How much does a Laboratory Researcher make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Laboratory Researcher in the United States is $42,386 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $20.
However, a Laboratory Researcher's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $55,373
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $38,451 to $49,184
Key Factors That Influence Laboratory Researcher Salaries
A Laboratory Researcher's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Laboratory Researcher Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Laboratory Researcher's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Laboratory Researcher Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Laboratory Researchers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $53,462
San Francisco: $52,876
Oakland: $51,762
San Jose, CA$53,462
San Francisco, CA$52,876
Oakland, CA$51,762
New York, NY$48,803
Paramus, NJ$48,210
Queens Village, NY$48,208
Passaic, NJ$48,167
Bergenfield, NJ$48,163
Stamford, CT$48,070
Huntington, NY$48,053
Newark, NJ$47,740
Bridgeport, CT$47,650
Vallejo, CA$47,566
New Brunswick, NJ$47,549
Petaluma, CA$47,523
Middlesex, NJ$47,443
Somerset, NJ$47,413
Santa Cruz, CA$47,358
Boston, MA$47,100
Monterey, CA$46,951
Seattle, WA$46,854
Santa Rosa, CA$46,845
Los Angeles, CA$46,833
Juneau, AK$46,722
Washington, DC$46,676
Orange, CA$46,525
Santa Ana, CA$46,413
Long Beach, CA$46,371
Anaheim, CA$46,362
Anchorage, AK$46,341
Santa Maria, CA$46,214
Everett, WA$46,205
Danbury, CT$46,056
Bremerton, WA$45,998
Tacoma, WA$45,845
New Suffolk, NY$45,844
Sacramento, CA$45,832
Santa Barbara, CA$45,786
Trenton, NJ$45,739
San Diego, CA$45,739
Brockton, MA$45,692
Fairbanks, AK$45,588
Lompoc, CA$45,480
Lowell, MA$45,446
Ventura, CA$45,438
Nashua, NH$45,430
Stockton, CA$45,425
Modesto, CA$45,116
Poughkeepsie, NY$45,023
Olympia, WA$44,942
Kennewick, WA$44,942
New Haven, CT$44,925
Lawrence, MA$44,773
Hartford, CT$44,730
Riverside, CA$44,722
New Bedford, MA$44,679
Richland, WA$44,679
Bakersfield, CA$44,620
San Bernardino, CA$44,603
New Britain, CT$44,599
Atlantic City, NJ$44,599
New London, CT$44,582
Norwich, CT$44,569
Portsmouth, NH$44,561
Boulder, CO$44,471
Portland, OR$44,412
Worcester, MA$44,408
Minneapolis, MN$44,277
Philadelphia, PA$44,217
Honolulu, HI$44,077
Saint Paul, MN$44,057
Vineland, NJ$44,048
Providence, RI$43,925
Chicago, IL$43,802
Bellingham, WA$43,751
Springfield, MA$43,717
Baltimore, MD$43,704
Chico, CA$43,598
Pittsfield, MA$43,484
Manchester, NH$43,403
Spokane, WA$43,217
Denver, CO$43,213
Albany, NY$43,014
Troy, NY$42,997
Nassau, NY$42,951
Schenectady, NY$42,908
Wilmington, DE$42,874
Burlington, VT$42,814
Salem, OR$42,797
Portland, ME$42,666
Yakima, WA$42,624
Rochester, MN$42,492
Reno, NV$42,471
Fresno, CA$42,471
Milwaukee, WI$42,433
Detroit, MI$42,390
Ann Arbor, MI$42,383
Allentown, PA$42,378
Colorado Springs, CO$42,306
Syracuse, NY$42,284
Carson City, NV$42,284
Houston, TX$42,225
Eugene, OR$42,204
Gary, IN$42,153
Springfield, OR$42,119
Bismarck, ND$42,111
Galveston, TX$42,081
Medford, OR$42,017
Fort Collins, CO$42,000
Concord, NH$41,979
Austin, TX$41,967
Mesa, AZ$41,878
Reading, PA$41,873
Phoenix, AZ$41,869
Dallas, TX$41,856
Saint Cloud, MN$41,816
Madison, WI$41,759
Utica, NY$41,644
Rochester, NY$41,577
Des Moines, IA$41,572
Raleigh, NC$41,568
Atlanta, GA$41,505
Battle Creek, MI$41,492
Salt Lake City, UT$41,479
Lancaster, PA$41,416
Harrisburg, PA$41,356
Kansas City, MO$41,314
Champaign, IL$41,305
Kansas City, KS$41,305
Fort Worth, TX$41,301
Columbus, OH$41,294
Boca Raton, FL$41,284
Pittsburgh, PA$41,267
Richmond, VA$41,250
Indianapolis, IN$41,242
Cleveland, OH$41,238
Las Vegas, NV$41,187
Cincinnati, OH$41,187
Petersburg, VA$41,123
Huntsville, AL$41,060
Lansing, MI$41,031
Lebanon, PA$41,026
Pueblo, CO$41,021
Appleton, WI$41,009
Buffalo, NY$40,992
Dayton, OH$40,979
Racine, WI$40,971
Charlotte, NC$40,966
Saint Louis, MO$40,954
York, PA$40,928
Elkhart, IN$40,928
Gastonia, NC$40,920
Billings, MT$40,910
Beaumont, TX$40,898
Lorain, OH$40,890
Benton Harbor, MI$40,881
Toledo, OH$40,873
Binghamton, NY$40,852
Rock Hill, SC$40,848
Rockford, IL$40,826
Springfield, IL$40,809
Elyria, OH$40,805
Fargo, ND$40,805
Flagstaff, AZ$40,776
Fort Lauderdale, FL$40,750
Duluth, MN$40,725
Miami, FL$40,725
Cheyenne, WY$40,695
Grand Forks, ND$40,695
Bangor, ME$40,602
Cedar Rapids, IA$40,555
Durham, NC$40,537
Louisville, KY$40,534
Grand Rapids, MI$40,525
Hialeah, FL$40,521
Casper, WY$40,462
Scranton, PA$40,411
New Orleans, LA$40,398
Virginia Beach, VA$40,394
Akron, OH$40,373
Peoria, IL$40,318
Sarasota, FL$40,309
Nashville, TN$40,280
Omaha, NE$40,280
Green Bay, WI$40,280
Baton Rouge, LA$40,258
Charleston, SC$40,250
Jamestown, NY$40,229
Davenport, IA$40,229
Tucson, AZ$40,208
Saint Petersburg, FL$40,182
Tampa, FL$40,174
Evansville, IN$40,148
Port Arthur, TX$40,148
Bradenton, FL$40,131
Santa Fe, NM$40,055
Orlando, FL$39,979
Clearwater, FL$39,966
Canton, OH$39,877
La Crosse, WI$39,877
Albuquerque, NM$39,852
Newport News, VA$39,847
High Point, NC$39,835
Ogden, UT$39,818
Corpus Christi, TX$39,784
Norfolk, VA$39,758
Laramie, WY$39,758
Rock Island, IL$39,733
Saginaw, MI$39,724
Jacksonville, FL$39,720
Salisbury, NC$39,712
Boise, ID$39,703
Moline, IL$39,682
Fort Myers, FL$39,669
Memphis, TN$39,661
Tulsa, OK$39,640
Waterloo, IA$39,614
Spartanburg, SC$39,572
Lincoln, NE$39,551
Fort Wayne, IN$39,542
Provo, UT$39,538
Cedar Falls, IA$39,487
San Antonio, TX$39,470
Greensboro, NC$39,453
South Bend, IN$39,449
Savannah, GA$39,402
Muskegon, MI$39,385
Birmingham, AL$39,381
Winston Salem, NC$39,360
Lake Charles, LA$39,258
Anderson, IN$39,250
Lexington, KY$39,237
Augusta, GA$39,224
Greenville, SC$39,224
Lima, OH$39,190
Wichita, KS$39,186
Tuscaloosa, AL$39,186
Columbia, SC$39,148
Springfield, OH$39,139
Asheville, NC$39,072
Bloomington, IN$39,042
Knoxville, TN$38,889
Shreveport, LA$38,885
Wilmington, NC$38,830
Roanoke, VA$38,830
Topeka, KS$38,754
Frankfort, KY$38,749
Oklahoma City, OK$38,720
Chillicothe, OH$38,703
Longview, TX$38,699
Melbourne, FL$38,694
Sioux Falls, SD$38,627
Mobile, AL$38,622
Terre Haute, IN$38,605
Altoona, PA$38,580
Amarillo, TX$38,550
Killeen, TX$38,538
Fayetteville, AR$38,504
Chattanooga, TN$38,491
Sioux City, IA$38,453
Idaho Falls, ID$38,444
Lynchburg, VA$38,410
Gainesville, FL$38,355
Portsmouth, OH$38,334
Little Rock, AR$38,326
Lafayette, LA$38,309
Youngstown, OH$38,309
Daytona Beach, FL$38,283
Clarksville, TN$38,279
Pensacola, FL$38,275
Temple, TX$38,272
Hopkinsville, KY$38,148
Erie, PA$38,139
Florence, SC$38,122
Charleston, WV$38,054
Great Falls, MT$38,033
Macon, GA$37,974
Tallahassee, FL$37,970
Fayetteville, NC$37,961
Waco, TX$37,953
Helena, MT$37,923
Pine Bluff, AR$37,907
Vincennes, IN$37,855
Lubbock, TX$37,838
Alamogordo, NM$37,813
Twin Falls, ID$37,775
Rapid City, SD$37,762
Jackson, MS$37,686
Huntington, WV$37,683
Greenville, MS$37,681
Parkersburg, WV$37,638
Montgomery, AL$37,630
Wichita Falls, TX$37,588
Springfield, MO$37,588
Biloxi, MS$37,567
Monroe, LA$37,525
Johnstown, PA$37,495
Sumter, SC$37,478
Columbus, GA$37,474
Pascagoula, MS$37,393
Abilene, TX$37,393
Kingsport, TN$37,283
Albany, GA$37,283
Gulfport, MS$37,270
Alexandria, LA$37,130
Fort Smith, AR$37,024
El Paso, TX$36,910
Las Cruces, NM$36,719
Harlingen, TX$36,612
Pocatello, ID$36,605
Florence, AL$36,550
Brownsville, TX$36,541
Mcallen, TX$36,452
Dothan, AL$36,393
Columbus, MS$36,141
Altus, OK$35,943
Lawton, OK$35,863
Pierre, SD$35,710
What Skills Can Increase a Laboratory Researcher's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 28.26% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Reserve Management (Mentioned in 1.19% Job Postings): Reserve management is a process that ensures that adequate official public sector foreign assets are readily available to and controlled by the authorities for meeting a defined range of objectives for a country or union.
Expense Control (Mentioned in 0.75% Job Postings): Expense control is the process of making direct changes to spending. Ideally, these changes are informed by cost control data. It is use to analyze income and expenditure.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Laboratory Researcher's salary.
Team Building: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Microsoft Office: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Regulatory Compliance: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Laboratory Researcher Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Laboratory Researcher roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Retail & Wholesale,
offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely,
Laboratory Researcher positions in Financial Services typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Laboratory Researcher as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Laboratory Researcher
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Retail & Wholesale
$50,863
$24.0
20%
How Education impacts a Laboratory Researcher's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Laboratory Researchers enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Laboratory Researcher with a No Diploma is between
$42,729
and $47,381).
Laboratory Researcher Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Laboratory Researcher's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Laboratory Researcher can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $54,506 in 2023
to around $54,120 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Laboratory Researcher salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Laboratory Researcher Over Time
$???
$54,506
$54,688
$54,120
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$54,506
2024
$54,688
2025
$54,120
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Laboratory Researcher
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Laboratory Researcher
Here are companies hiring for Laboratory Researcher and their salaries, click below for more details.
P$125,704/per year
PayPal IncFinancial Servicesthe United States
M$121,485/per year
MUFG Americas Holding CorpFinancial Servicesthe United States
B$120,306/per year
Bloomberg LPFinancial Servicesthe United States
S$119,966/per year
Santander Holdings USA IncFinancial Servicesthe United States
J$119,358/per year
JP Morgan India Private LtdFinancial Servicesthe United States
M$118,491/per year
Mastercard International IncFinancial Servicesthe United States
S$117,692/per year
Santander Bank, NAFinancial Servicesthe United States
I$115,310/per year
INTL FCStone IncFinancial Servicesthe United States
T$111,455/per year
The Jordan CoFinancial Servicesthe United States
U$108,529/per year
US BancorpFinancial Servicesthe United States
O$106,912/per year
OSI Group LLCFinancial Servicesthe United States
V$106,450/per year
Vanguard AGFinancial Servicesthe United States
R$106,297/per year
Rocket Companies IncFinancial Servicesthe United States
T$105,841/per year
Transform SR Brands LLCFinancial Servicesthe United States
E$105,321/per year
Edward D Jones & Co. LPFinancial Servicesthe United States
K$103,337/per year
Kobe Steel LtdFinancial Servicesthe United States
W$100,369/per year
Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLCFinancial Servicesthe United States
U$100,185/per year
US BankFinancial Servicesthe United States
B$99,591/per year
Branch Banking and Trust CoFinancial Servicesthe United States
S$98,411/per year
somoscmi.comFinancial Servicesthe United States
B$97,291/per year
BBVA USA Bancshares IncFinancial Servicesthe United States
G$96,699/per year
Greentown China Holdings LtdFinancial Servicesthe United States
G$96,473/per year
General Motors Financial Company IncFinancial Servicesthe United States
P$96,405/per year
Principal Financial Services IncFinancial Servicesthe United States
S$94,129/per year
Synchrony BankFinancial Servicesthe United States
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FAQ about Laboratory Researcher
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Laboratory Researcher?
The Retail & Wholesale industry offers the highest average compensation for Laboratory Researcher roles,
with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
