Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a visiting researcher
Quoted expert
David Woodward
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to visiting researcher jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Our research shows that California is the best state in the country for visiting researchers.
California is the best state for jobs for visiting researchers, and South Carolina is the worst. The most common pay in California is $95,108, while the median pay in South Carolina is $42,267.We found that California is the best state for visiting researcher jobs, whereas South Carolina is the worst.
10 best states for visiting researchers in 2026
1. California
Total visiting researcher jobs: 1,792 Average annual salary: $95,108 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
2. Washington
Total visiting researcher jobs: 571 Average annual salary: $78,943 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.91
3. Connecticut
Total visiting researcher jobs: 182 Average annual salary: $81,375 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
4. Oregon
Total visiting researcher jobs: 202 Average annual salary: $78,690 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
5. Tennessee
Total visiting researcher jobs: 190 Average annual salary: $79,646 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
6. New Jersey
Total visiting researcher jobs: 649 Average annual salary: $66,429 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.99
7. Arizona
Total visiting researcher jobs: 89 Average annual salary: $83,327 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 0.37
8. Alaska
Total visiting researcher jobs: 16 Average annual salary: $79,953 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 0.47
9. Rhode Island
Total visiting researcher jobs: 40 Average annual salary: $68,954 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
10. Nevada
Total visiting researcher jobs: 23 Average annual salary: $83,448 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 0.27
Visiting researcher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a visiting researcher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a visiting researcher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,108 | $58,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,792 |
| 2 | Washington | $78,943 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 571 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $81,375 | $45,000 | 3,588,184 | 182 |
| 4 | Oregon | $78,690 | $47,000 | 4,142,776 | 202 |
| 5 | Tennessee | $79,646 | $49,000 | 6,715,984 | 190 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $66,429 | $37,000 | 9,005,644 | 649 |
| 7 | Arizona | $83,327 | $51,000 | 7,016,270 | 89 |
| 8 | Alaska | $79,953 | $54,000 | 739,795 | 16 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $68,954 | $37,000 | 1,059,639 | 40 |
| 10 | Nevada | $83,448 | $51,000 | 2,998,039 | 23 |
| 11 | Indiana | $72,413 | $46,000 | 6,666,818 | 131 |
| 12 | Maine | $62,549 | $32,000 | 1,335,907 | 51 |
| 13 | Colorado | $61,767 | $40,000 | 5,607,154 | 314 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $84,528 | $65,000 | 1,427,538 | 10 |
| 15 | Montana | $64,691 | $41,000 | 1,050,493 | 31 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $58,701 | $34,000 | 12,805,537 | 395 |
| 17 | Idaho | $66,175 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 27 |
| 18 | Delaware | $60,042 | $34,000 | 961,939 | 43 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $65,792 | $42,000 | 579,315 | 7 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $57,262 | $38,000 | 5,576,606 | 275 |
| 21 | New York | $57,609 | $32,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,224 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $55,924 | $37,000 | 5,795,483 | 184 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $55,956 | $30,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,410 |
| 24 | Maryland | $58,713 | $34,000 | 6,052,177 | 303 |
| 25 | Illinois | $58,722 | $38,000 | 12,802,023 | 295 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $56,714 | $37,000 | 869,666 | 22 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $58,147 | $36,000 | 2,088,070 | 36 |
| 28 | Michigan | $56,357 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 174 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $54,378 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 67 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $55,819 | $32,000 | 693,972 | 115 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $57,262 | $35,000 | 3,930,864 | 47 |
| 32 | Texas | $54,576 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 604 |
| 33 | Vermont | $53,580 | $29,000 | 623,657 | 29 |
| 34 | Virginia | $53,602 | $31,000 | 8,470,020 | 322 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $55,695 | $34,000 | 3,004,279 | 16 |
| 36 | Missouri | $50,595 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 203 |
| 37 | Iowa | $51,359 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 86 |
| 38 | Ohio | $51,159 | $31,000 | 11,658,609 | 252 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $49,767 | $29,000 | 10,273,419 | 266 |
| 40 | Utah | $49,605 | $31,000 | 3,101,833 | 81 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $52,351 | $28,000 | 1,342,795 | 25 |
| 42 | Kansas | $51,593 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 33 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $50,152 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 43 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $40,941 | $24,000 | 1,815,857 | 52 |
| 45 | Alabama | $49,850 | $30,000 | 4,874,747 | 50 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $46,089 | $31,000 | 755,393 | 17 |
| 47 | Georgia | $41,180 | $24,000 | 10,429,379 | 281 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $41,524 | $24,000 | 4,684,333 | 70 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $42,131 | $25,000 | 2,984,100 | 35 |
| 50 | Florida | $43,370 | $24,000 | 20,984,400 | 266 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $42,267 | $25,000 | 5,024,369 | 62 |
Highest paying states for visiting researchers
| Rank | State | Avg. Visiting Researcher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,108 |
| 2 | Washington | $78,943 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $81,375 |
| 4 | Oregon | $78,690 |
| 5 | Tennessee | $79,646 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $66,429 |
| 7 | Arizona | $83,327 |
| 8 | Alaska | $79,953 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $68,954 |
| 10 | Nevada | $83,448 |
| 11 | Indiana | $72,413 |
| 12 | Maine | $62,549 |
| 13 | Colorado | $61,767 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $84,528 |
| 15 | Montana | $64,691 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $58,701 |
| 17 | Idaho | $66,175 |
| 18 | Delaware | $60,042 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $65,792 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $57,262 |
| 21 | New York | $57,609 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $55,924 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $55,956 |
| 24 | Maryland | $58,713 |
| 25 | Illinois | $58,722 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $56,714 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $58,147 |
| 28 | Michigan | $56,357 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $54,378 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $55,819 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $57,262 |
| 32 | Texas | $54,576 |
| 33 | Vermont | $53,580 |
| 34 | Virginia | $53,602 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $55,695 |
| 36 | Missouri | $50,595 |
| 37 | Iowa | $51,359 |
| 38 | Ohio | $51,159 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $49,767 |
| 40 | Utah | $49,605 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $52,351 |
| 42 | Kansas | $51,593 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $50,152 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $40,941 |
| 45 | Alabama | $49,850 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $46,089 |
| 47 | Georgia | $41,180 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $41,524 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $42,131 |
| 50 | Florida | $43,370 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $42,267 |
Expert opinions on the best states for visiting researchers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for visiting researchers to find work opportunities?
David Woodward
Director, Museum Studies Program, University of Minnesota Duluth
While the traditional path to employment in History has been through education licensure (secondary education) or through graduate degrees to become university faculty, most historians and heritage professionals are employed outside of academia. Prior to COVID 19, the field of public History was expanding. Public History covers museums, historic site management, historic preservation and compliance, and heritage interpretation. Many of our graduates over the past couple of years have found positions with local and regional museums and historical societies; others have found employment in historic preservation.
The preservation industry revolves around certain local, state, and federal laws that protect heritage and historic sites. The most comprehensive of these is the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. There are also state and local ordinances that also address historic preservation. Federal, state, and local governments, along with private developers, often enlist historians and public History professionals to help comply with these regulations. Most large infrastructure projects (roads, mines, pipelines, energy development) have a historic preservation component.
Visiting researcher best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
Search for visiting researcher jobs
Updated January 8, 2025