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Senior scientific associate salary
Average senior scientific associate salary
$81,712
Understanding the Senior Scientific Associate Salary
The role of a Senior Scientific Associate is pivotal in various scientific fields, focusing on research and development. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position stands at $81,712 per year. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, states like California and Massachusetts often offer higher salaries than the national average.
In addition to base salary, many senior scientific associates receive benefits such as health insurance, retirement contributions, and paid leave. With experience, professionals in this role can advance to higher positions, potentially leading to increased salaries. The demand for skilled scientific professionals remains strong, making this a promising career path for those interested in science and research.
Market Outlook
According to recent data, job openings for senior scientific associates are expected to grow as organizations seek to innovate and expand their research capabilities. This growth trend further enhances the attractiveness of the role, providing numerous opportunities for career advancement and specialization.
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Where can a Senior Scientific Associate earn more?
Senior scientific associate salary estimates from across the web
Average senior scientific associate salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior scientific associates are Washington, Vermont, and Alaska. The lowest average senior scientific associate salary states are Arkansas, Nebraska, and North Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior scientific associates
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $113,769 | $54.70 |
| 2 | Delaware | $107,273 | $51.57 |
| 3 | Vermont | $112,876 | $54.27 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $93,715 | $45.06 |
| 5 | Alaska | $111,566 | $53.64 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $100,769 | $48.45 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $90,076 | $43.31 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $97,265 | $46.76 |
| 9 | California | $91,524 | $44.00 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $88,166 | $42.39 |
| 11 | Maryland | $87,336 | $41.99 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $94,774 | $45.56 |
| 13 | Virginia | $83,983 | $40.38 |
| 14 | Michigan | $82,863 | $39.84 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $87,066 | $41.86 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | $90,015 | $43.28 |
| 17 | New York | $83,753 | $40.27 |
| 18 | Missouri | $81,806 | $39.33 |
| 19 | Ohio | $79,984 | $38.45 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $81,701 | $39.28 |
| 21 | Utah | $80,769 | $38.83 |
| 22 | Indiana | $76,144 | $36.61 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $79,582 | $38.26 |
| 24 | Idaho | $79,701 | $38.32 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $78,717 | $37.84 |
| 26 | Oregon | $78,560 | $37.77 |
| 27 | Montana | $79,617 | $38.28 |
| 28 | Arizona | $78,424 | $37.70 |
| 29 | Iowa | $74,201 | $35.67 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $78,249 | $37.62 |
| 31 | Colorado | $74,656 | $35.89 |
| 32 | Texas | $73,593 | $35.38 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $75,284 | $36.19 |
| 34 | Nevada | $76,570 | $36.81 |
| 35 | Kansas | $74,265 | $35.70 |
| 36 | Maine | $68,178 | $32.78 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $69,840 | $33.58 |
| 38 | Illinois | $68,686 | $33.02 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $64,422 | $30.97 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $65,131 | $31.31 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $68,795 | $33.07 |
| 42 | Georgia | $72,973 | $35.08 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $69,625 | $33.47 |
| 44 | Alabama | $68,814 | $33.08 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $59,299 | $28.51 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $70,972 | $34.12 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $60,937 | $29.30 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $56,712 | $27.27 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $62,972 | $30.27 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $51,601 | $24.81 |
| 51 | Florida | $51,602 | $24.81 |
Highest paying cities for senior scientific associates
The highest-paying cities for senior scientific associates are Washington, DC, San Rafael, CA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $100,768 | $48.45 |
| 2 | San Rafael, CA | $100,440 | $48.29 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $93,869 | $45.13 |
| 4 | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | $90,328 | $43.43 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $87,743 | $42.18 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $83,821 | $40.30 |
| 7 | Indianapolis, IN | $75,939 | $36.51 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $73,908 | $35.53 |
| 9 | Atlanta, GA | $72,966 | $35.08 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $69,662 | $33.49 |
| 11 | Skokie, IL | $69,046 | $33.20 |
| 12 | Horsham, PA | $65,039 | $31.27 |
| 13 | Holly Springs, NC | $59,587 | $28.65 |
| 14 | Miami, FL | $51,121 | $24.58 |
Senior scientific associate salary details
A senior scientific associate's salary ranges from $51,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $129,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior scientific associate's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $129,000 | $10,750 | $62 |
| 75th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
| Average | $81,712 | $6,809 | $39 |
| 25th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
Highest paying senior scientific associate jobs
The highest paying types of senior scientific associates are senior scientist, senior research chemist, and senior chemist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Chemist | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36.46 | 53,769 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
| Formulation Chemist | $66,678 | $5,557 | $32.06 | 3,011 |
| Laboratory Chemist | $62,702 | $5,225 | $30.15 | 41,322 |
| Production Chemist | $62,937 | $5,245 | $30.26 | 58,948 |
| Process Chemist | $81,542 | $6,795 | $39.20 | 29,813 |
Top companies hiring senior scientific associates now:
Which companies pay senior scientific associates the most?
Senior scientific associate salaries at Chevron and Regeneron are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior scientific associate salary at companies like Argonne National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevron | $140,336 | $67.47 |
| 2 | Regeneron | $107,863 | $51.86 |
| 3 | Argonne National Laboratory | $106,844 | $51.37 |
| 4 | Brookhaven National Laboratory | $105,455 | $50.70 |
| 5 | Novartis | $104,878 | $50.42 |
| 6 | Eli Lilly and Company | $104,746 | $50.36 |
| 7 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $103,861 | $49.93 |
| 8 | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | $99,940 | $48.05 |
| 9 | U.S. Pharmacopeia | $96,824 | $46.55 |
| 10 | BioMarin | $96,708 | $46.49 |
| 11 | Medtronic | $95,391 | $45.86 |
| 12 | Charles River Labs | $90,131 | $43.33 |
| 13 | Glaxosmithkline | $88,633 | $42.61 |
| 14 | Partners Healthcare Solutions Inc | $87,505 | $42.07 |
| 15 | Brookhaven Science Associates LLC | $87,318 | $41.98 |
| 16 | Flatiron Health | $87,199 | $41.92 |
| 17 | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | $86,151 | $41.42 |
| 18 | Kelly Services | $85,399 | $41.06 |
| 19 | Wpp Us Holdings Inc | $85,385 | $41.05 |
| 20 | Sulder & Hennessey | $83,208 | $40.00 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior scientific associate salary trends
The average senior scientific associate salary has risen by $9,831 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior scientific associate earned $71,881 annually, but today, they earn $81,712 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for senior scientific associates over the last decade.
Compare senior scientific associate salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior scientific associate salary over time
Compare senior scientific associate salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior scientific associate salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $81,700 | $39.28 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $80,000 | $38.46 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $79,200 | $38.09 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $77,000 | $37.03 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $76,000 | $36.53 | +3.4% |
Recently added senior scientific associate salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPP PLC | Senior Scientific Associate (Medical Education) | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $60,000 |
| Henkel | Senior Scientific Associate | Rocky Hill, CT | 06/21/2025 | $100,000 |
| Henkel | Scientific Associate PD | Chanhassen, MN | 06/20/2025 | $98,000 |
| Uncountable | Scientific Implementation Associate | Fine, NY | 06/09/2025 | $60,000 |
| Henkel | SR. Scientific Associate-Product Development Semiconductor Adhesives | Irvine, CA | 06/06/2025 | $110,000 |
| WPP PLC | Scientific Associate | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | 06/04/2025 | $60,000 |
| WPP PLC | Scientific Associate (Medical Education-Publications) | New York, NY | 05/25/2025 | $45,000 |
| Atrium Works | Process Development Engineering Senior Scientific Associate (Contract) | Boston, MA | 05/18/2025 | $79,306 |
| Ogilvy Health Us | Scientific Associate | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | 05/16/2025 | $60,000 |
| VMLY&R | Scientific Associate (Medical Education-Publications) | New York, NY | 05/06/2025 | $45,000 |
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