As of March 01, 2025, the average annual pay of Research Scientist in the United States is $130,112.
While Salary.com is seeing that Research Scientist salary in the US can go up to $169,624 or down to $112,607, but most earn between $120,949 and $150,794.
Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills,
and your experience levels.
With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
View Research Scientist Salary by Hour, Week, Month, Year
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View Research Scientist Salary by Experience Levels
An entry-level Research Scientist with no related experience makes about $120,980.
With less than 2 years of experience, a mid-level Research Scientist makes around $121,438.
After 2-4 years, the Research Scientist pay rises to about $124,414.
Those senior Research Scientist with 5-8 years of experience earn roughly $131,924,
and those Research Scientist having 8 years or more experience are expected to earn about $134,287 on average.
The states and districts that pay Research Scientist the highest salary are District of Columbia (around $144,815) ,
California (around $143,513) ,
New Jersey (around $142,603) ,
Alaska (around $141,692) ,
Massachusetts (around $141,562),
Washington (around $140,261),
Connecticut (around $139,740).
The metropolitan areas that pay the highest salary in the Research Scientist profession are
San Jose,CA,
San Francisco,CA,
Oakland,CA,
New York,NY,
Queens Village,NY,
Paramus,NJ,
Passaic,NJ,
Bergenfield,NJ,
Stamford,CT,
and Huntington,NY.
Best-Paid Skills and Qualifications for Research Scientist
What skills does a Research Scientist need?
Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
1.
Analysis: Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
2.
Data Analysis: Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a role in making decisions more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes, while business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation, focusing mainly on business information. In statistical applications, data analysis can be divided into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data while CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical models for predictive forecasting or classification, while text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All of the above are varieties of data analysis.
3.
Cell Biology: Utilizing techniques to study cell structures and functions for further research on human anatomy, physiology, and medications.
Mastering certain skills can make the compensation of a Research Scientist higher. Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data provides you the latest highly compensated skills to help you get a higher pay. For example, if you master Drug Discovery, you can get a 8% salary raise. If you are good at Oncology, your salary will increase by 7%.If you are expert in Machine Learning, your salary will rise by 6%.
For those exploring the changing dynamics of Research Scientist salaries, Salary.com offers detailed insights through our Job Trending in CA Labor Market analysis.
Our research highlights a notable shift in Research Scientist compensation over the past six years.
For instance, the median salary has moved from $90,818 in 2023 to about $89,690 in 2024
(for a comprehensive analysis of Research Scientist salary trends, click here).
It's crucial to consider several elements, including geographical location, experience level, industry demand, and economic development, as they play a significant role in influencing salary variations.
Average Annual Salary of Research Scientist Over Time
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FAQs Regarding Research Scientist
1. What is the average salary of a Research Scientist?
The average annual salary of Research Scientist is $130,112.
In case you are finding an easy salary calculator,
the average hourly pay of Research Scientist is $63;
the average weekly pay of Research Scientist is $2,502;
the average monthly pay of Research Scientist is $10,843.
2. What does a Research Scientist do?
Research Scientist develop and conduct basic and applied research projects. Utilize advanced technologies to study biological, molecular and chemical processes. Being a Research Scientist synthesize and analyze DNA, proteins and other molecules to develop new drugs, medical protocols, and products. Prepare technical papers and reports on findings. Additionally, Research Scientist requires a PhD in their field of specialty. Typically reports to a manager or head of a unit/department. To be a Research Scientist typically requires 2 to 4 years of related experience. Gains exposure to some of the complex tasks within the job function. Occasionally directed in several aspects of the work.
3. What’s typical Career Path for Research Scientist?
A career path is a sequence of jobs that leads to your short- and long-term career goals.
Some follow a linear career path within one field, while others change fields periodically to achieve career or personal goals.
For Research Scientist, the first career path typically starts with a Bioinformatics Analyst III position, and then Bioinformatics Analyst IV.
The second career path typically progresses to Biochemist III.
The third career path typically progresses to Biophysicist.
Additionally, the fourth career path typically progresses to Scientist III - Biotech.
4. Where can a Research Scientist earn the most?
A Research Scientist's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer.
According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Research Scientist earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Research Scientist is $163,290.
5. What is the highest pay for Research Scientist?
The highest pay for Research Scientist is $169,624.
6. What is the lowest pay for Research Scientist?
The lowest pay for Research Scientist is $112,607.
