Researcher Salary in the United States

How much does a Researcher make in the United States?

As of February 01, 2026, the average salary for a Researcher in the United States is $91,636 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $109,365
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $78,942 to $100,916
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $67,384
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View as table View as graph 25% $78,942 10% $67,384 90% $109,365 75% $100,916 $91,636 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Researcher Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $100,916 $8,410 $1,941 $49
Average $91,636 $7,636 $1,762 $44
25th Percentile $78,942 $6,578 $1,518 $38
Check out Researcher Job Openings in the United States
Vulnerability Researcher with Security Clearance

Two Six Technologies - ARLINGTON, VA

Security Researcher with Security Clearance

Accenture Federal Services - HERNDON, VA

Senior Researcher with Security Clearance

STR - ARLINGTON, VA

Senior Researcher with Security Clearance

STR - SAN DIEGO, CA

Search More Researcher Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Researcher Salaries

A 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.

Top Paying Cities for 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: $115,580
  • San Francisco: $114,444
  • Oakland: $111,906

What Skills Can Increase a Researcher's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 14.17% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Data Analysis (Mentioned in 3.45% Job Postings): 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.
  • Cell Biology (Mentioned in 1.79% Job Postings): Utilizing techniques to study cell structures and functions for further research on human anatomy, physiology, and medications.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 14.17%
Data Analysis 3.45%
Cell Biology 1.79%
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 Researcher's salary.
  • Oncology: Can increase your salary by up to 29%.
  • Microbiology: Can increase your salary by up to 23%.
  • Immunology: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Oncology
$118,210
29%
Microbiology
$112,712
23%
Immunology
$104,465
14%
Research and Development
$102,632
12%
Chemistry
$100,799
10%
Product Development
$99,883
9%
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How Education impacts a Researcher's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Researchers enter the field with a Master's Degree or MBA 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 Researcher with a Master's Degree or MBA is between $88,967 and $96,667).

Researcher Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Researcher
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.5%
High School 0.3%
Associates 0.3%
Bachelors 8.8%
Masters 30.3%
Doctorate 59.8%
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Researcher Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a 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 February 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Researcher

Salaries for a Researcher can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $95,777 in 2023 to around $93,414 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Researcher salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Researcher Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$95,777
2024
$95,958
2025
$93,414
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $95,777
2024 $95,958
2025 $93,414
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Researcher

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Researcher

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

Find Your Next Researcher Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Researcher job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

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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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