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Research computing specialist salary
Average research computing specialist salary
$67,967
Understanding the Salary of Research Computing Specialists
A Research Computing Specialist typically earns an average salary of $67,967 per year, which translates to approximately $33 per hour. This salary can vary based on experience, location, and the specific industry they work in. For instance, specialists with advanced degrees or significant experience may command higher salaries.
Salary by State
Geographic location plays a crucial role in salary determination. States like California and New York tend to offer higher compensation due to the demand for skilled professionals. In contrast, rural areas may present lower average salaries, reflecting local economic conditions.
Top Paying Cities
Research Computing Specialists in cities like San Francisco and Boston often enjoy higher salaries due to the concentration of tech companies and research institutions. Exploring job opportunities in these areas can lead to better earning potential.
Career Growth Opportunities
For those seeking to increase their earnings, pursuing certifications or advanced degrees can enhance job prospects and salary potential. Continuous learning and adapting to new technologies in the field will also keep specialists competitive in the job market.
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Where can a Research Computing Specialist earn more?
Research computing specialist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level research computing specialist | $42,600 | $20.50 |
| Mid-level research computing specialist | $72,000 | $34.63 |
| Senior-level research computing specialist | $118,000 | $56.71 |
Average research computing specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for research computing specialists are New Jersey, New York, and Washington. The lowest average research computing specialist salary states are New Mexico, Alabama, and Vermont.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for research computing specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $109,474 | $52.63 |
| 2 | Delaware | $91,366 | $43.93 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $79,816 | $38.37 |
| 4 | Illinois | $85,642 | $41.17 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $76,954 | $37.00 |
| 6 | Washington | $99,287 | $47.73 |
| 7 | New York | $100,249 | $48.20 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $73,601 | $35.39 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $73,110 | $35.15 |
| 10 | Texas | $80,785 | $38.84 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $76,412 | $36.74 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $98,410 | $47.31 |
| 13 | California | $80,569 | $38.74 |
| 14 | Montana | $74,497 | $35.82 |
| 15 | Virginia | $80,383 | $38.65 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $71,904 | $34.57 |
| 17 | Oregon | $74,036 | $35.59 |
| 18 | Colorado | $77,126 | $37.08 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $83,971 | $40.37 |
| 20 | Michigan | $70,638 | $33.96 |
| 21 | Maine | $73,059 | $35.12 |
| 22 | Idaho | $73,125 | $35.16 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $77,040 | $37.04 |
| 24 | Maryland | $83,569 | $40.18 |
| 25 | Georgia | $70,895 | $34.08 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $67,848 | $32.62 |
| 27 | Iowa | $67,489 | $32.45 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $67,941 | $32.66 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $65,042 | $31.27 |
| 30 | Ohio | $65,816 | $31.64 |
| 31 | Utah | $63,224 | $30.40 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $65,594 | $31.54 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $64,929 | $31.22 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $59,598 | $28.65 |
| 35 | Indiana | $63,061 | $30.32 |
| 36 | Alaska | $68,825 | $33.09 |
| 37 | Nevada | $64,860 | $31.18 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $59,120 | $28.42 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $60,073 | $28.88 |
| 40 | Vermont | $52,766 | $25.37 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $62,265 | $29.94 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $56,617 | $27.22 |
| 43 | Missouri | $58,619 | $28.18 |
| 44 | Arizona | $57,240 | $27.52 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $45,878 | $22.06 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $61,545 | $29.59 |
| 47 | Florida | $47,678 | $22.92 |
| 48 | Kansas | $58,018 | $27.89 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $57,753 | $27.77 |
| 50 | Alabama | $56,364 | $27.10 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $46,324 | $22.27 |
Highest paying cities for research computing specialists
The highest-paying cities for research computing specialists are Clifton Park, NY, Redmond, WA, and Berkeley, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clifton Park, NY | $101,487 | $48.79 |
| 2 | Redmond, WA | $99,896 | $48.03 |
| 3 | Berkeley, CA | $86,811 | $41.74 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $85,995 | $41.34 |
| 5 | Waltham, MA | $83,910 | $40.34 |
| 6 | Columbia, MD | $83,631 | $40.21 |
| 7 | Arlington, VA | $83,174 | $39.99 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $79,860 | $38.39 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $79,595 | $38.27 |
| 10 | Oak Ridge, TN | $77,231 | $37.13 |
| 11 | Portland, OR | $74,231 | $35.69 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $73,053 | $35.12 |
| 13 | Idaho Falls, ID | $72,134 | $34.68 |
| 14 | Ann Arbor, MI | $70,240 | $33.77 |
| 15 | Madison, WI | $67,649 | $32.52 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $58,964 | $28.35 |
| 17 | Tucson, AZ | $55,937 | $26.89 |
| 18 | Tallahassee, FL | $50,474 | $24.27 |
| 19 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $45,942 | $22.09 |
Research computing specialist salary details
A research computing specialist's salary ranges from $44,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $104,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a research computing specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| Average | $67,967 | $5,664 | $33 |
| 25th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
| 10th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
Highest paying research computing specialist jobs
The highest paying types of research computing specialists are research leader, product specialist, and research consultant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Internship | $30,260 | $2,522 | $14.55 | 122,135 |
| Marketing Department Internship | $31,989 | $2,666 | $15.38 | 143,703 |
| Sales And Marketing Internship | $42,269 | $3,522 | $20.32 | 142,820 |
| Marketing Consultant | $70,593 | $5,883 | $33.94 | 88,935 |
| Marketing Representative | $47,377 | $3,948 | $22.78 | 217,886 |
| Marketing Coordinator | $48,326 | $4,027 | $23.23 | 91,281 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for research computing specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Rowan University
Top companies hiring research computing specialists now:
Which companies pay research computing specialists the most?
Research computing specialist salaries at Genentech and NVIDIA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average research computing specialist salary at companies like Microsoft and Booz Allen Hamilton are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genentech | $126,647 | $60.89 |
| 2 | NVIDIA | $125,564 | $60.37 |
| 3 | Microsoft | $116,431 | $55.98 |
| 4 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $107,812 | $51.83 |
| 5 | Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc | $103,472 | $49.75 |
| 6 | IBM | $102,166 | $49.12 |
| 7 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $100,742 | $48.43 |
| 8 | University of California | $98,937 | $47.57 |
| 9 | Zebra Technologies | $96,693 | $46.49 |
| 10 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $95,654 | $45.99 |
| 11 | University of California-Berkeley | $90,176 | $43.35 |
| 12 | Kitware | $86,587 | $41.63 |
| 13 | Boston Children's Hospital | $86,408 | $41.54 |
| 14 | Mount Sinai Health System | $84,712 | $40.73 |
| 15 | National Renewable Energy Laboratory | $83,941 | $40.36 |
| 16 | Alliance for Sustainable Energy | $83,638 | $40.21 |
| 17 | HRL Laboratories | $83,482 | $40.14 |
| 18 | The University of Chicago | $81,525 | $39.19 |
| 19 | Florida International University | $80,654 | $38.78 |
| 20 | Brandeis University | $78,988 | $37.98 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Research computing specialist salary trends
The average research computing specialist salary has risen by $5,743 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average research computing specialist earned $62,224 annually, but today, they earn $67,967 a year. That works out to a 5% change in pay for research computing specialists over the last decade.
Compare research computing specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average research computing specialist salary over time
Compare research computing specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research computing specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $68,000 | $32.68 | +3.1% |
| 2025 | $65,900 | $31.67 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | $65,200 | $31.34 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | $65,300 | $31.40 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | $64,600 | $31.06 | +0.7% |
Recently added research computing specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | Research Specialist C-Computational Social Science Lab-Penn Engineering | Philadelphia, PA | 06/26/2025 | $57,500 |
| The University of Alabama | Research Computing Library Specialist | Tuscaloosa, AL | 06/18/2025 | $56,600 |
| Kitware | 3D Computer Vision Researcher | Arlington, VA | 06/11/2025 | $155,000 |
| Kitware | 3D Computer Vision Researcher | Clifton Park, NY | 06/09/2025 | $125,000 |
| American University | Computing Ethics Researcher | Washington, DC | 05/22/2025 | $52,175 |
| University of Arizona | Computing Sciences Researcher II | Tucson, AZ | 04/30/2025 | $75,540 |
| Kitware | Computer Vision Researcher | Clifton Park, NY | 04/28/2025 | $125,000 |
| Kitware | Computer Vision Researcher | Arlington, VA | 04/28/2025 | $155,000 |
| Wgnstar | Computational Chemistry Simulation Researcher | Austin, TX | 04/26/2025 | $110,611 |
| Moonlight Bio | Head of Computational & Data Sciences | Seattle, WA | 03/27/2025 | $175,000 |
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