Best states for a science professor

Q: What is the best state for science professors?

The best state to be a science professor is New York based on science professor salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for science professors?

The highest paying state for science professors is Hawaii based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for science professors?

The worst state for science professors is South Carolina, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Jonathan Lehrer Ph.D.

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Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to science professor jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. We wanted to look at the best states for science professors -- where there are plenty of science professor jobs to go around and science professors get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.

To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for science professors.New York is the best state, and Cedar City is the city with the highest pay for science professors.

10 best states for science professors in 2025

1. New York
Total science professor jobs: 992
Average annual salary: $129,460
Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $221,000
Location Quotient:
1.81
Science professor jobs in New York
2. Mississippi
Total science professor jobs: 163
Average annual salary: $117,889
Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $200,000
Location Quotient:
1.8
Science professor jobs in Mississippi
3. Utah
Total science professor jobs: 190
Average annual salary: $139,708
Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $223,000
Location Quotient:
1.39
Science professor jobs in Utah
4. Oregon
Total science professor jobs: 287
Average annual salary: $115,040
Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000
Location Quotient:
1.62
Science professor jobs in Oregon
5. Rhode Island
Total science professor jobs: 67
Average annual salary: $108,528
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000
Location Quotient:
1.29
Science professor jobs in Rhode Island
6. Michigan
Total science professor jobs: 350
Average annual salary: $108,220
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $194,000
Location Quotient:
1.06
Science professor jobs in Michigan
7. Alaska
Total science professor jobs: 52
Average annual salary: $113,325
Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000
Location Quotient:
1.46
Science professor jobs in Alaska
8. California
Total science professor jobs: 987
Average annual salary: $131,513
Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $209,000
Location Quotient:
0.79
Science professor jobs in California
9. Massachusetts
Total science professor jobs: 398
Average annual salary: $108,664
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000
Location Quotient:
1.01
Science professor jobs in Massachusetts
10. Nevada
Total science professor jobs: 88
Average annual salary: $107,255
Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $179,000
Location Quotient:
0.98
Science professor jobs in Nevada

Science professor jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a science professor

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a science professor

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	New York	$129,460	$75,000	19,849,399	992
2	Mississippi	$117,889	$69,000	2,984,100	163
3	Utah	$139,708	$87,000	3,101,833	190
4	Oregon	$115,040	$69,000	4,142,776	287
5	Rhode Island	$108,528	$60,000	1,059,639	67
6	Michigan	$108,220	$60,000	9,962,311	350
7	Alaska	$113,325	$72,000	739,795	52
8	California	$131,513	$82,000	39,536,653	987
9	Massachusetts	$108,664	$60,000	6,859,819	398
10	Nevada	$107,255	$64,000	2,998,039	88
11	West Virginia	$94,158	$50,000	1,815,857	135
12	Delaware	$107,422	$59,000	961,939	49
13	District of Columbia	$105,830	$57,000	693,972	116
14	New Hampshire	$103,016	$56,000	1,342,795	72
15	Wisconsin	$98,311	$54,000	5,795,483	242
16	Connecticut	$106,193	$58,000	3,588,184	129
17	New Mexico	$100,700	$59,000	2,088,070	78
18	North Dakota	$98,368	$57,000	755,393	39
19	Maine	$94,163	$50,000	1,335,907	80
20	Vermont	$92,890	$49,000	623,657	84
21	Indiana	$103,537	$57,000	6,666,818	167
22	Wyoming	$92,123	$53,000	579,315	33
23	Maryland	$103,577	$56,000	6,052,177	242
24	Iowa	$91,671	$51,000	3,145,711	157
25	Idaho	$94,774	$55,000	1,716,943	70
26	Washington	$100,444	$59,000	7,405,743	251
27	Minnesota	$97,785	$55,000	5,576,606	214
28	Colorado	$89,163	$51,000	5,607,154	395
29	New Jersey	$91,640	$48,000	9,005,644	469
30	Kansas	$91,574	$51,000	2,913,123	106
31	Pennsylvania	$89,298	$47,000	12,805,537	474
32	Louisiana	$84,396	$48,000	4,684,333	193
33	Alabama	$85,804	$47,000	4,874,747	201
34	Georgia	$92,956	$51,000	10,429,379	257
35	South Dakota	$76,797	$43,000	869,666	76
36	Illinois	$89,845	$48,000	12,802,023	443
37	Oklahoma	$89,304	$50,000	3,930,864	90
38	Nebraska	$79,108	$44,000	1,920,076	134
39	Virginia	$83,802	$43,000	8,470,020	509
40	Ohio	$87,399	$46,000	11,658,609	267
41	Montana	$74,709	$43,000	1,050,493	76
42	Kentucky	$67,588	$35,000	4,454,189	244
43	Arkansas	$82,388	$45,000	3,004,279	85
44	Missouri	$82,865	$45,000	6,113,532	165
45	Texas	$69,793	$40,000	28,304,596	992
46	Tennessee	$80,415	$43,000	6,715,984	155
47	North Carolina	$78,158	$40,000	10,273,419	314
48	Hawaii	$56,856	$44,000	1,427,538	31
49	Florida	$70,635	$41,000	20,984,400	493
50	Arizona	$68,552	$40,000	7,016,270	171
51	South Carolina	$63,700	$33,000	5,024,369	143

Highest paying states for science professors

Rank	State	Avg. Science Professor Salary
1	New York	$129,460
2	Mississippi	$117,889
3	Utah	$139,708
4	Oregon	$115,040
5	Rhode Island	$108,528
6	Michigan	$108,220
7	Alaska	$113,325
8	California	$131,513
9	Massachusetts	$108,664
10	Nevada	$107,255
11	West Virginia	$94,158
12	Delaware	$107,422
13	District of Columbia	$105,830
14	New Hampshire	$103,016
15	Wisconsin	$98,311
16	Connecticut	$106,193
17	New Mexico	$100,700
18	North Dakota	$98,368
19	Maine	$94,163
20	Vermont	$92,890
21	Indiana	$103,537
22	Wyoming	$92,123
23	Maryland	$103,577
24	Iowa	$91,671
25	Idaho	$94,774
26	Washington	$100,444
27	Minnesota	$97,785
28	Colorado	$89,163
29	New Jersey	$91,640
30	Kansas	$91,574
31	Pennsylvania	$89,298
32	Louisiana	$84,396
33	Alabama	$85,804
34	Georgia	$92,956
35	South Dakota	$76,797
36	Illinois	$89,845
37	Oklahoma	$89,304
38	Nebraska	$79,108
39	Virginia	$83,802
40	Ohio	$87,399
41	Montana	$74,709
42	Kentucky	$67,588
43	Arkansas	$82,388
44	Missouri	$82,865
45	Texas	$69,793
46	Tennessee	$80,415
47	North Carolina	$78,158
48	Hawaii	$56,856
49	Florida	$70,635
50	Arizona	$68,552
51	South Carolina	$63,700

Expert opinions on the best states for science professors

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for science professors to find work opportunities?
Jonathan Lehrer Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Chair, Farmingdale State College
The Horticulture and Landscape Design industry are driven by urban and suburban development. For example, before COVID-19, urban horticulture was booming in places like Brooklyn and Manhattan. Now, we hear predictions that many residents will flee these urban centers for "safer" areas. Should this happen, growth in this sector may slow, or be reversed. Conversely, areas of the United States that are witnessing population growth due to relocation, retirement, and other social forces will see the expansion of the horticulture and allied services industry. Examples might include parts of the Middle Atlantic and South (Virginia, the Carolinas, Florida) and the Southwest (Arizona, Nevada).

Science professor best states FAQs

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Best states for Science Professors

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total science professor jobs:	992
Average annual salary:	$129,460
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$75,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$221,000
Location Quotient:	1.81

Best states for a science professor

10 best states for science professors in 2025

1. New York

2. Mississippi

3. Utah

4. Oregon

5. Rhode Island

6. Michigan

7. Alaska

8. California

9. Massachusetts

10. Nevada