Scientist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level scientist earnings begin at:

$49.99 per hour

$103,969 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level scientist earnings begin at:

$41.20 per hour

$85,702 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level scientist earnings begin at:

$37.34 per hour

$77,670 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level scientist earnings begin at:

$29.66 per hour

$61,697 per year

10th percentile

Starting level scientist earnings begin at:

$24.98 per hour

$51,955 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Scientist salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Connecticut $99,309
Rhode Island $96,221
Maryland $92,806
New York $92,286
Colorado $90,408
Hawaii $90,040
New Hampshire $88,541
Washington $86,796
Oregon $85,225
Virginia $84,197
North Carolina $84,193
Alaska $83,811
Delaware $83,267
Michigan $82,674
Arizona $82,215
Minnesota $80,626
Texas $80,085
Nevada $79,419
Tennessee $79,158
Pennsylvania $78,202
North Dakota $78,011
Kansas $77,670
Idaho $77,530
Illinois $77,376
Wyoming $77,260
Ohio $76,889
Maine $76,491
Iowa $76,227
Georgia $75,895
Utah $75,648
South Carolina $75,508
Wisconsin $75,155
Nebraska $74,427
Montana $74,008
New Mexico $73,243
Missouri $73,206
Alabama $72,693
Mississippi $72,684
Louisiana $72,549
Oklahoma $72,423
West Virginia $72,329
Arkansas $71,851
Florida $71,228
Vermont $71,176
Indiana $69,802
South Dakota $68,799
Kentucky $67,642
Puerto Rico $62,806
Guam $49,750
District of Columbia $114,694
California $104,815
New Jersey $101,926
Massachusetts $101,404

How do scientist salaries compare to similar careers?

Scientists earn 14% less than similar careers in Kansas. On average, they make less than natural sciences managers but more than geologists.

Career Median Salary
Natural sciences manager salary $127K
Pharmacist salary $128K
Biostatistician salary $102K
Food science technologist salary $79K
Neuropsychologist salary $102K
Scientist salary $78K
Biochemical engineer salary $69K
Nanosystems engineer salary $69K
Nanotechnology engineer salary $69K
Geologist salary $64K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)