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Validation specialist salary
Average validation specialist salary
$91,034
Validation Specialist Salary Overview
The role of a Validation Specialist is vital in ensuring compliance and quality across industries such as pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and technology. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $91,034 annually. This figure can fluctuate based on factors like experience and geographical location.
Salary Breakdown
Validation Specialists with entry-level experience can expect to earn approximately $65,000, while those with 10+ years of experience can make over $120,000. In addition, specific states offer higher salaries, with top-paying states including California, New York, and Massachusetts.
Career Opportunities
Job seekers can find various opportunities in this field, with many organizations seeking skilled Validation Specialists to ensure product compliance. By understanding salary estimates and job availability, candidates can make informed decisions about their career paths.
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Where can a Validation Specialist earn more?
Validation specialist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level validation specialist | $66,400 | $31.94 |
| Mid-level validation specialist | $93,900 | $45.14 |
| Senior-level validation specialist | $115,000 | $55.11 |
Validation specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average validation specialist salary by state
The average validation specialist salary in California, Arizona, and Maryland are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average validation specialist salary states are Nebraska, South Dakota, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for validation specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $101,618 | $48.85 |
| 2 | Wyoming | $92,619 | $44.53 |
| 3 | California | $106,748 | $51.32 |
| 4 | Maryland | $98,536 | $47.37 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $95,806 | $46.06 |
| 6 | Nevada | $96,478 | $46.38 |
| 7 | Vermont | $93,702 | $45.05 |
| 8 | Idaho | $93,388 | $44.90 |
| 9 | Washington | $98,498 | $47.35 |
| 10 | Colorado | $97,149 | $46.71 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $96,503 | $46.40 |
| 12 | Alabama | $87,996 | $42.31 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $86,901 | $41.78 |
| 14 | Texas | $88,576 | $42.58 |
| 15 | Arkansas | $83,551 | $40.17 |
| 16 | Georgia | $87,195 | $41.92 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $95,350 | $45.84 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $93,405 | $44.91 |
| 19 | Virginia | $89,850 | $43.20 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $82,197 | $39.52 |
| 21 | Delaware | $80,769 | $38.83 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $77,687 | $37.35 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $85,809 | $41.25 |
| 24 | Maine | $86,883 | $41.77 |
| 25 | Michigan | $76,063 | $36.57 |
| 26 | Oregon | $79,068 | $38.01 |
| 27 | New York | $84,223 | $40.49 |
| 28 | Utah | $80,920 | $38.90 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $75,314 | $36.21 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $77,779 | $37.39 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $76,787 | $36.92 |
| 32 | Illinois | $79,795 | $38.36 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $81,978 | $39.41 |
| 34 | Florida | $71,113 | $34.19 |
| 35 | Iowa | $67,467 | $32.44 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $78,791 | $37.88 |
| 37 | Alaska | $68,167 | $32.77 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $73,866 | $35.51 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $76,996 | $37.02 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $66,980 | $32.20 |
| 41 | Ohio | $73,005 | $35.10 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $73,813 | $35.49 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $62,656 | $30.12 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $68,923 | $33.14 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $71,817 | $34.53 |
| 46 | Kansas | $58,610 | $28.18 |
| 47 | Missouri | $70,275 | $33.79 |
| 48 | Montana | $69,037 | $33.19 |
| 49 | Indiana | $61,892 | $29.76 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $66,196 | $31.82 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $65,168 | $31.33 |
Highest paying cities for validation specialists
The highest-paying cities for validation specialists are Berkeley, CA, Seattle, WA, and Rockville, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley, CA | $116,041 | $55.79 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $98,603 | $47.41 |
| 3 | Rockville, MD | $98,141 | $47.18 |
| 4 | Cambridge, MA | $95,899 | $46.11 |
| 5 | Monroe, NJ | $95,229 | $45.78 |
| 6 | Virginia Beach, VA | $90,920 | $43.71 |
| 7 | Austin, TX | $89,492 | $43.02 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $87,869 | $42.24 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $84,466 | $40.61 |
| 10 | Rocky Mount, NC | $79,368 | $38.16 |
| 11 | Brooklyn Park, MN | $78,860 | $37.91 |
| 12 | Hillsboro, OR | $78,202 | $37.60 |
| 13 | Largo, FL | $73,740 | $35.45 |
| 14 | Norman, OK | $65,789 | $31.63 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $61,666 | $29.65 |
Validation specialist salary details
A validation specialist's salary ranges from $68,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $120,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a validation specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $120,000 | $10,000 | $58 |
| 75th Percentile | $105,000 | $8,750 | $50 |
| Average | $91,034 | $7,586 | $44 |
| 25th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
Highest paying validation specialist jobs
The highest paying types of validation specialists are senior validation engineer, senior validation specialist, and system validation engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Validation Engineer | $92,322 | $7,693 | $44.39 | 25,362 |
| Validation Engineer | $82,004 | $6,834 | $39.42 | 28,394 |
| Validation Analyst | $84,626 | $7,052 | $40.69 | 29,657 |
Top companies hiring validation specialists now:
Which companies pay validation specialists the most?
Validation specialist salaries at AQR Capital Management and Emergent BioSolutions are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average validation specialist salary at companies like Varian Medical Systems and FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AQR Capital Management | $118,270 | $56.86 |
| 2 | Emergent BioSolutions | $108,073 | $51.96 |
| 3 | Varian Medical Systems | $107,134 | $51.51 |
| 4 | FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies | $107,077 | $51.48 |
| 5 | Novartis | $105,507 | $50.72 |
| 6 | Eli Lilly and Company | $105,115 | $50.54 |
| 7 | AbbVie | $104,914 | $50.44 |
| 8 | Tech Data | $103,614 | $49.81 |
| 9 | Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria | $100,447 | $48.29 |
| 10 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $100,115 | $48.13 |
| 11 | PPG | $100,021 | $48.09 |
| 12 | Bayer | $99,149 | $47.67 |
| 13 | Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group | $97,730 | $46.99 |
| 14 | Teva Pharmaceuticals | $97,075 | $46.67 |
| 15 | FIT | $96,441 | $46.37 |
| 16 | Monster Products | $96,261 | $46.28 |
| 17 | Yoh | $95,948 | $46.13 |
| 18 | UBS | $95,493 | $45.91 |
| 19 | Salient | $94,818 | $45.59 |
| 20 | Eclaro | $94,138 | $45.26 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Validation Specialist salary by industry
The average validation specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average validation specialist salary in the manufacturing industry is $92,762, the highest of any industry.
- The average validation specialist salary in the finance industry is $92,457.
- Validation specialists in the construction industry earn an average salary of $76,884, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for validation specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $92,762 | $44.60 |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical | $92,457 | $44.45 |
| 3 | Finance | $88,199 | $42.40 |
| 4 | Health Care | $85,870 | $41.28 |
| 5 | Technology | $84,952 | $40.84 |
| 6 | Construction | $76,884 | $36.96 |
High paying validation specialist jobs
Validation specialist salary trends
The average validation specialist salary has risen by $11,271 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average validation specialist earned $79,763 annually, but today, they earn $91,034 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for validation specialists over the last decade.
Compare validation specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average validation specialist salary over time
Compare validation specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Validation specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $91,000 | $43.77 | +4.2% |
| 2025 | $87,200 | $41.93 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $85,400 | $41.06 | -0.3% |
| 2023 | $85,600 | $41.17 | -0.1% |
| 2022 | $85,700 | $41.19 | +1.4% |
Recently added validation specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliant Credit Union | Lead Model Validation Specialist-(#Hybrid Perm at OUR Chicago HQ Near O'Hare Airport) | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $99,200 |
| Kao Corporation | Validation Specialist | Cincinnati, OH | 06/28/2025 | $65,000 |
| Abbvie | Validation Specialist I | Irvine, CA | 06/27/2025 | $82,500 |
| MacHinify | Bilingual (Spanish) Subrogation Validation Specialist | La Grange, KY | 06/26/2025 | $48,001 |
| City of Dallas, Tx | Test Validation Specialist (Civil Service) | Marilla, NY | 06/25/2025 | $64,252 |
| Top Prospect Group LLC | Product Validation Specialist | Manchester, NH | 06/18/2025 | $52,175 |
| Abbvie | Validation Specialist I | North Chicago, IL | 06/16/2025 | $82,500 |
| Lonza | Principle Validation Specialist | Walkersville, MD | 06/09/2025 | $100,000 |
| Jubilant Bhartia Group | Validation Specialist | Spokane, WA | 06/06/2025 | $77,969 |
| Baxter | Validation Specialist II AM PM) | Marion, NC | 06/03/2025 | $80,000 |
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