The average salary for a scientist in Illinois is around $90,920 per year.
Avg Salary
Scientists earn an average yearly salary of $90,920.
Wages typically start from $60,443 and go up to $146,638.
37% above national average Updated in 2025
Scientist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level scientist earnings begin at:
$70.50 per hour
$146,638 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level scientist earnings begin at:
$56.56 per hour
$117,651 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level scientist earnings begin at:
$43.71 per hour
$90,920 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level scientist earnings begin at:
$33.63 per hour
$69,955 per year
10th percentile
Starting level scientist earnings begin at:
$29.06 per hour
$60,443 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Scientist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $99,351 |
| Virginia | $98,109 |
| Colorado | $96,654 |
| Pennsylvania | $95,942 |
| New Hampshire | $95,537 |
| Florida | $95,080 |
| Delaware | $95,073 |
| North Carolina | $94,482 |
| Maine | $93,777 |
| Hawaii | $93,112 |
| Texas | $92,444 |
| Utah | $92,433 |
| Minnesota | $91,120 |
| New Mexico | $91,046 |
| Idaho | $90,982 |
| Illinois | $90,920 |
| Mississippi | $90,302 |
| Arizona | $89,711 |
| Georgia | $89,686 |
| Wisconsin | $89,228 |
| Nevada | $88,887 |
| Iowa | $87,866 |
| Tennessee | $87,730 |
| Ohio | $87,452 |
| Montana | $87,280 |
| Oklahoma | $86,912 |
| Missouri | $86,474 |
| Michigan | $86,210 |
| Kentucky | $86,146 |
| Wyoming | $86,099 |
| North Dakota | $86,070 |
| Louisiana | $85,797 |
| Alabama | $85,518 |
| South Carolina | $85,420 |
| Vermont | $84,927 |
| Indiana | $83,769 |
| Kansas | $83,441 |
| Nebraska | $82,020 |
| Arkansas | $80,035 |
| West Virginia | $78,766 |
| South Dakota | $76,975 |
| Puerto Rico | $62,806 |
| Guam | $49,750 |
| California | $119,602 |
| Massachusetts | $117,881 |
| District of Columbia | $115,003 |
| Maryland | $110,038 |
| Connecticut | $108,001 |
| Rhode Island | $107,377 |
| New Jersey | $105,434 |
| Oregon | $103,488 |
| Washington | $102,230 |
| Alaska | $100,515 |
How do scientist salaries compare to similar careers?
Scientists earn about the same as related careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than nanotechnology engineers but more than bioinformatics scientists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Nanotechnology engineer salary | $112K |
| Geologist salary | $97K |
| Forensic science technician salary | $125K |
| Food science technologist salary | $94K |
| Biochemist salary | $87K |
| Scientist salary | $91K |
| Epidemiologist salary | $103K |
| Microbiologist salary | $92K |
| Hydrologist salary | $84K |
| Bioinformatics scientist salary | $83K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)