation packages.
To maximize earning potential, consider expanding your skill set through certifications or advanced degrees in relevant fields. Networking within industry circles can also lead to job opportunities that offer competitive salaries. For a comprehensive view of salary trends, explore state-specific data and city rankings.
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Where can a Research And Development Program Manager earn more?
Research and development program manager salaries by experience level
Average research and development program manager salary by state
The average research and development program manager salary in Connecticut, Nevada, and Wisconsin are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average research and development program manager salary states are Iowa, Kentucky, and Hawaii.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for research and development program managers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | $127,792 | $61.44 |
| 2 | Texas | $117,886 | $56.68 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $116,247 | $55.89 |
| 4 | Nevada | $132,820 | $63.86 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $135,655 | $65.22 |
| 6 | Montana | $113,879 | $54.75 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $114,393 | $55.00 |
| 8 | Oregon | $115,895 | $55.72 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $126,473 | $60.80 |
| 10 | Ohio | $111,409 | $53.56 |
| 11 | Arkansas | $110,407 | $53.08 |
| 12 | Illinois | $117,149 | $56.32 |
| 13 | Indiana | $111,718 | $53.71 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $105,640 | $50.79 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $111,197 | $53.46 |
| 16 | California | $122,450 | $58.87 |
| 17 | Washington | $121,572 | $58.45 |
| 18 | Idaho | $112,165 | $53.93 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $105,252 | $50.60 |
| 20 | Alabama | $106,621 | $51.26 |
| 21 | Georgia | $106,941 | $51.41 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $101,590 | $48.84 |
| 23 | Alaska | $114,241 | $54.92 |
| 24 | Michigan | $101,019 | $48.57 |
| 25 | Maine | $108,301 | $52.07 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $106,041 | $50.98 |
| 27 | Colorado | $106,602 | $51.25 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $98,813 | $47.51 |
| 29 | Delaware | $105,800 | $50.87 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $98,780 | $47.49 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | $110,872 | $53.30 |
| 32 | Arizona | $98,686 | $47.45 |
| 33 | Utah | $98,863 | $47.53 |
| 34 | Florida | $99,737 | $47.95 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $96,945 | $46.61 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $102,933 | $49.49 |
| 37 | Kansas | $98,316 | $47.27 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $96,002 | $46.15 |
| 39 | Virginia | $105,630 | $50.78 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $91,315 | $43.90 |
| 41 | Vermont | $100,079 | $48.11 |
| 42 | New York | $99,841 | $48.00 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $93,938 | $45.16 |
| 44 | Maryland | $100,965 | $48.54 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $96,477 | $46.38 |
| 46 | Iowa | $93,590 | $45.00 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $92,115 | $44.29 |
| 48 | Missouri | $89,941 | $43.24 |
| 49 | District of Columbia | $98,354 | $47.29 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $91,147 | $43.82 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $90,883 | $43.69 |
Highest paying cities for research and development program managers
The highest-paying cities for research and development program managers are San Francisco, CA, Henderson, NV, and Wauwatosa, WI.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $131,946 | $63.44 |
| 2 | Henderson, NV | $130,298 | $62.64 |
| 3 | Wauwatosa, WI | $127,954 | $61.52 |
| 4 | Fort Lee, NJ | $126,933 | $61.03 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $122,276 | $58.79 |
| 6 | Austin, TX | $118,101 | $56.78 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $117,499 | $56.49 |
| 8 | Levittown, PA | $117,058 | $56.28 |
| 9 | Merrimack, NH | $111,455 | $53.58 |
| 10 | Bridgewater, MA | $111,231 | $53.48 |
| 11 | Arlington, VA | $107,041 | $51.46 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $107,028 | $51.46 |
| 13 | Longmont, CO | $106,445 | $51.18 |
| 14 | Ann Arbor, MI | $100,934 | $48.53 |
| 15 | New York, NY | $100,007 | $48.08 |
| 16 | Scottsdale, AZ | $98,873 | $47.54 |
| 17 | Washington, DC | $98,353 | $47.29 |
Research and development program manager salary details
A research and development program manager's salary ranges from $86,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $157,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a research and development program manager's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $157,000 | $13,083 | $75 |
| 75th Percentile | $136,000 | $11,333 | $65 |
| Average | $116,594 | $9,716 | $56 |
| 25th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| 10th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
Highest paying research and development program manager jobs
The highest paying types of research and development program managers are engineering director, senior engineering manager, and vice president of engineering.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Supervisor | $97,535 | $8,128 | $46.89 | 57,046 |
| Engineering Director | $162,252 | $13,521 | $78.01 | 63,868 |
| Vice President Of Engineering | $150,651 | $12,554 | $72.43 | 92,133 |
| Manufacturing Engineering Manager | $112,535 | $9,378 | $54.10 | 83,671 |
| Project Engineering Manager | $110,534 | $9,211 | $53.14 | 171,897 |
| Process Engineering Manager | $124,640 | $10,387 | $59.92 | 87,396 |
Top companies hiring research and development program managers now:
Which companies pay research and development program managers the most?
Research and development program manager salaries at Zoox and General Electric are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average research and development program manager salary at companies like Amazon and Axient are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoox | $133,330 | $64.10 |
| 2 | General Electric | $125,811 | $60.49 |
| 3 | Amazon | $125,439 | $60.31 |
| 4 | Axient | $123,264 | $59.26 |
| 5 | Commonwealth Fusion Systems | $122,261 | $58.78 |
| 6 | BD | $121,702 | $58.51 |
| 7 | NW Services Corporation | $121,622 | $58.47 |
| 8 | Microsoft | $121,370 | $58.35 |
| 9 | Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | $121,193 | $58.27 |
| 10 | American Museum of Natural History | $120,714 | $58.04 |
| 11 | HP | $119,102 | $57.26 |
| 12 | Deloitte | $118,889 | $57.16 |
| 13 | Clario | $118,222 | $56.84 |
| 14 | Lone Star Analysis | $117,813 | $56.64 |
| 15 | BAE Systems | $116,485 | $56.00 |
| 16 | Baxter International | $115,479 | $55.52 |
| 17 | Massachusetts Eye and Ear | $113,810 | $54.72 |
| 18 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $111,012 | $53.37 |
| 19 | ARRIS | $109,934 | $52.85 |
| 20 | West Pharmaceutical Services | $105,680 | $50.81 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Research And Development Program Manager salary by industry
The average research and development program manager salary varies across industries:
- The average research and development program manager salary in the energy industry is $124,401, the highest of any industry.
- The average research and development program manager salary in the finance industry is $121,924.
- Research and development program managers in the education industry earn an average salary of $101,545, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for research and development program managers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $124,401 | $59.81 |
| 2 | Technology | $121,924 | $58.62 |
| 3 | Health Care | $116,636 | $56.08 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $107,955 | $51.90 |
| 5 | Non Profits | $102,967 | $49.50 |
| 6 | Education | $101,545 | $48.82 |
High paying research and development program manager jobs
Research and development program manager salary trends
The average research and development program manager salary has risen by $21,318 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average research and development program manager earned $95,276 annually, but today, they earn $116,594 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for research and development program managers over the last decade.
Compare research and development program manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average research and development program manager salary over time
Compare research and development program manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research and development program manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $117,000 | $56.05 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $113,000 | $54.29 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $110,000 | $52.77 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $107,000 | $51.63 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $105,000 | $50.51 | +1.4% |
Recently added research and development program manager salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Museum of Natural History | Manager, Science Research Mentoring Program | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $65,000 |
| ABB Ltd. | 2025 R&D Rotational Program | Cary, NC | 06/23/2025 | $80,000 |
| Instrumentation Laboratory Company | Program Manager II: R&D | Orangeburg, NY | 06/16/2025 | $140,000 |
| Abbott | Senior R&D Program Manager | Westford, MA | 06/04/2025 | $127,300 |
| Baxter | Program Manager R&D | Round Lake, IL | 05/22/2025 | $120,000 |
| Baxter Healthcare Corporation | Program Manager R&D | Round Lake, IL | 05/22/2025 | $120,000 |
| Nursing Unit | Fhir .NET (Dotnet) Research Developer-Mis (Management Info Systems) Program | New York, NY | 05/14/2025 | $97,728 |
| Northrop Grumman | (DOD Skillbridge) Air Force Research & Advanced Design Program Developmentmanager 3 | Dayton, OH | 05/12/2025 | $154,600 |
| Instrumentation Laboratory Company | Program Manager II: R&D | Orangeburg, NY | 04/28/2025 | $140,000 |
| Pendo | SR. R&D Program Manager | Raleigh, NC | 04/28/2025 | $125,000 |
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