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Best states for a senior biologist
Quoted expert
Dr. Paul Richardson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for senior biologists? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for senior biologist jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of senior biologists in America is $96,000.
In order to get you the best states for senior biologists, 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 Alaska is the best state for senior biologist jobs, whereas Florida is the worst.
10 best states for senior biologists in 2026
1. Alaska
Total senior biologist jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $87,679 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 7.06
2. Massachusetts
Total senior biologist jobs: 60 Average annual salary: $80,474 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 2.75
3. Pennsylvania
Total senior biologist jobs: 17 Average annual salary: $79,167 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 0.62
4. Nevada
Total senior biologist jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $74,541 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
5. Rhode Island
Total senior biologist jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $76,126 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
6. North Dakota
Total senior biologist jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $71,995 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
7. Montana
Total senior biologist jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $69,734 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 2.92
8. Utah
Total senior biologist jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $78,105 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 0.26
9. New Hampshire
Total senior biologist jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $75,604 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 0.48
10. Hawaii
Total senior biologist jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $78,104 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 3.52
Senior biologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior biologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior biologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $87,679 | $59,000 | 739,795 | 14 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $80,474 | $55,000 | 6,859,819 | 60 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $79,167 | $53,000 | 12,805,537 | 17 |
| 4 | Nevada | $74,541 | $48,000 | 2,998,039 | 7 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $76,126 | $52,000 | 1,059,639 | 2 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $71,995 | $49,000 | 755,393 | 2 |
| 7 | Montana | $69,734 | $46,000 | 1,050,493 | 8 |
| 8 | Utah | $78,105 | $51,000 | 3,101,833 | 2 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $75,604 | $51,000 | 1,342,795 | 2 |
| 10 | Hawaii | $78,104 | $59,000 | 1,427,538 | 7 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $78,123 | $52,000 | 693,972 | 5 |
| 12 | Oregon | $73,716 | $47,000 | 4,142,776 | 9 |
| 13 | Delaware | $73,440 | $49,000 | 961,939 | 2 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $75,619 | $51,000 | 3,588,184 | 4 |
| 15 | Vermont | $71,317 | $48,000 | 623,657 | 2 |
| 16 | Washington | $72,577 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 12 |
| 17 | Maine | $67,638 | $46,000 | 1,335,907 | 7 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $67,675 | $46,000 | 869,666 | 2 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $62,906 | $42,000 | 1,815,857 | 9 |
| 20 | New York | $74,307 | $50,000 | 19,849,399 | 14 |
| 21 | California | $70,303 | $45,000 | 39,536,653 | 215 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $63,208 | $42,000 | 1,920,076 | 13 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $75,216 | $50,000 | 9,005,644 | 4 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $69,599 | $46,000 | 3,930,864 | 2 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $62,565 | $42,000 | 579,315 | 2 |
| 26 | Indiana | $65,470 | $44,000 | 6,666,818 | 7 |
| 27 | Virginia | $65,374 | $43,000 | 8,470,020 | 29 |
| 28 | Maryland | $63,393 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 39 |
| 29 | Arizona | $64,693 | $42,000 | 7,016,270 | 6 |
| 30 | Georgia | $65,309 | $42,000 | 10,429,379 | 7 |
| 31 | Michigan | $62,562 | $42,000 | 9,962,311 | 7 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $59,571 | $38,000 | 2,984,100 | 4 |
| 33 | Illinois | $62,388 | $42,000 | 12,802,023 | 17 |
| 34 | Idaho | $58,685 | $38,000 | 1,716,943 | 5 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $63,337 | $43,000 | 5,576,606 | 3 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $58,924 | $39,000 | 4,454,189 | 4 |
| 37 | Alabama | $56,563 | $36,000 | 4,874,747 | 7 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $54,645 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 10 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $55,722 | $37,000 | 5,795,483 | 14 |
| 40 | Iowa | $59,915 | $40,000 | 3,145,711 | 2 |
| 41 | Kansas | $58,674 | $39,000 | 2,913,123 | 2 |
| 42 | Texas | $57,124 | $36,000 | 28,304,596 | 23 |
| 43 | Colorado | $60,193 | $40,000 | 5,607,154 | 6 |
| 44 | Ohio | $56,497 | $38,000 | 11,658,609 | 7 |
| 45 | Missouri | $52,973 | $35,000 | 6,113,532 | 24 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $56,704 | $37,000 | 10,273,419 | 10 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $49,091 | $31,000 | 5,024,369 | 6 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $53,185 | $35,000 | 6,715,984 | 3 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $53,967 | $34,000 | 4,684,333 | 2 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $50,298 | $33,000 | 3,004,279 | 2 |
| 51 | Florida | $51,728 | $32,000 | 20,984,400 | 9 |
Highest paying states for senior biologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Biologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $87,679 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $80,474 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $79,167 |
| 4 | Nevada | $74,541 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $76,126 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $71,995 |
| 7 | Montana | $69,734 |
| 8 | Utah | $78,105 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $75,604 |
| 10 | Hawaii | $78,104 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $78,123 |
| 12 | Oregon | $73,716 |
| 13 | Delaware | $73,440 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $75,619 |
| 15 | Vermont | $71,317 |
| 16 | Washington | $72,577 |
| 17 | Maine | $67,638 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $67,675 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $62,906 |
| 20 | New York | $74,307 |
| 21 | California | $70,303 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $63,208 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $75,216 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $69,599 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $62,565 |
| 26 | Indiana | $65,470 |
| 27 | Virginia | $65,374 |
| 28 | Maryland | $63,393 |
| 29 | Arizona | $64,693 |
| 30 | Georgia | $65,309 |
| 31 | Michigan | $62,562 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $59,571 |
| 33 | Illinois | $62,388 |
| 34 | Idaho | $58,685 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $63,337 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $58,924 |
| 37 | Alabama | $56,563 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $54,645 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $55,722 |
| 40 | Iowa | $59,915 |
| 41 | Kansas | $58,674 |
| 42 | Texas | $57,124 |
| 43 | Colorado | $60,193 |
| 44 | Ohio | $56,497 |
| 45 | Missouri | $52,973 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $56,704 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $49,091 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $53,185 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $53,967 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $50,298 |
| 51 | Florida | $51,728 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior biologists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior biologists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Paul Richardson
Chair of Chemistry Professor of Biochemistry, Coastal Carolina University
The biotech field seems to have a tremendous amount of growth due to the pandemic-particularly those involved in the chemistry of health (drug design, drug manufacturing). The healthcare field has been expanding for years.
Senior biologist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025