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Research programmer salary
Average research programmer salary
$80,823
Average Research Programmer Salary
The salary for a Research Programmer averages around $80,823 annually. This figure reflects varying factors such as experience, education level, and industry specialization. Those entering the field may expect lower starting salaries, while seasoned professionals can command significantly higher compensation.
How Salaries Vary
Salaries tend to differ based on geographical location. States like California and New York often offer higher wages due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. Additionally, sectors such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals typically provide more lucrative opportunities compared to academia.
Job Opportunities and Growth
Research Programmers are in demand across various industries, including healthcare, where they contribute to clinical data analysis, and technology firms, where they develop innovative software solutions. To enhance your career prospects, consider pursuing specialized certifications or advanced degrees in relevant fields.
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Where can a Research Programmer earn more?
Research programmer salary estimates from across the web
Average research programmer salary by state
The average research programmer salary in California, Nevada, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average research programmer salary states are Arkansas, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for research programmers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $91,521 | $44.00 |
| 2 | Virginia | $89,296 | $42.93 |
| 3 | California | $93,936 | $45.16 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $82,607 | $39.71 |
| 5 | Washington | $93,453 | $44.93 |
| 6 | Oregon | $84,572 | $40.66 |
| 7 | Nevada | $93,457 | $44.93 |
| 8 | Texas | $82,087 | $39.46 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $84,888 | $40.81 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $79,896 | $38.41 |
| 11 | Maryland | $87,027 | $41.84 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $77,563 | $37.29 |
| 13 | Utah | $76,905 | $36.97 |
| 14 | Vermont | $76,955 | $37.00 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $77,058 | $37.05 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $76,134 | $36.60 |
| 17 | Alabama | $77,656 | $37.33 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $83,358 | $40.08 |
| 19 | Delaware | $76,196 | $36.63 |
| 20 | New York | $87,191 | $41.92 |
| 21 | Maine | $75,245 | $36.18 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $77,760 | $37.38 |
| 23 | Ohio | $75,206 | $36.16 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $75,047 | $36.08 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $77,945 | $37.47 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $73,339 | $35.26 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $72,988 | $35.09 |
| 28 | Massachusetts | $78,180 | $37.59 |
| 29 | Colorado | $74,147 | $35.65 |
| 30 | Illinois | $73,786 | $35.47 |
| 31 | Iowa | $73,348 | $35.26 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $73,255 | $35.22 |
| 33 | Alaska | $78,890 | $37.93 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $73,523 | $35.35 |
| 35 | Michigan | $71,799 | $34.52 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $74,506 | $35.82 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $73,880 | $35.52 |
| 38 | Idaho | $70,880 | $34.08 |
| 39 | Indiana | $70,929 | $34.10 |
| 40 | Kansas | $71,458 | $34.35 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $67,191 | $32.30 |
| 42 | Florida | $71,913 | $34.57 |
| 43 | Arizona | $69,109 | $33.23 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $70,820 | $34.05 |
| 45 | Georgia | $70,569 | $33.93 |
| 46 | Missouri | $70,349 | $33.82 |
| 47 | Montana | $66,202 | $31.83 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $67,324 | $32.37 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $66,507 | $31.97 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $68,160 | $32.77 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $61,631 | $29.63 |
Highest paying cities for research programmers
The highest-paying cities for research programmers are Oakland, CA, Alexandria, VA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakland, CA | $99,848 | $48.00 |
| 2 | Alexandria, VA | $89,359 | $42.96 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $87,379 | $42.01 |
| 4 | College Park, MD | $86,984 | $41.82 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $84,623 | $40.68 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $83,354 | $40.07 |
| 7 | Providence, RI | $82,596 | $39.71 |
| 8 | Houston, TX | $82,409 | $39.62 |
| 9 | Minneapolis, MN | $79,928 | $38.43 |
| 10 | Framingham, MA | $78,162 | $37.58 |
| 11 | Durham, NC | $77,587 | $37.30 |
| 12 | Wilmington, DE | $76,223 | $36.65 |
| 13 | Memphis, TN | $74,573 | $35.85 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $73,862 | $35.51 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $73,522 | $35.35 |
| 16 | Detroit, MI | $71,952 | $34.59 |
| 17 | Indianapolis, IN | $70,915 | $34.09 |
| 18 | Madison, WI | $70,517 | $33.90 |
| 19 | Marietta, GA | $70,490 | $33.89 |
| 20 | Scottsdale, AZ | $69,147 | $33.24 |
Research programmer salary details
A research programmer's salary ranges from $61,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $105,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a research programmer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $105,000 | $8,750 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| Average | $80,823 | $6,735 | $39 |
| 25th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 10th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
Highest paying research programmer jobs
The highest paying types of research programmers are principal software engineer, lead programmer, and software engineer-consultant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Design Engineer | $98,799 | $8,233 | $47.50 | 315,080 |
| Software Engineering Internship | $47,164 | $3,930 | $22.67 | 301,105 |
| Software Engineer-Consultant | $113,987 | $9,499 | $54.80 | 317,033 |
| Principal Software Engineer | $134,230 | $11,186 | $64.53 | 345,893 |
| Software Systems Engineer | $107,102 | $8,925 | $51.49 | 370,518 |
| Software Developer | $87,521 | $7,293 | $42.08 | 294,329 |
Top companies hiring research programmers now:
Which companies pay research programmers the most?
Research programmer salaries at Mayo Clinic and Rockstar Games are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average research programmer salary at companies like Naughty Dog and University of California are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayo Clinic | $101,543 | $48.82 |
| 2 | Rockstar Games | $99,933 | $48.04 |
| 3 | Naughty Dog | $98,213 | $47.22 |
| 4 | University of California | $94,377 | $45.37 |
| 5 | RTI International Metals | $89,796 | $43.17 |
| 6 | Wolfram | $89,351 | $42.96 |
| 7 | Spectrum Asset Management | $88,084 | $42.35 |
| 8 | Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr. | $87,656 | $42.14 |
| 9 | ONU | $87,479 | $42.06 |
| 10 | University of California-Berkeley | $87,360 | $42.00 |
| 11 | Ncpa | $87,332 | $41.99 |
| 12 | Precision Health Economics | $87,218 | $41.93 |
| 13 | Princeton University | $85,558 | $41.13 |
| 14 | Global Shop Solutions | $84,934 | $40.83 |
| 15 | University of Southern California | $84,569 | $40.66 |
| 16 | RAND | $84,373 | $40.56 |
| 17 | Mount Sinai Health System | $83,124 | $39.96 |
| 18 | Solugenix | $82,589 | $39.71 |
| 19 | Henry Ford Health System | $82,006 | $39.43 |
| 20 | FX Palo Alto Laboratory | $80,671 | $38.78 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Research Programmer salary by industry
The average research programmer salary varies across industries:
- The average research programmer salary in the professional industry is $91,108, the highest of any industry.
- The average research programmer salary in the finance industry is $87,559.
- Research programmers in the education industry earn an average salary of $82,281, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for research programmers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $91,108 | $43.80 |
| 2 | Technology | $87,559 | $42.10 |
| 3 | Health Care | $84,114 | $40.44 |
| 4 | Education | $82,281 | $39.56 |
High paying research programmer jobs
Research programmer salary trends
The average research programmer salary has risen by $14,992 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average research programmer earned $65,831 annually, but today, they earn $80,823 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for research programmers over the last decade.
Compare research programmer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average research programmer salary over time
Compare research programmer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Research programmer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $80,800 | $38.86 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $78,200 | $37.58 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $76,400 | $36.73 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $74,500 | $35.84 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $72,400 | $34.79 | +0.4% |
Recently added research programmer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockstar Games | Senior Animation R&D Programmer: Retargeting | Carlsbad, CA | 06/29/2025 | $121,400 |
| Rockstar Games | Animation R&D Programmer: Retargeting | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $101,400 |
| Usc | Senior SAS Research Programmer-USC Schaeffer Center | Parksdale, CA | 06/28/2025 | $105,056 |
| Washington State University | Research Winemaker | Richland, WA | 06/20/2025 | $52,642 |
| Cmu | Research Programmer/Analyst-LTI-School of Computer Science | Day, NY | 06/19/2025 | $75,000 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Research Programmer/Analyst-LTI-School of Computer Science | New York, NY | 06/18/2025 | $75,000 |
| WSU | Research Winemaker | Richland, WA | 06/18/2025 | $52,642 |
| Rockstar Games | Animation R&D Programmer: Retargeting | Carlsbad, CA | 05/28/2025 | $101,400 |
| Rockstar Games | Senior Animation R&D Programmer: Retargeting | New York, NY | 05/27/2025 | $121,400 |
| University of Southern California | Senior SAS Research Programmer-USC Schaeffer Center | Los Angeles, CA | 05/18/2025 | $105,056 |
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