Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a scientist senior, research and development
Quoted expert
Don Snyder
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for scientist seniors, research and development? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for scientist senior, research and development jobs.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for scientist seniors, research and development. We found that Alaska is the best state in the nation for scientist seniors, research and development, and people in Pacifica earn the most in the field.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for scientist seniors, research and development. Alaska is the best state for scientist seniors, research and development, where the median salary is $108,028.Alaska is the best state, and Pacifica is the city with the highest pay for scientist seniors, research and development.
10 best states for scientist seniors, research and development in 2026
1. Alaska
Total scientist senior, research and development jobs: 184 Average annual salary: $108,028 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
2. Massachusetts
Total scientist senior, research and development jobs: 2,248 Average annual salary: $106,144 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
3. Indiana
Total scientist senior, research and development jobs: 1,031 Average annual salary: $117,248 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
4. Tennessee
Total scientist senior, research and development jobs: 1,117 Average annual salary: $101,477 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
5. California
Total scientist senior, research and development jobs: 4,054 Average annual salary: $131,927 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $191,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
6. Connecticut
Total scientist senior, research and development jobs: 540 Average annual salary: $111,925 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
7. Wisconsin
Total scientist senior, research and development jobs: 1,155 Average annual salary: $100,271 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
8. New Jersey
Total scientist senior, research and development jobs: 1,493 Average annual salary: $106,078 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
9. Pennsylvania
Total scientist senior, research and development jobs: 2,859 Average annual salary: $94,222 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
10. Maryland
Total scientist senior, research and development jobs: 1,553 Average annual salary: $101,786 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
Scientist senior, research and development jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a scientist senior, research and development
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a scientist senior, research and development
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $108,028 | $81,000 | 739,795 | 184 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $106,144 | $78,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,248 |
| 3 | Indiana | $117,248 | $84,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,031 |
| 4 | Tennessee | $101,477 | $72,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,117 |
| 5 | California | $131,927 | $90,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,054 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $111,925 | $82,000 | 3,588,184 | 540 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $100,271 | $73,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,155 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $106,078 | $77,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,493 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $94,222 | $68,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,859 |
| 10 | Maryland | $101,786 | $73,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,553 |
| 11 | Montana | $113,882 | $80,000 | 1,050,493 | 147 |
| 12 | Nevada | $103,427 | $70,000 | 2,998,039 | 342 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $92,819 | $67,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,524 |
| 14 | Delaware | $100,502 | $72,000 | 961,939 | 231 |
| 15 | Maine | $105,725 | $79,000 | 1,335,907 | 160 |
| 16 | Illinois | $102,680 | $74,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,681 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $99,247 | $75,000 | 1,427,538 | 203 |
| 18 | Oregon | $96,187 | $67,000 | 4,142,776 | 767 |
| 19 | Ohio | $92,269 | $67,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,804 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $81,358 | $58,000 | 869,666 | 276 |
| 21 | Vermont | $89,095 | $66,000 | 623,657 | 144 |
| 22 | New York | $89,399 | $65,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,734 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $88,726 | $65,000 | 1,059,639 | 198 |
| 24 | Virginia | $91,771 | $66,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,661 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $82,776 | $61,000 | 1,342,795 | 484 |
| 26 | Michigan | $82,221 | $60,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,553 |
| 27 | Arizona | $94,581 | $64,000 | 7,016,270 | 734 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $81,410 | $58,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,293 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $81,093 | $55,000 | 2,088,070 | 458 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $83,110 | $58,000 | 3,004,279 | 475 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $85,292 | $60,000 | 579,315 | 90 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $100,745 | $72,000 | 693,972 | 178 |
| 33 | Washington | $90,778 | $64,000 | 7,405,743 | 932 |
| 34 | Iowa | $81,695 | $59,000 | 3,145,711 | 579 |
| 35 | Colorado | $84,824 | $59,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,011 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $82,449 | $57,000 | 3,930,864 | 448 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $76,604 | $55,000 | 1,815,857 | 281 |
| 38 | Alabama | $79,718 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 626 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $74,060 | $54,000 | 755,393 | 211 |
| 40 | Florida | $75,265 | $50,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,522 |
| 41 | Georgia | $75,080 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,032 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $76,600 | $55,000 | 4,454,189 | 545 |
| 43 | Kansas | $75,214 | $53,000 | 2,913,123 | 533 |
| 44 | Missouri | $73,635 | $52,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,152 |
| 45 | Texas | $79,708 | $54,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,226 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $67,797 | $48,000 | 1,920,076 | 435 |
| 47 | Idaho | $75,653 | $53,000 | 1,716,943 | 193 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $69,560 | $47,000 | 4,684,333 | 426 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $65,888 | $45,000 | 2,984,100 | 286 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $66,282 | $46,000 | 5,024,369 | 613 |
| 51 | Utah | $64,186 | $44,000 | 3,101,833 | 432 |
Highest paying states for scientist seniors, research and development
| Rank | State | Avg. Scientist Senior, Research And Development Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $108,028 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $106,144 |
| 3 | Indiana | $117,248 |
| 4 | Tennessee | $101,477 |
| 5 | California | $131,927 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $111,925 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $100,271 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $106,078 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $94,222 |
| 10 | Maryland | $101,786 |
| 11 | Montana | $113,882 |
| 12 | Nevada | $103,427 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $92,819 |
| 14 | Delaware | $100,502 |
| 15 | Maine | $105,725 |
| 16 | Illinois | $102,680 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $99,247 |
| 18 | Oregon | $96,187 |
| 19 | Ohio | $92,269 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $81,358 |
| 21 | Vermont | $89,095 |
| 22 | New York | $89,399 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $88,726 |
| 24 | Virginia | $91,771 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $82,776 |
| 26 | Michigan | $82,221 |
| 27 | Arizona | $94,581 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $81,410 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $81,093 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $83,110 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $85,292 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $100,745 |
| 33 | Washington | $90,778 |
| 34 | Iowa | $81,695 |
| 35 | Colorado | $84,824 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $82,449 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $76,604 |
| 38 | Alabama | $79,718 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $74,060 |
| 40 | Florida | $75,265 |
| 41 | Georgia | $75,080 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $76,600 |
| 43 | Kansas | $75,214 |
| 44 | Missouri | $73,635 |
| 45 | Texas | $79,708 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $67,797 |
| 47 | Idaho | $75,653 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $69,560 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $65,888 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $66,282 |
| 51 | Utah | $64,186 |
Expert opinions on the best states for scientist seniors, research and development
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for scientist senior, research and developments to find work opportunities?
Don Snyder
Associate Director, Industry Advising: STEM, William and Mary
Strong tech markets in the U.S. include Austin, Raleigh, Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Columbus. Some markets are established in tech, while other markets are more up-and-coming. Smaller cities that may be "off the radar" include Huntsville and Tucson. Graduates need to look at different factors when exploring cities, including the cost of living. The dollar will go a lot further in Raleigh than in San Francisco. And some cities that were once more affordable may have a higher cost of living now due to the recent influx of residents.
Scientist senior, research and development best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for scientist senior, research and development jobs
Updated January 8, 2025