As of September 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Senior Scientist in Illinois is $128,418, equivalent to $62 per hour, $2,470 weekly, or $10,702 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Senior Scientist in cities like San Jose, Santa Clara, and San Francisco.

Annually Salaries for Senior Scientist in Illinois vary widely, spanning from $105,429 to $158,944. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($116,385) and 75th percentile ($144,397), while top earners (90th percentile) make $158,944 per year. This $28,012 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Analysis or Data Analysis, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, Illinois Senior Scientist often earn 1.9% higher than national averages due to demand from Fortune 83 companies. However, Illinois currently ranks 14 nationwide for Senior Scientist job salary. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Senior Scientist Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Senior Scientist Salary $105,429 IL September 01, 2026
25th Percentile Senior Scientist Salary $116,385 IL September 01, 2026
50th Percentile Senior Scientist Salary $128,418 IL September 01, 2026
75th Percentile Senior Scientist Salary $144,397 IL September 01, 2026
90th Percentile Senior Scientist Salary $158,944 IL September 01, 2026
25% $116,385 10% $105,429 90% $158,944 75% $144,397 $128,418 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
Change Search Criteria
Check out Senior Scientist jobs in Illinois
Search More Senior Scientist Jobs in Illinois

What is a Senior Scientist ?

A scientist is someone who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of interest. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosophical study of nature called natural philosophy, a precursor of natural science. It was not until the 19th century that the term scientist came into regular use after it was coined by the theologian, philosopher, and historian of science William Whewell in 1833. The term 'scientist' was first coined by him for Mary Somerville, partly because the term "man of science", mo...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/18/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for Senior Scientist.

Select a city to view specific salary and bonus information for Senior Scientist

Loading results...
Location Avg. Salary Date Updated
Location Cicero, IL Avg. Salary $105,169 Date Updated September 01, 2026
Location Mount Prospect, IL Avg. Salary $103,729 Date Updated September 01, 2026
Location Abingdon, IL Avg. Salary $95,851 Date Updated September 01, 2026
Location Adair, IL Avg. Salary $95,618 Date Updated September 01, 2026
Location Addieville, IL Avg. Salary $97,051 Date Updated September 01, 2026
Location Addison, IL Avg. Salary $103,905 Date Updated September 01, 2026
Location Akin, IL Avg. Salary $95,552 Date Updated September 01, 2026
Location Albany, IL Avg. Salary $95,747 Date Updated September 01, 2026
Location Albers, IL Avg. Salary $97,181 Date Updated September 01, 2026
Location Albion, IL Avg. Salary $95,142 Date Updated September 01, 2026
Job Openings for Senior Scientist in Illinois

Jobs with a similar salary range to Senior Scientist : Med Lab Scientist, Immunoassay Scientist, Bioassay Scientist