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Senior manager of research and development salary
Average senior manager of research and development salary
$145,411
Understanding the Senior Manager of Research and Development Salary
The Senior Manager of Research and Development is integral to driving innovation and product development in any organization. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $145,411, translating to about $70 per hour. This figure varies by state, with top-paying states including California, Massachusetts, and New York, where salaries can exceed $150,000.
In addition to location, factors such as experience level and industry impact earnings. For instance, professionals in pharmaceuticals or technology sectors may command higher salaries. Understanding these dynamics can help job seekers target positions that offer competitive compensation.
Job Opportunities
As a senior manager, your responsibilities may include directing research teams, developing new products, and collaborating with other departments. Opportunities abound in various sectors such as healthcare, technology, and consumer goods. Networking and continuous professional development are crucial for career advancement in this field.
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Where can a Senior Manager Of Research And Development earn more?
Average senior manager of research and development salary by state
The average senior manager of research and development salary in Washington, Nevada, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior manager of research and development salary states are Iowa, South Carolina, and Missouri.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior managers of research and development
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $162,719 | $78.23 |
| 2 | Nevada | $163,274 | $78.50 |
| 3 | Montana | $138,427 | $66.55 |
| 4 | Washington | $172,193 | $82.79 |
| 5 | Oregon | $143,230 | $68.86 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $135,555 | $65.17 |
| 7 | Virginia | $156,779 | $75.37 |
| 8 | Indiana | $136,561 | $65.65 |
| 9 | Alaska | $152,345 | $73.24 |
| 10 | South Dakota | $129,056 | $62.05 |
| 11 | Michigan | $125,875 | $60.52 |
| 12 | Georgia | $131,092 | $63.02 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $133,750 | $64.30 |
| 14 | Idaho | $138,123 | $66.41 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $125,596 | $60.38 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $131,772 | $63.35 |
| 17 | Florida | $126,814 | $60.97 |
| 18 | Louisiana | $132,150 | $63.53 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $128,936 | $61.99 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $122,615 | $58.95 |
| 21 | Arizona | $123,625 | $59.44 |
| 22 | Maine | $130,116 | $62.56 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $131,277 | $63.11 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $118,841 | $57.14 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $120,512 | $57.94 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $129,334 | $62.18 |
| 27 | Kansas | $121,890 | $58.60 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $119,261 | $57.34 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $120,097 | $57.74 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $121,245 | $58.29 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $118,055 | $56.76 |
| 32 | Delaware | $126,158 | $60.65 |
| 33 | Ohio | $116,598 | $56.06 |
| 34 | Utah | $120,294 | $57.83 |
| 35 | Texas | $122,124 | $58.71 |
| 36 | Illinois | $119,699 | $57.55 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $117,471 | $56.48 |
| 38 | Alabama | $120,009 | $57.70 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $118,360 | $56.90 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | $118,202 | $56.83 |
| 41 | Vermont | $120,128 | $57.75 |
| 42 | Colorado | $120,319 | $57.85 |
| 43 | New York | $123,980 | $59.61 |
| 44 | Missouri | $113,171 | $54.41 |
| 45 | Maryland | $121,206 | $58.27 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $114,863 | $55.22 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $72,816 | $35.01 |
| 48 | Iowa | $114,511 | $55.05 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $112,952 | $54.30 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $113,700 | $54.66 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $113,076 | $54.36 |
Highest paying cities for senior managers of research and development
The highest-paying cities for senior managers of research and development are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Hillsboro, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $176,190 | $84.71 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $172,807 | $83.08 |
| 3 | Hillsboro, OR | $143,758 | $69.11 |
| 4 | Raleigh, NC | $134,482 | $64.65 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $131,311 | $63.13 |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | $131,166 | $63.06 |
| 7 | Southington, CT | $129,427 | $62.22 |
| 8 | Boca Raton, FL | $127,417 | $61.26 |
| 9 | Minneapolis, MN | $125,618 | $60.39 |
| 10 | Harrison, NY | $124,201 | $59.71 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $123,182 | $59.22 |
| 12 | Colorado Springs, CO | $120,561 | $57.96 |
| 13 | Salt Lake City, UT | $120,104 | $57.74 |
| 14 | Wilmette, IL | $120,009 | $57.70 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $119,129 | $57.27 |
| 16 | Kansas City, MO | $113,031 | $54.34 |
Senior manager of research and development salary details
A senior manager of research and development's salary ranges from $104,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $201,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior manager of research and development's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $201,000 | $16,750 | $97 |
| 75th Percentile | $172,000 | $14,333 | $83 |
| Average | $145,411 | $12,118 | $70 |
| 25th Percentile | $122,000 | $10,167 | $59 |
| 10th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
Highest paying senior manager of research and development jobs
The highest paying types of senior managers of research and development are engineering director, senior engineering manager, and vice president of engineering.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Supervisor | $97,535 | $8,128 | $46.89 | 57,046 |
| Engineering Director | $162,252 | $13,521 | $78.01 | 63,868 |
| Manufacturing Engineering Manager | $112,535 | $9,378 | $54.10 | 83,671 |
| Engineering/Maintenance Manager | $99,907 | $8,326 | $48.03 | 125,639 |
| Vice President Of Engineering | $150,651 | $12,554 | $72.43 | 92,133 |
| Product Engineering Manager | $125,592 | $10,466 | $60.38 | 148,619 |
Top companies hiring senior managers of research and development now:
Which companies pay senior managers of research and development the most?
Senior manager of research and development salaries at Eventbrite and Genentech are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior manager of research and development salary at companies like Accenture and Exelixis are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eventbrite | $174,384 | $83.84 |
| 2 | Genentech | $172,387 | $82.88 |
| 3 | Accenture | $170,727 | $82.08 |
| 4 | Exelixis | $170,573 | $82.01 |
| 5 | VMware | $168,368 | $80.95 |
| 6 | Western Digital | $166,343 | $79.97 |
| 7 | Biogen | $165,923 | $79.77 |
| 8 | Myriad Genetics | $164,384 | $79.03 |
| 9 | Broadcom | $162,648 | $78.20 |
| 10 | Koch Industries | $162,587 | $78.17 |
| 11 | AstraZeneca | $160,218 | $77.03 |
| 12 | Jazz Pharmaceuticals | $159,415 | $76.64 |
| 13 | Amd | $155,333 | $74.68 |
| 14 | New York University | $152,845 | $73.48 |
| 15 | Horizon Pharma USA, Inc. | $152,036 | $73.09 |
| 16 | Micron Technology | $150,840 | $72.52 |
| 17 | Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | $150,714 | $72.46 |
| 18 | LSI | $150,291 | $72.26 |
| 19 | ICU Medical | $148,862 | $71.57 |
| 20 | BMC Software | $148,637 | $71.46 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Manager Of Research And Development salary by industry
The average senior manager of research and development salary varies across industries:
- The average senior manager of research and development salary in the technology industry is $153,649, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior manager of research and development salary in the finance industry is $147,963.
- Senior managers of research and development in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $136,989, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior managers of research and development
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $153,649 | $73.87 |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical | $147,963 | $71.14 |
| 3 | Telecommunication | $147,073 | $70.71 |
| 4 | Education | $139,129 | $66.89 |
| 5 | Health Care | $137,613 | $66.16 |
| 6 | Manufacturing | $136,989 | $65.86 |
High paying senior manager of research and development jobs
Senior manager of research and development salary trends
The average senior manager of research and development salary has risen by $26,587 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior manager of research and development earned $118,824 annually, but today, they earn $145,411 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for senior managers of research and development over the last decade.
Compare senior manager of research and development salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior manager of research and development salary over time
Compare senior manager of research and development salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior manager of research and development salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $145,000 | $69.91 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $141,000 | $67.71 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $137,000 | $65.81 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $134,000 | $64.39 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $131,000 | $62.99 | +1.4% |
Recently added senior manager of research and development salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crinetics Pharmaceuticals | Senior Contracts Manager, Clinical Research & Development | San Diego, CA | 06/30/2025 | $122,000 |
| BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company | SR. Software Manager, R&D | Louisville, CO | 06/28/2025 | $143,900 |
| Honeywell | SR R&D Manager | Buffalo, NY | 06/27/2025 | $196,000 |
| Honeywell | SR R&D Manager | Morris Plains, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $196,000 |
| Regeneron Pharmaceuticals | Senior Manager, Global Procurement R&D/Clinical Sourcing | Ridgefield, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $132,400 |
| Land O Lakes | Senior R&D Manager | River Falls, WI | 06/27/2025 | $138,720 |
| Regeneron Pharmaceuticals | Senior Manager, Global Procurement R&D/Clinical Sourcing | Uxbridge, MA | 06/25/2025 | $132,400 |
| Stryker | Senior Project Manager-Robotics R&D | Weston, FL | 06/25/2025 | $100,500 |
| Johnson & Johnson | SR MGR R&D Electrical ENG, Systems-Shockwave | Santa Clara, CA | 06/24/2025 | $168,000 |
| BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company | SR. Program Manager R&D | San Diego, CA | 06/24/2025 | $155,900 |
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