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The average salary for a Senior Bioinformatics Scientist in the United States is $104,838 per year, translating to approximately $50 per hour. Salaries can vary based on factors such as location, experience, and industry sector. For instance, states like California and Massachusetts typically offer higher compensation due to their robust biotech industries.
In addition to salary, professionals in this field often enjoy benefits such as flexibility in work hours and opportunities for remote work. The demand for bioinformatics expertise is expected to grow as technology advances, making this an appealing career choice for those with a background in biology, computer science, or related fields.
As a Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, roles can be found in academia, healthcare organizations, and pharmaceutical companies. Job responsibilities may include analyzing genomic data, developing algorithms for data interpretation, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to further research initiatives.
It's essential to consider regional salary differences. For example, cities with major biotech hubs often provide higher salaries and more job openings. By evaluating the average salaries in various states, aspiring bioinformatics professionals can make informed decisions about their careers.
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The average senior bioinformatics scientist salary in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior bioinformatics scientist salary states are North Dakota, Mississippi, and Utah.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $114,798 | $55.19 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $103,759 | $49.88 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $116,656 | $56.08 |
| 4 | California | $113,470 | $54.55 |
| 5 | Maine | $101,629 | $48.86 |
| 6 | Delaware | $97,022 | $46.65 |
| 7 | New York | $99,866 | $48.01 |
| 8 | Montana | $93,479 | $44.94 |
| 9 | Nevada | $105,292 | $50.62 |
| 10 | Maryland | $91,558 | $44.02 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $88,584 | $42.59 |
| 12 | Oregon | $92,738 | $44.59 |
| 13 | Arizona | $92,799 | $44.61 |
| 14 | Illinois | $90,422 | $43.47 |
| 15 | Indiana | $90,510 | $43.51 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $84,049 | $40.41 |
| 17 | Vermont | $84,621 | $40.68 |
| 18 | Washington | $85,075 | $40.90 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $83,507 | $40.15 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $90,399 | $43.46 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $83,624 | $40.20 |
| 22 | Michigan | $87,396 | $42.02 |
| 23 | Ohio | $85,250 | $40.99 |
| 24 | Idaho | $80,321 | $38.62 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $83,364 | $40.08 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $79,019 | $37.99 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $75,228 | $36.17 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $72,830 | $35.01 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $82,448 | $39.64 |
| 30 | Virginia | $71,603 | $34.42 |
| 31 | Alaska | $73,604 | $35.39 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $63,699 | $30.62 |
| 33 | Colorado | $74,396 | $35.77 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $73,100 | $35.14 |
| 35 | Texas | $70,122 | $33.71 |
| 36 | District of Columbia | $78,450 | $37.72 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $71,241 | $34.25 |
| 38 | Florida | $69,979 | $33.64 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $55,153 | $26.52 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $66,956 | $32.19 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $60,562 | $29.12 |
| 42 | Kansas | $63,558 | $30.56 |
| 43 | Alabama | $65,944 | $31.70 |
| 44 | Georgia | $66,181 | $31.82 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $62,061 | $29.84 |
| 46 | Iowa | $62,938 | $30.26 |
| 47 | Utah | $59,676 | $28.69 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $60,809 | $29.24 |
| 49 | Missouri | $54,955 | $26.42 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $60,335 | $29.01 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $56,761 | $27.29 |
The highest-paying cities for senior bioinformatics scientists are Novato, CA, Branford, CT, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novato, CA | $122,346 | $58.82 |
| 2 | Branford, CT | $115,555 | $55.56 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $100,112 | $48.13 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $93,195 | $44.81 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $91,943 | $44.20 |
| 6 | Memphis, TN | $89,166 | $42.87 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $88,758 | $42.67 |
| 8 | Ann Arbor, MI | $87,422 | $42.03 |
| 9 | Seattle, WA | $85,628 | $41.17 |
| 10 | Madison, WI | $78,558 | $37.77 |
| 11 | Reston, VA | $73,293 | $35.24 |
| 12 | Spring, TX | $69,223 | $33.28 |
| 13 | West Palm Beach, FL | $68,932 | $33.14 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $65,918 | $31.69 |
| 15 | Salt Lake City, UT | $59,189 | $28.46 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $55,974 | $26.91 |
A senior bioinformatics scientist's salary ranges from $66,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $164,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $164,000 | $13,667 | $79 |
| 75th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| Average | $104,838 | $8,737 | $50 |
| 25th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| 10th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
The highest paying types of senior bioinformatics scientists are medical science liaison, principal scientist, and senior scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Fellow | $66,364 | $5,530 | $31.91 | 7,459 |
| PHD Researcher | $51,634 | $4,303 | $24.82 | 19,736 |
| Researcher | $67,145 | $5,595 | $32.28 | 30,498 |
| Doctoral Fellow | $53,366 | $4,447 | $25.66 | 22,661 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | $57,587 | $4,799 | $27.69 | 18,983 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for senior bioinformatics scientists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Howard Whiteman
Professor of Biological Sciences, Director of the Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University
Top companies hiring senior bioinformatics scientists now:
Senior bioinformatics scientist salaries at NVIDIA and Genentech are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior bioinformatics scientist salary at companies like Varian Medical Systems and Exelixis are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NVIDIA | $146,967 | $70.66 |
| 2 | Genentech | $130,165 | $62.58 |
| 3 | Varian Medical Systems | $127,956 | $61.52 |
| 4 | Exelixis | $120,423 | $57.90 |
| 5 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $120,291 | $57.83 |
| 6 | DNAnexus | $119,588 | $57.49 |
| 7 | Exact Sciences | $118,179 | $56.82 |
| 8 | Agilent Technologies | $112,751 | $54.21 |
| 9 | AbbVie | $109,952 | $52.86 |
| 10 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $109,136 | $52.47 |
| 11 | Novartis | $109,080 | $52.44 |
| 12 | Illumina | $108,651 | $52.24 |
| 13 | Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc | $107,580 | $51.72 |
| 14 | PacBio | $106,671 | $51.28 |
| 15 | Experis US Inc | $105,526 | $50.73 |
| 16 | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | $103,765 | $49.89 |
| 17 | GNS Healthcare | $103,554 | $49.79 |
| 18 | 454 Life Sciences | $102,713 | $49.38 |
| 19 | Bionano Genomics | $101,658 | $48.87 |
| 20 | IntelliPro | $101,120 | $48.62 |
The average senior bioinformatics scientist salary has risen by $17,620 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior bioinformatics scientist earned $87,218 annually, but today, they earn $104,838 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for senior bioinformatics scientists over the last decade.
Compare senior bioinformatics scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare senior bioinformatics scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $105,000 | $50.40 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $102,000 | $48.90 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $97,200 | $46.71 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $94,000 | $45.21 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $92,300 | $44.36 | -2.1% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personalis Inc. | SR. Bioinformatics Scientist-Novel Cell Free DNA Applications | Fremont, CA | 06/20/2025 | $150,000 |
| Twist Bioscience | Senior Bioinformatics Scientist-Synbio | South San Francisco, CA | 06/18/2025 | $150,000 |
| Arc Institute | Senior Scientist, Bioinformatics | Palo Alto, CA | 06/09/2025 | $152,500 |
| Abbvie | SR Scientist I Bioinformatics | North Chicago, IL | 05/28/2025 | $94,000 |
| Collabera | Bioinformatics Scientist III-Senior | Cambridge, MA | 05/28/2025 | $166,960 |
| Manpowergroup | Bioinformatics Scientist-III (Senior) | Cambridge, MA | 05/23/2025 | $187,830 |
| Tempus | Senior Bioinformatics Scientist | Boca Raton, FL | 05/21/2025 | $115,000 |
| Illumina | SR Bioinformatics Scientist | San Diego, CA | 05/16/2025 | $126,800 |
| St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | Senior Bioinformatic Research Scientist/Bioinformatic Research Scientist-Kellogg Lab | Memphis, TN | 05/16/2025 | $104,000 |
| Twist Bioscience | Senior Bioinformatics Scientist-Synbio | South San Francisco, CA | 05/03/2025 | $150,000 |
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