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Research laboratory manager salary
Average research laboratory manager salary
$64,333
Understanding Research Laboratory Manager Salaries
The average salary for a Research Laboratory Manager in the United States is approximately $64,333 per year, translating to about $31 per hour. Salaries in this role can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographical location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, laboratory managers in states like California and Massachusetts often report higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals in scientific research.
Salary Breakdown by State
When examining salaries across different states, it’s evident that some regions offer more attractive compensation. States such as California, New York, and Texas are known for their higher average salaries for this profession. In contrast, states with lower living costs may offer competitive salaries but may not match the figures seen in larger metropolitan areas.
Job Opportunities and Career Path
As the demand for research continues to grow, opportunities for Research Laboratory Managers are expanding. This role typically requires a combination of education and experience in laboratory settings, providing a pathway for career advancement. Understanding the salary expectations and trends can assist job seekers in negotiating offers and making informed career decisions.
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Where can a Research Laboratory Manager earn more?
Research laboratory manager salary estimates from across the web
Average research laboratory manager salary by state
The average research laboratory manager salary in Maryland, Tennessee, and Hawaii are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average research laboratory manager salary states are South Dakota, Mississippi, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for research laboratory managers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $85,360 | $41.04 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $83,313 | $40.05 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $77,526 | $37.27 |
| 4 | Tennessee | $89,359 | $42.96 |
| 5 | California | $80,934 | $38.91 |
| 6 | Michigan | $70,466 | $33.88 |
| 7 | Maryland | $89,986 | $43.26 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $81,596 | $39.23 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $69,463 | $33.40 |
| 10 | Indiana | $78,407 | $37.70 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $79,924 | $38.42 |
| 12 | Delaware | $82,545 | $39.69 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $86,896 | $41.78 |
| 14 | Montana | $69,195 | $33.27 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $67,649 | $32.52 |
| 16 | New York | $76,986 | $37.01 |
| 17 | Arizona | $64,797 | $31.15 |
| 18 | Oregon | $65,415 | $31.45 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $63,097 | $30.34 |
| 20 | Vermont | $62,720 | $30.15 |
| 21 | Ohio | $68,579 | $32.97 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $61,394 | $29.52 |
| 23 | Illinois | $65,196 | $31.34 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $76,066 | $36.57 |
| 25 | Washington | $65,002 | $31.25 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $63,647 | $30.60 |
| 27 | Virginia | $67,590 | $32.50 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $61,420 | $29.53 |
| 29 | Florida | $57,836 | $27.81 |
| 30 | Nevada | $64,697 | $31.10 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $55,649 | $26.75 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $56,830 | $27.32 |
| 33 | Iowa | $55,965 | $26.91 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $56,629 | $27.23 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $54,272 | $26.09 |
| 36 | Idaho | $54,300 | $26.11 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $57,479 | $27.63 |
| 38 | Alaska | $62,158 | $29.88 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $49,268 | $23.69 |
| 40 | Missouri | $53,534 | $25.74 |
| 41 | Colorado | $50,322 | $24.19 |
| 42 | Kansas | $53,159 | $25.56 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $51,049 | $24.54 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $47,280 | $22.73 |
| 45 | Alabama | $54,286 | $26.10 |
| 46 | Utah | $46,382 | $22.30 |
| 47 | Texas | $49,988 | $24.03 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $51,777 | $24.89 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $49,215 | $23.66 |
| 50 | Georgia | $48,487 | $23.31 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $40,887 | $19.66 |
Highest paying cities for research laboratory managers
The highest-paying cities for research laboratory managers are Baltimore, MD, San Francisco, CA, and Hillsborough, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore, MD | $90,184 | $43.36 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $88,744 | $42.67 |
| 3 | Hillsborough, NJ | $83,307 | $40.05 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $77,489 | $37.25 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $77,031 | $37.03 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $76,103 | $36.59 |
| 7 | Cleveland, OH | $70,248 | $33.77 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $67,998 | $32.69 |
| 9 | Richmond, VA | $67,560 | $32.48 |
| 10 | Evanston, IL | $65,757 | $31.61 |
| 11 | Bellingham, WA | $65,662 | $31.57 |
| 12 | Hillsboro, OR | $65,064 | $31.28 |
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | $62,629 | $30.11 |
| 14 | Miami, FL | $59,163 | $28.44 |
| 15 | Fond du Lac, WI | $57,086 | $27.45 |
| 16 | Omaha, NE | $54,481 | $26.19 |
| 17 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $54,093 | $26.01 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $53,964 | $25.94 |
| 19 | Manhattan, KS | $53,039 | $25.50 |
| 20 | Columbia, SC | $51,936 | $24.97 |
Research laboratory manager salary details
A research laboratory manager's salary ranges from $45,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $91,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a research laboratory manager's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $91,000 | $7,583 | $44 |
| 75th Percentile | $77,000 | $6,417 | $37 |
| Average | $64,333 | $5,361 | $31 |
| 25th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
Highest paying research laboratory manager jobs
The highest paying types of research laboratory managers are medical science liaison, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Staff Scientist | $93,941 | $7,828 | $45.16 | 121,054 |
| Scientist | $97,344 | $8,112 | $46.80 | 62,467 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Medical Science Liaison | $145,718 | $12,143 | $70.06 | 57,208 |
| Research And Development Scientist | $90,278 | $7,523 | $43.40 | 129,803 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for research laboratory managers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
David Simon
Professor, Stonehill College
In most cases, academic positions have significantly lower starting salaries than industry, since the standard academic salary is for nine or ten months of teaching rather than for 12 months. However, the tradeoff is that academic jobs allow a greater degree of freedom in how you spend your time and what type of research you pursue. Furthermore, academic salaries can be supplemented by extra teaching, consultant work, or grant-funded summer salaries, which, in many cases, can raise a professor's total income to levels close to what would be earned in the industry. So, although salary is certainly a consideration, ultimately, the deciding factor for what type of career to pursue should be based on what type of work would make you happiest in the long term.
Top companies hiring research laboratory managers now:
Which companies pay research laboratory managers the most?
Research laboratory manager salaries at Meta and Intel are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average research laboratory manager salary at companies like Nokia and Novartis are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $167,743 | $80.65 |
| 2 | Intel | $115,682 | $55.62 |
| 3 | Nokia | $112,196 | $53.94 |
| 4 | Novartis | $100,581 | $48.36 |
| 5 | Sutro Biopharma | $99,505 | $47.84 |
| 6 | TeleCommunication Systems | $90,824 | $43.67 |
| 7 | Johnson & Johnson | $84,020 | $40.39 |
| 8 | Stanford University | $82,153 | $39.50 |
| 9 | Institute for the Future | $79,322 | $38.14 |
| 10 | Kaleida Health | $78,364 | $37.67 |
| 11 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $76,785 | $36.92 |
| 12 | Children's Hospital Colorado | $76,419 | $36.74 |
| 13 | Pacific Companies | $75,919 | $36.50 |
| 14 | Bayside Solutions | $75,880 | $36.48 |
| 15 | Fred Hutch | $75,013 | $36.06 |
| 16 | University of California | $74,835 | $35.98 |
| 17 | UMiami Health System | $74,734 | $35.93 |
| 18 | HealthTrust | $74,229 | $35.69 |
| 19 | The University of Chicago | $73,661 | $35.41 |
| 20 | Emory Healthcare | $72,314 | $34.77 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Research Laboratory Manager salary by industry
The average research laboratory manager salary varies across industries:
- The average research laboratory manager salary in the health care industry is $70,475, the highest of any industry.
- The average research laboratory manager salary in the finance industry is $69,866.
- Research laboratory managers in the education industry earn an average salary of $61,695, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for research laboratory managers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $70,475 | $33.88 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $69,866 | $33.59 |
| 3 | Professional | $66,620 | $32.03 |
| 4 | Education | $61,695 | $29.66 |
High paying research laboratory manager jobs
Research laboratory manager salary trends
The average research laboratory manager salary has risen by $10,813 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average research laboratory manager earned $53,520 annually, but today, they earn $64,333 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for research laboratory managers over the last decade.
Compare research laboratory manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average research laboratory manager salary over time
Compare research laboratory manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research laboratory manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $64,300 | $30.93 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | $62,400 | $30.01 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $59,600 | $28.66 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $57,700 | $27.75 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $56,600 | $27.22 | -2.1% |
Recently added research laboratory manager salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivian | Service Lab Manager, R&D | Irvine, CA | 06/28/2025 | $112,000 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Research Lab Manager | New York, NY | 06/21/2025 | $90,700 |
| Utah State University | Lab Manager/Research Technician | Logan, UT | 06/14/2025 | $45,914 |
| Cedars-Sinai | Research Associate IV (LAB Manager)-Guerin Children's-Khokha Lab-On-Site | Los Angeles, CA | 06/13/2025 | $64,750 |
| The Geneva Foundation | Research Laboratory Manager | West Point, NY | 06/09/2025 | $87,000 |
| San Diego Zoo | Research Laboratory Manager-SAN Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance | Escondido, CA | 05/27/2025 | $68,640 |
| Search | Materials Lab Manager and Lead Researcher | McLean, VA | 05/26/2025 | $114,600 |
| Mount Sinai Medical Center | Research Laboratory Manager-Infectious Diseases | New York, NY | 05/22/2025 | $67,496 |
| Meta | Scaled Partnerships Manager-Reality Labs Research | Burlingame, CA | 05/21/2025 | $129,000 |
| Stanford University | Research Coordinator & Lab Manager FTE (Remote Opportunity) | Stanford, CA | 05/09/2025 | $56,412 |
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