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Best states for a senior associate scientist
Quoted expert
Don Snyder
- Rank 1 - 10
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for senior associate scientists? 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 senior associate scientist jobs.Our research found that California is the best state for senior associate scientists, while California and Rhode Island are ranked highest in terms of median salary. California has a median salary of $114,487 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for senior associate scientists.
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 senior associate scientists.California is the best state, and Pacifica is the city with the highest pay for senior associate scientists.
10 best states for senior associate scientists in 2026
1. California
Total senior associate scientist jobs: 3,337 Average annual salary: $114,487 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
2. Delaware
Total senior associate scientist jobs: 156 Average annual salary: $99,464 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
3. New Jersey
Total senior associate scientist jobs: 1,223 Average annual salary: $90,174 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.86
4. Rhode Island
Total senior associate scientist jobs: 96 Average annual salary: $105,316 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
5. Massachusetts
Total senior associate scientist jobs: 2,046 Average annual salary: $87,855 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 2.69
6. Alaska
Total senior associate scientist jobs: 73 Average annual salary: $97,327 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
7. Connecticut
Total senior associate scientist jobs: 307 Average annual salary: $94,151 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
8. Maine
Total senior associate scientist jobs: 100 Average annual salary: $99,044 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
9. Maryland
Total senior associate scientist jobs: 966 Average annual salary: $88,325 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.84
10. Vermont
Total senior associate scientist jobs: 79 Average annual salary: $80,504 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
Senior associate scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior associate scientist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior associate scientist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $114,487 | $72,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,337 |
| 2 | Delaware | $99,464 | $65,000 | 961,939 | 156 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $90,174 | $59,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,223 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $105,316 | $71,000 | 1,059,639 | 96 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $87,855 | $59,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,046 |
| 6 | Alaska | $97,327 | $64,000 | 739,795 | 73 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $94,151 | $63,000 | 3,588,184 | 307 |
| 8 | Maine | $99,044 | $68,000 | 1,335,907 | 100 |
| 9 | Maryland | $88,325 | $57,000 | 6,052,177 | 966 |
| 10 | Vermont | $80,504 | $54,000 | 623,657 | 79 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $89,367 | $66,000 | 1,427,538 | 75 |
| 12 | Oregon | $83,228 | $52,000 | 4,142,776 | 357 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $75,151 | $49,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,128 |
| 14 | Arizona | $89,667 | $55,000 | 7,016,270 | 293 |
| 15 | New York | $77,010 | $51,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,592 |
| 16 | Nevada | $84,688 | $52,000 | 2,998,039 | 111 |
| 17 | Indiana | $85,344 | $55,000 | 6,666,818 | 302 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $75,673 | $51,000 | 1,342,795 | 146 |
| 19 | Montana | $75,349 | $47,000 | 1,050,493 | 95 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $67,887 | $44,000 | 869,666 | 114 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $73,860 | $48,000 | 5,795,483 | 354 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $66,754 | $42,000 | 579,315 | 55 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $74,766 | $49,000 | 5,576,606 | 408 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $75,415 | $49,000 | 693,972 | 148 |
| 25 | Idaho | $70,034 | $43,000 | 1,716,943 | 114 |
| 26 | Washington | $66,618 | $42,000 | 7,405,743 | 799 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $71,381 | $45,000 | 6,715,984 | 269 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $60,880 | $39,000 | 10,273,419 | 956 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $62,352 | $38,000 | 2,088,070 | 174 |
| 30 | Illinois | $64,062 | $41,000 | 12,802,023 | 960 |
| 31 | Virginia | $60,067 | $39,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,065 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $60,263 | $39,000 | 755,393 | 81 |
| 33 | Michigan | $66,584 | $43,000 | 9,962,311 | 331 |
| 34 | Iowa | $63,074 | $41,000 | 3,145,711 | 197 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $61,757 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 83 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $60,845 | $39,000 | 4,454,189 | 145 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $61,939 | $39,000 | 3,930,864 | 66 |
| 38 | Kansas | $56,759 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 171 |
| 39 | Florida | $59,838 | $37,000 | 20,984,400 | 787 |
| 40 | Alabama | $59,454 | $37,000 | 4,874,747 | 150 |
| 41 | Ohio | $56,161 | $36,000 | 11,658,609 | 543 |
| 42 | Colorado | $55,794 | $35,000 | 5,607,154 | 406 |
| 43 | Utah | $52,502 | $32,000 | 3,101,833 | 215 |
| 44 | Missouri | $51,968 | $33,000 | 6,113,532 | 405 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $53,680 | $34,000 | 1,815,857 | 68 |
| 46 | Texas | $51,551 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,097 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $51,885 | $33,000 | 1,920,076 | 106 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $49,013 | $31,000 | 5,024,369 | 242 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $50,206 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 117 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $49,481 | $31,000 | 2,984,100 | 63 |
| 51 | Georgia | $49,239 | $31,000 | 10,429,379 | 433 |
Highest paying states for senior associate scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Associate Scientist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $114,487 |
| 2 | Delaware | $99,464 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $90,174 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $105,316 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $87,855 |
| 6 | Alaska | $97,327 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $94,151 |
| 8 | Maine | $99,044 |
| 9 | Maryland | $88,325 |
| 10 | Vermont | $80,504 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $89,367 |
| 12 | Oregon | $83,228 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $75,151 |
| 14 | Arizona | $89,667 |
| 15 | New York | $77,010 |
| 16 | Nevada | $84,688 |
| 17 | Indiana | $85,344 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $75,673 |
| 19 | Montana | $75,349 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $67,887 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $73,860 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $66,754 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $74,766 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $75,415 |
| 25 | Idaho | $70,034 |
| 26 | Washington | $66,618 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $71,381 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $60,880 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $62,352 |
| 30 | Illinois | $64,062 |
| 31 | Virginia | $60,067 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $60,263 |
| 33 | Michigan | $66,584 |
| 34 | Iowa | $63,074 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $61,757 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $60,845 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $61,939 |
| 38 | Kansas | $56,759 |
| 39 | Florida | $59,838 |
| 40 | Alabama | $59,454 |
| 41 | Ohio | $56,161 |
| 42 | Colorado | $55,794 |
| 43 | Utah | $52,502 |
| 44 | Missouri | $51,968 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $53,680 |
| 46 | Texas | $51,551 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $51,885 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $49,013 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $50,206 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $49,481 |
| 51 | Georgia | $49,239 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior associate scientists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior associate scientists 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025