Post Doc Researcher Salary in the United States

How much does a Post Doc Researcher make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Post Doc Researcher in the United States is $70,651 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $34.

However, a Post Doc Researcher's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $83,917
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $62,848 to $77,595
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $55,744

Key Factors That Influence Post Doc Researcher Salaries

A Post Doc 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 Post Doc Researcher Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Post Doc 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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $72,276
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $93,765
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $125,706
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $148,943
  • Expert (over 8 years): $167,648
Levels Salary
Post Doc ... Level Post Doc Researcher$72,276
Planner/S... Level Post Doc Researcher$93,765
Planner/S... Level Post Doc Researcher$125,706
Planner/S... Level Post Doc Researcher$148,943
Planner/S... Level Post Doc Researcher$167,648

How Do Post Doc 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 Post Doc Researchers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $78,225.
  • California: $77,928.
  • Massachusetts: $76,889.

Top Paying Cities for Post Doc Researchers

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: $89,112
  • San Francisco: $88,136
  • Oakland: $86,279

What Skills Can Increase a Post Doc Researcher's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 34.71% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • Purchasing (Mentioned in 1.62% Job Postings): Purchasing refers to a business or organization attempting to acquire goods or services to accomplish its goals. Although there are several organizations that attempt to set standards in the purchasing process, processes can vary greatly between organizations. Typically the word “purchasing” is not used interchangeably with the word “procurement”, since procurement typically includes expediting, supplier quality, and transportation and logistics (T&L) in addition to purchasing.
  • Community Development (Mentioned in 1.03% Job Postings): The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens, and professionals to improve various aspects of communities, typically aiming to build stronger and more resilient local communities. Community development is also understood as a professional discipline, and is defined by the International Association for Community Development (www.iacdglobal.org), the global network of community development practitioners and scholars, as "a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes participative democracy, sustainable development, rights, economic opportunity, equality and social justice, through the organisation, education and empowerment of people within their communities, whether these be of locality, identity or interest, in urban and rural settings".
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 34.71%
Purchasing 1.62%
Community Development 1.03%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

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 Post Doc Researcher's salary.

  • Project Control: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Earned Value Management: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Procurement: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Project Control $78,422
11%
Earned Value Management $77,716
10%
Procurement $76,303
8%

Post Doc Researcher Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Post Doc Researcher roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Construction and MFG Durable sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Post Doc Researcher positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Post Doc Researcher as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Post Doc Researcher

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Construction$84,781$41.020%
MFG Durable$77,716$37.010%

How Education impacts a Post Doc Researcher's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Post Doc Researchers enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree 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 Post Doc Researcher with a Bachelor's Degree is between $69,624 and $74,610).

Post Doc Researcher Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Post Doc Researcher
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 2.6%
High School 11.8%
Associates 7.9%
Bachelors 56.6%
Masters 18.4%
Doctorate 2.6%

Post Doc Researcher Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Post Doc 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.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$62,848
Average $70,651/year
$77,595
$5,237
Average $5,888/month
$6,466
$1,209
Average $1,359/week
$1,492
$30
Average $34/hour
$37
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $77,595 $6,466 $1,492 $37
Average $70,651 $5,888 $1,359 $34
25th Percentile $62,848 $5,237 $1,209 $30

Most common benefits for Post Doc Researcher

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Post Doc Researcher

Here are companies hiring for Post Doc Researcher and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Post Doc Researcher

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Post Doc Researcher?

The Construction industry offers the highest average compensation for Post Doc 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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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