How much does an Innovation Researcher make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an Innovation Researcher in the United States is $68,039 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $33.
However, an Innovation Researcher's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $80,964
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $59,500 to $74,804
Key Factors That Influence Innovation Researcher Salaries
An Innovation 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 Innovation Researcher Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Innovation 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 Innovation 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 Innovation Researchers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $75,332.
California: $75,047.
Massachusetts: $74,047.
District of Columbia$75,332
California$75,047
Massachusetts$74,047
Washington$73,774
New Jersey$73,747
Alaska$73,652
Connecticut$72,713
New York$72,332
Hawaii$71,114
Rhode Island$70,543
Maryland$70,155
Minnesota$69,624
Colorado$69,420
Illinois$69,352
Oregon$69,093
Delaware$68,903
New Hampshire$68,783
Virginia$68,515
Pennsylvania$67,733
Nevada$67,338
North Dakota$67,209
Michigan$67,005
Wisconsin$66,930
Vermont$66,780
Texas$66,365
Maine$66,338
Arizona$66,297
Ohio$66,249
Georgia$65,623
Indiana$65,310
Wyoming$65,249
Utah$65,154
Iowa$65,113
Kansas$64,786
Louisiana$64,691
North Carolina$64,657
Missouri$64,644
Florida$64,378
Montana$64,235
Nebraska$64,099
Kentucky$64,024
South Carolina$63,752
Tennessee$63,582
Idaho$63,514
New Mexico$63,017
Oklahoma$62,909
Alabama$62,507
South Dakota$61,834
Arkansas$61,466
West Virginia$61,269
Mississippi$60,677
Top Paying Cities for Innovation 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: $85,817
San Francisco: $84,878
Oakland: $83,089
San Jose, CA$85,817
San Francisco, CA$84,878
Oakland, CA$83,089
New York, NY$78,339
Paramus, NJ$77,387
Queens Village, NY$77,383
Passaic, NJ$77,318
Bergenfield, NJ$77,312
Stamford, CT$77,163
Huntington, NY$77,135
Newark, NJ$76,632
Bridgeport, CT$76,488
Vallejo, CA$76,353
New Brunswick, NJ$76,326
Petaluma, CA$76,285
Middlesex, NJ$76,156
Somerset, NJ$76,108
Santa Cruz, CA$76,020
Boston, MA$75,605
Monterey, CA$75,366
Seattle, WA$75,210
Santa Rosa, CA$75,196
Los Angeles, CA$75,176
Juneau, AK$74,999
Washington, DC$74,924
Orange, CA$74,682
Santa Ana, CA$74,502
Long Beach, CA$74,434
Anaheim, CA$74,421
Anchorage, AK$74,387
Santa Maria, CA$74,183
Everett, WA$74,169
Danbury, CT$73,929
Bremerton, WA$73,836
Tacoma, WA$73,591
New Suffolk, NY$73,589
Sacramento, CA$73,570
Santa Barbara, CA$73,495
Trenton, NJ$73,421
San Diego, CA$73,421
Brockton, MA$73,346
Fairbanks, AK$73,179
Lompoc, CA$73,006
Lowell, MA$72,950
Ventura, CA$72,937
Nashua, NH$72,924
Stockton, CA$72,917
Modesto, CA$72,420
Poughkeepsie, NY$72,271
Olympia, WA$72,141
Kennewick, WA$72,141
New Haven, CT$72,114
Lawrence, MA$71,869
Hartford, CT$71,801
Riverside, CA$71,788
New Bedford, MA$71,720
Richland, WA$71,720
Bakersfield, CA$71,624
San Bernardino, CA$71,597
New Britain, CT$71,590
Atlantic City, NJ$71,590
New London, CT$71,563
Norwich, CT$71,543
Portsmouth, NH$71,529
Boulder, CO$71,385
Portland, OR$71,291
Worcester, MA$71,284
Minneapolis, MN$71,073
Philadelphia, PA$70,978
Honolulu, HI$70,753
Saint Paul, MN$70,721
Vineland, NJ$70,706
Providence, RI$70,509
Chicago, IL$70,311
Bellingham, WA$70,230
Springfield, MA$70,175
Baltimore, MD$70,155
Chico, CA$69,985
Pittsfield, MA$69,801
Manchester, NH$69,672
Spokane, WA$69,372
Denver, CO$69,365
Albany, NY$69,046
Troy, NY$69,018
Nassau, NY$68,946
Schenectady, NY$68,876
Wilmington, DE$68,821
Burlington, VT$68,726
Salem, OR$68,699
Portland, ME$68,488
Yakima, WA$68,420
Rochester, MN$68,209
Reno, NV$68,175
Fresno, CA$68,175
Milwaukee, WI$68,114
Detroit, MI$68,046
Ann Arbor, MI$68,034
Allentown, PA$68,025
Colorado Springs, CO$67,909
Syracuse, NY$67,875
Carson City, NV$67,875
Houston, TX$67,780
Eugene, OR$67,746
Gary, IN$67,664
Springfield, OR$67,610
Bismarck, ND$67,596
Galveston, TX$67,549
Medford, OR$67,447
Fort Collins, CO$67,420
Concord, NH$67,386
Austin, TX$67,365
Mesa, AZ$67,222
Reading, PA$67,215
Phoenix, AZ$67,209
Dallas, TX$67,188
Saint Cloud, MN$67,123
Madison, WI$67,032
Utica, NY$66,848
Rochester, NY$66,739
Des Moines, IA$66,732
Raleigh, NC$66,726
Atlanta, GA$66,623
Battle Creek, MI$66,603
Salt Lake City, UT$66,583
Lancaster, PA$66,481
Harrisburg, PA$66,385
Kansas City, MO$66,317
Champaign, IL$66,304
Kansas City, KS$66,304
Fort Worth, TX$66,297
Columbus, OH$66,285
Boca Raton, FL$66,270
Pittsburgh, PA$66,242
Richmond, VA$66,215
Indianapolis, IN$66,202
Cleveland, OH$66,195
Las Vegas, NV$66,113
Cincinnati, OH$66,113
Petersburg, VA$66,011
Huntsville, AL$65,909
Lansing, MI$65,864
Lebanon, PA$65,855
Pueblo, CO$65,848
Appleton, WI$65,827
Buffalo, NY$65,800
Dayton, OH$65,780
Racine, WI$65,766
Charlotte, NC$65,759
Saint Louis, MO$65,739
York, PA$65,698
Elkhart, IN$65,698
Gastonia, NC$65,685
Billings, MT$65,669
Beaumont, TX$65,651
Lorain, OH$65,637
Benton Harbor, MI$65,623
Toledo, OH$65,610
Binghamton, NY$65,576
Rock Hill, SC$65,569
Rockford, IL$65,535
Springfield, IL$65,508
Elyria, OH$65,501
Fargo, ND$65,501
Flagstaff, AZ$65,453
Fort Lauderdale, FL$65,412
Duluth, MN$65,372
Miami, FL$65,372
Cheyenne, WY$65,324
Grand Forks, ND$65,324
Bangor, ME$65,174
Cedar Rapids, IA$65,099
Durham, NC$65,071
Louisville, KY$65,065
Grand Rapids, MI$65,052
Hialeah, FL$65,045
Casper, WY$64,950
Scranton, PA$64,868
New Orleans, LA$64,848
Virginia Beach, VA$64,841
Akron, OH$64,807
Peoria, IL$64,718
Sarasota, FL$64,705
Nashville, TN$64,657
Omaha, NE$64,657
Green Bay, WI$64,657
Baton Rouge, LA$64,623
Charleston, SC$64,610
Jamestown, NY$64,576
Davenport, IA$64,576
Tucson, AZ$64,542
Saint Petersburg, FL$64,501
Tampa, FL$64,487
Evansville, IN$64,446
Port Arthur, TX$64,446
Bradenton, FL$64,419
Santa Fe, NM$64,297
Orlando, FL$64,174
Clearwater, FL$64,154
Canton, OH$64,011
La Crosse, WI$64,011
Albuquerque, NM$63,970
Newport News, VA$63,963
High Point, NC$63,943
Ogden, UT$63,916
Corpus Christi, TX$63,861
Norfolk, VA$63,820
Laramie, WY$63,820
Rock Island, IL$63,779
Saginaw, MI$63,766
Jacksonville, FL$63,759
Salisbury, NC$63,745
Boise, ID$63,732
Moline, IL$63,698
Fort Myers, FL$63,677
Memphis, TN$63,664
Tulsa, OK$63,630
Waterloo, IA$63,589
Spartanburg, SC$63,521
Lincoln, NE$63,487
Fort Wayne, IN$63,473
Provo, UT$63,466
Cedar Falls, IA$63,385
San Antonio, TX$63,358
Greensboro, NC$63,330
South Bend, IN$63,324
Savannah, GA$63,249
Muskegon, MI$63,222
Birmingham, AL$63,215
Winston Salem, NC$63,181
Lake Charles, LA$63,017
Anderson, IN$63,004
Lexington, KY$62,983
Augusta, GA$62,963
Greenville, SC$62,963
Lima, OH$62,909
Wichita, KS$62,902
Tuscaloosa, AL$62,902
Columbia, SC$62,841
Springfield, OH$62,827
Asheville, NC$62,718
Bloomington, IN$62,670
Knoxville, TN$62,426
Shreveport, LA$62,419
Wilmington, NC$62,330
Roanoke, VA$62,330
Topeka, KS$62,208
Frankfort, KY$62,200
Oklahoma City, OK$62,153
Chillicothe, OH$62,126
Longview, TX$62,119
Melbourne, FL$62,113
Sioux Falls, SD$62,004
Mobile, AL$61,997
Terre Haute, IN$61,970
Altoona, PA$61,929
Amarillo, TX$61,881
Killeen, TX$61,861
Fayetteville, AR$61,806
Chattanooga, TN$61,786
Sioux City, IA$61,725
Idaho Falls, ID$61,711
Lynchburg, VA$61,657
Gainesville, FL$61,568
Portsmouth, OH$61,534
Little Rock, AR$61,521
Lafayette, LA$61,493
Youngstown, OH$61,493
Daytona Beach, FL$61,453
Clarksville, TN$61,446
Pensacola, FL$61,439
Temple, TX$61,434
Hopkinsville, KY$61,235
Erie, PA$61,221
Florence, SC$61,194
Charleston, WV$61,085
Great Falls, MT$61,051
Macon, GA$60,956
Tallahassee, FL$60,949
Fayetteville, NC$60,935
Waco, TX$60,922
Helena, MT$60,874
Pine Bluff, AR$60,848
Vincennes, IN$60,765
Lubbock, TX$60,738
Alamogordo, NM$60,697
Twin Falls, ID$60,636
Rapid City, SD$60,616
Jackson, MS$60,493
Huntington, WV$60,488
Greenville, MS$60,486
Parkersburg, WV$60,417
Montgomery, AL$60,405
Wichita Falls, TX$60,337
Springfield, MO$60,337
Biloxi, MS$60,303
Monroe, LA$60,235
Johnstown, PA$60,187
Sumter, SC$60,160
Columbus, GA$60,153
Pascagoula, MS$60,024
Abilene, TX$60,024
Kingsport, TN$59,847
Albany, GA$59,847
Gulfport, MS$59,826
Alexandria, LA$59,602
Fort Smith, AR$59,432
El Paso, TX$59,248
Las Cruces, NM$58,942
Harlingen, TX$58,769
Pocatello, ID$58,758
Florence, AL$58,670
Brownsville, TX$58,656
Mcallen, TX$58,513
Dothan, AL$58,418
Columbus, MS$58,014
Altus, OK$57,697
Lawton, OK$57,568
Pierre, SD$57,323
What Skills Can Increase an Innovation Researcher's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 10.31% 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.
Information Sciences (Mentioned in 4.27% Job Postings): Information science is an academic field which is primarily concerned with analysis, collection, classification, manipulation, storage, retrieval, movement, dissemination, and protection of information.
Collection Management (Mentioned in 1.35% Job Postings): It involves the development, storage, and preservation of cultural property, as well as objects of contemporary culture (including contemporary art, literature, technology, and documents) in museums, libraries, archives and private collections
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 an Innovation Researcher's salary.
Time Management: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Innovation Researcher Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Innovation Researcher roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average.
In contrast, Innovation Researcher positions in Business Services or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Innovation Researcher as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Innovation Researcher
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$95,254
$46.0
40%
Biotechnology
$88,450
$43.0
30%
Insurance
$85,048
$41.0
25%
Aerospace & Defense
$81,646
$39.0
20%
Software & Networking
$81,646
$39.0
20%
How Education impacts an Innovation Researcher's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Innovation 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 an Innovation Researcher with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$68,285
and $73,903).
Innovation Researcher Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Innovation 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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$59,500
Average$68,039/year
$74,804
$4,958
Average$5,670/month
$6,234
$1,144
Average$1,308/week
$1,439
$29
Average$33/hour
$36
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$74,804
$6,234
$1,439
$36
Average
$68,039
$5,670
$1,308
$33
25th Percentile
$59,500
$4,958
$1,144
$29
Salaries of Jobs related to Innovation Researcher
SVP of Innovation$275,960
VP of Innovation$243,092
Innovation Lead$222,619
Innovation Director$191,619
Director of Innovation$189,508
Innovation Strategist$146,659
Innovation Manager$135,465
Innovation Engineer$119,535
Researcher$91,642
Innovation Specialist$68,177
Innovation Coordinator$52,703
Salary Trends for Innovation Researcher
Salaries for an Innovation Researcher can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $61,929 in 2023
to around $61,154 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Innovation Researcher salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Innovation Researcher Over Time
$???
$61,929
$61,612
$61,154
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$61,929
2024
$61,612
2025
$61,154
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Innovation Researcher
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Innovation Researcher
Here are companies hiring for Innovation Researcher and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Innovation Researcher
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Innovation Researcher?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Innovation Researcher roles,
with salaries approximately 40% 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.
