The average salary for a scientist in the United States is around $86,669 per year.
Avg Salary
Scientists earn an average yearly salary of $86,669.
Wages typically start from $50,662 and go up to $132,128.
40% above national average Updated in 2021
Scientist earnings by seniority
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 about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than nanotechnology engineers but more than climate change analysts.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Nanotechnology engineer salary | $101K |
| Materials scientist salary | $100K |
| Geologist salary | $84K |
| Statistician salary | $96K |
| Atmospheric scientist salary | $95K |
| Scientist salary | $87K |
| Hydrologist salary | $84K |
| Chemist salary | $79K |
| Food science technologist salary | $78K |
| Climate change analyst salary | $77K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)