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Senior development scientist salary
Average senior development scientist salary
$102,262
Average Senior Development Scientist Salary
The average salary for a Senior Development Scientist is approximately $102,262 per year, translating to around $49 per hour. This role requires a blend of advanced scientific knowledge and practical experience, often resulting in competitive salaries. Factors influencing salary levels include geographic location, industry sector, and years of experience.
Where Can Senior Development Scientists Earn More?
Senior Development Scientists tend to earn higher salaries in states such as California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. In these areas, demand for skilled scientists drives up compensation, reflecting the local cost of living and industry presence. For example, California offers numerous opportunities within biotech companies, contributing to higher average salaries.
Highest Paying Industries
- Pharmaceuticals
- Biotechnology
- Medical Devices
Each of these sectors values the expertise of Senior Development Scientists, often providing additional benefits and bonuses. Staying informed about industry trends and salary benchmarks can help professionals negotiate better compensation packages and find the best opportunities available.
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Where can a Senior Development Scientist earn more?
Senior development scientist salary estimates from across the web
Average senior development scientist salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior development scientists are Tennessee, California, and Montana. The lowest average senior development scientist salary states are Utah, Louisiana, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior development scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | $114,636 | $55.11 |
| 2 | Tennessee | $127,847 | $61.46 |
| 3 | California | $127,615 | $61.35 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $111,232 | $53.48 |
| 5 | Nevada | $113,069 | $54.36 |
| 6 | Indiana | $109,706 | $52.74 |
| 7 | Arizona | $109,390 | $52.59 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $107,727 | $51.79 |
| 9 | Maine | $104,356 | $50.17 |
| 10 | Alaska | $104,765 | $50.37 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $102,725 | $49.39 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $94,596 | $45.48 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $104,511 | $50.25 |
| 14 | Washington | $99,787 | $47.97 |
| 15 | Delaware | $100,109 | $48.13 |
| 16 | Illinois | $96,116 | $46.21 |
| 17 | Oregon | $96,184 | $46.24 |
| 18 | Maryland | $99,638 | $47.90 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $86,484 | $41.58 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $86,945 | $41.80 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $87,772 | $42.20 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $84,120 | $40.44 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $82,746 | $39.78 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $82,410 | $39.62 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $98,459 | $47.34 |
| 26 | Ohio | $85,002 | $40.87 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $97,316 | $46.79 |
| 28 | Michigan | $85,493 | $41.10 |
| 29 | New York | $90,464 | $43.49 |
| 30 | Vermont | $88,180 | $42.39 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $83,313 | $40.05 |
| 32 | Colorado | $87,051 | $41.85 |
| 33 | Virginia | $86,963 | $41.81 |
| 34 | Texas | $82,465 | $39.65 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $80,877 | $38.88 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $81,897 | $39.37 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $80,011 | $38.47 |
| 38 | Alabama | $78,378 | $37.68 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $75,527 | $36.31 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $78,280 | $37.63 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $74,094 | $35.62 |
| 42 | Florida | $78,147 | $37.57 |
| 43 | Idaho | $76,090 | $36.58 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $72,640 | $34.92 |
| 45 | Kansas | $74,944 | $36.03 |
| 46 | Missouri | $69,054 | $33.20 |
| 47 | Utah | $71,834 | $34.54 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $70,896 | $34.08 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $67,453 | $32.43 |
| 50 | Georgia | $70,160 | $33.73 |
| 51 | Iowa | $60,442 | $29.06 |
Highest paying cities for senior development scientists
The highest-paying cities for senior development scientists are San Francisco, CA, Memphis, TN, and Rahway, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $135,859 | $65.32 |
| 2 | Memphis, TN | $127,754 | $61.42 |
| 3 | Rahway, NJ | $111,319 | $53.52 |
| 4 | Indianapolis, IN | $109,347 | $52.57 |
| 5 | Norwood, MA | $104,564 | $50.27 |
| 6 | Maple Grove, MN | $102,788 | $49.42 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $100,383 | $48.26 |
| 8 | Rockville, MD | $99,386 | $47.78 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $96,448 | $46.37 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $94,903 | $45.63 |
| 11 | Cumberland, RI | $87,735 | $42.18 |
| 12 | Richmond, VA | $86,805 | $41.73 |
| 13 | Madison, WI | $83,831 | $40.30 |
| 14 | Greenville, NC | $80,897 | $38.89 |
| 15 | Boca Raton, FL | $77,016 | $37.03 |
| 16 | Pleasant Grove, UT | $71,633 | $34.44 |
| 17 | Alpharetta, GA | $70,333 | $33.81 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $69,179 | $33.26 |
Senior development scientist salary details
A senior development scientist's salary ranges from $74,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $140,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior development scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $140,000 | $11,667 | $67 |
| 75th Percentile | $120,000 | $10,000 | $58 |
| Average | $102,262 | $8,522 | $49 |
| 25th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
| 10th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
Highest paying senior development scientist jobs
The highest paying types of senior development scientists are medical science liaison, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Analyst | $44,024 | $3,669 | $21.17 | 44,074 |
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Quality Control Analyst | $59,217 | $4,935 | $28.47 | 85,546 |
| Quality Control Chemist | $58,892 | $4,908 | $28.31 | 90,467 |
| Research Chemist | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36.46 | 53,769 |
Top companies hiring senior development scientists now:
Which companies pay senior development scientists the most?
Senior development scientist salaries at Amazon and Genentech are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior development scientist salary at companies like Novartis and Eli Lilly and Company are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon | $136,321 | $65.54 |
| 2 | Genentech | $117,576 | $56.53 |
| 3 | Novartis | $117,259 | $56.37 |
| 4 | Eli Lilly and Company | $117,025 | $56.26 |
| 5 | AbbVie | $116,811 | $56.16 |
| 6 | Natera | $116,277 | $55.90 |
| 7 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $115,864 | $55.70 |
| 8 | Biogen | $115,476 | $55.52 |
| 9 | Upsher-Smith Laboratories | $113,279 | $54.46 |
| 10 | PTC Therapeutics | $111,510 | $53.61 |
| 11 | AstraZeneca | $109,000 | $52.40 |
| 12 | Emergent BioSolutions | $108,678 | $52.25 |
| 13 | CyberCoders | $108,504 | $52.17 |
| 14 | Waters | $107,915 | $51.88 |
| 15 | Agenus | $107,065 | $51.47 |
| 16 | Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings | $106,501 | $51.20 |
| 17 | FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies | $106,473 | $51.19 |
| 18 | Ingevity | $105,844 | $50.89 |
| 19 | BD | $103,067 | $49.55 |
| 20 | Amgen | $102,620 | $49.34 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Development Scientist salary by industry
The average senior development scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average senior development scientist salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $100,462, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior development scientist salary in the finance industry is $98,109.
- Senior development scientists in the finance industry earn an average salary of $93,987, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior development scientists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $100,462 | $48.30 |
| 2 | Health Care | $98,109 | $47.17 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $97,965 | $47.10 |
| 4 | Technology | $97,827 | $47.03 |
| 5 | Finance | $93,987 | $45.19 |
High paying senior development scientist jobs
Senior development scientist salary trends
The average senior development scientist salary has risen by $17,187 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior development scientist earned $85,075 annually, but today, they earn $102,262 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for senior development scientists over the last decade.
Compare senior development scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior development scientist salary over time
Compare senior development scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior development scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $102,000 | $49.16 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | $99,200 | $47.70 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $94,800 | $45.56 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $91,700 | $44.10 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $90,000 | $43.27 | -2.1% |
Recently added senior development scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legend Biotech | SR. Scientist, Process Development | Somerset, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $123,605 |
| United Therapeutics Corporation | Scientist/Senior Scientist-Analytical Development | Eden Prairie, MN | 06/27/2025 | $117,000 |
| Mammoth Biosciences | Scientist II/Senior Scientist I, LNP Process Development | Brisbane, CA | 06/27/2025 | $138,000 |
| Gilead Sciences | SR Scientist, Process Development | Foster City, CA | 06/26/2025 | $169,320 |
| Roche | SR. Scientist-Assay Development | Carlsbad, CA | 06/26/2025 | $120,000 |
| Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. | SR. Scientist-Assay Development | Carlsbad, CA | 06/26/2025 | $120,000 |
| Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. | Senior Scientist, Analytical Development (AD) | Lexington, MA | 06/23/2025 | $137,000 |
| Merck | Senior Scientist, Assay Development | Point, PA | 06/21/2025 | $104,200 |
| Iqvia | Senior Scientist, Method Development | Ithaca, NY | 06/21/2025 | $62,000 |
| Kailera Therapeutics, Inc. | Senior Scientist, Drug Substance Development and Manufacturing | Waltham, MA | 06/21/2025 | $115,000 |
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