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Best states for a scientific writer
Quoted expert
Guy D. Hepp
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for scientific writers in the United States. Scientific writer positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for scientific writers.Our research shows that District of Columbia is the best state in the country for scientific writers.
In order to get you the best states for scientific writers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that District of Columbia is the best state for scientific writer jobs, whereas Iowa is the worst.
10 best states for scientific writers in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total scientific writer jobs: 194 Average annual salary: $137,045 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $201,000 Location Quotient: 4.75
2. Virginia
Total scientific writer jobs: 345 Average annual salary: $117,340 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
3. Massachusetts
Total scientific writer jobs: 373 Average annual salary: $104,656 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.67
4. New Jersey
Total scientific writer jobs: 222 Average annual salary: $109,419 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
5. California
Total scientific writer jobs: 987 Average annual salary: $110,398 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
6. Arizona
Total scientific writer jobs: 110 Average annual salary: $115,911 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
7. Vermont
Total scientific writer jobs: 26 Average annual salary: $97,329 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
8. Connecticut
Total scientific writer jobs: 76 Average annual salary: $99,795 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
9. Pennsylvania
Total scientific writer jobs: 215 Average annual salary: $98,980 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
10. New Hampshire
Total scientific writer jobs: 36 Average annual salary: $97,650 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
Scientific writer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a scientific writer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a scientific writer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $137,045 | $93,000 | 693,972 | 194 |
| 2 | Virginia | $117,340 | $79,000 | 8,470,020 | 345 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $104,656 | $70,000 | 6,859,819 | 373 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $109,419 | $73,000 | 9,005,644 | 222 |
| 5 | California | $110,398 | $73,000 | 39,536,653 | 987 |
| 6 | Arizona | $115,911 | $77,000 | 7,016,270 | 110 |
| 7 | Vermont | $97,329 | $65,000 | 623,657 | 26 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $99,795 | $66,000 | 3,588,184 | 76 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $98,980 | $66,000 | 12,805,537 | 215 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $97,650 | $65,000 | 1,342,795 | 36 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $94,627 | $63,000 | 10,273,419 | 218 |
| 12 | Michigan | $97,501 | $66,000 | 9,962,311 | 137 |
| 13 | New York | $95,473 | $64,000 | 19,849,399 | 572 |
| 14 | Nevada | $91,628 | $61,000 | 2,998,039 | 52 |
| 15 | Maryland | $93,448 | $62,000 | 6,052,177 | 317 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $84,714 | $58,000 | 579,315 | 29 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $88,842 | $59,000 | 1,059,639 | 28 |
| 18 | Oregon | $89,459 | $60,000 | 4,142,776 | 165 |
| 19 | Alaska | $89,312 | $63,000 | 739,795 | 27 |
| 20 | Washington | $90,519 | $61,000 | 7,405,743 | 225 |
| 21 | Illinois | $87,955 | $60,000 | 12,802,023 | 323 |
| 22 | Delaware | $88,222 | $59,000 | 961,939 | 34 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $88,537 | $62,000 | 5,576,606 | 142 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $88,714 | $64,000 | 755,393 | 14 |
| 25 | Florida | $89,587 | $57,000 | 20,984,400 | 311 |
| 26 | Texas | $87,339 | $57,000 | 28,304,596 | 322 |
| 27 | Ohio | $86,544 | $58,000 | 11,658,609 | 129 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $86,411 | $57,000 | 4,684,333 | 26 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $81,410 | $56,000 | 5,795,483 | 95 |
| 30 | Indiana | $81,301 | $55,000 | 6,666,818 | 88 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $81,558 | $54,000 | 2,088,070 | 39 |
| 32 | Georgia | $83,086 | $55,000 | 10,429,379 | 177 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $81,150 | $55,000 | 1,427,538 | 23 |
| 34 | Colorado | $81,321 | $55,000 | 5,607,154 | 133 |
| 35 | Utah | $76,688 | $51,000 | 3,101,833 | 98 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $79,157 | $53,000 | 6,715,984 | 65 |
| 37 | Missouri | $79,433 | $54,000 | 6,113,532 | 106 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $76,053 | $51,000 | 1,815,857 | 20 |
| 39 | Alabama | $78,564 | $52,000 | 4,874,747 | 46 |
| 40 | Montana | $76,290 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 24 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $77,816 | $51,000 | 5,024,369 | 54 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $74,783 | $50,000 | 3,004,279 | 40 |
| 43 | Kansas | $75,525 | $51,000 | 2,913,123 | 45 |
| 44 | Maine | $76,672 | $51,000 | 1,335,907 | 19 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $70,454 | $49,000 | 1,920,076 | 48 |
| 46 | Idaho | $69,122 | $47,000 | 1,716,943 | 32 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $74,258 | $49,000 | 2,984,100 | 18 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $73,453 | $49,000 | 4,454,189 | 38 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $72,164 | $49,000 | 3,930,864 | 39 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $68,957 | $48,000 | 869,666 | 14 |
| 51 | Iowa | $69,622 | $48,000 | 3,145,711 | 40 |
Highest paying states for scientific writers
| Rank | State | Avg. Scientific Writer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $137,045 |
| 2 | Virginia | $117,340 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $104,656 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $109,419 |
| 5 | California | $110,398 |
| 6 | Arizona | $115,911 |
| 7 | Vermont | $97,329 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $99,795 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $98,980 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $97,650 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $94,627 |
| 12 | Michigan | $97,501 |
| 13 | New York | $95,473 |
| 14 | Nevada | $91,628 |
| 15 | Maryland | $93,448 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $84,714 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $88,842 |
| 18 | Oregon | $89,459 |
| 19 | Alaska | $89,312 |
| 20 | Washington | $90,519 |
| 21 | Illinois | $87,955 |
| 22 | Delaware | $88,222 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $88,537 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $88,714 |
| 25 | Florida | $89,587 |
| 26 | Texas | $87,339 |
| 27 | Ohio | $86,544 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $86,411 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $81,410 |
| 30 | Indiana | $81,301 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $81,558 |
| 32 | Georgia | $83,086 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $81,150 |
| 34 | Colorado | $81,321 |
| 35 | Utah | $76,688 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $79,157 |
| 37 | Missouri | $79,433 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $76,053 |
| 39 | Alabama | $78,564 |
| 40 | Montana | $76,290 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $77,816 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $74,783 |
| 43 | Kansas | $75,525 |
| 44 | Maine | $76,672 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $70,454 |
| 46 | Idaho | $69,122 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $74,258 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $73,453 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $72,164 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $68,957 |
| 51 | Iowa | $69,622 |
Expert opinions on the best states for scientific writers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for scientific writers to find work opportunities?
Guy D. Hepp
Assistant Professor, California State University San Bernardino
Again, I think a student needs to think about what they want to do within the broad field of anthropology. Take a variety of courses and see if you can settle on the subdiscipline or topic that interests you most. Are you passionate about museums and curation? Do you want to work with a company that helps to preserve cultural heritage as development continues? Do you want to work to help make government policies more culturally inclusive, both in the United States and abroad? Anthropology might be perfect for you. I would suggest that students interested in archaeology take a field school, and then, begin working in cultural resources management (CRM) to see how they enjoy it. If museums are what interest you, consider not only courses in museum studies (offered in some anthropology departments or in programs otherwise affiliated with anthropology) but also pursue internships and volunteer opportunities. There are jobs out there. It might help you to get started if you volunteer for the type of career you want.
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Updated January 8, 2025