Scientific Associate Salary in the United States

How much does a Scientific Associate make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Scientific Associate in the United States is $70,677 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $34.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $86,030
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $62,728 to $78,713
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $55,490
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View as table View as graph 25% $62,728 10% $55,490 90% $86,030 75% $78,713 $70,677 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Scientific Associate Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $78,713 $6,559 $1,514 $38
Average $70,677 $5,890 $1,359 $34
25th Percentile $62,728 $5,227 $1,206 $30
Check out Scientific Associate Job Openings in the United States
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Local CDL

C.R. England - Columbus, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Scientific Associate Salaries

A Scientific Associate'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 Scientific Associate Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Scientific Associate'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): $70,086
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $81,512
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $98,628
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $130,046
  • Expert (over 8 years): $158,792
Levels Salary
Scientifi... Level Scientific Associate$70,086
Research ... Level Scientific Associate$81,512
Research ... Level Scientific Associate$98,628
Research ... Level Scientific Associate$130,046
Research ... Level Scientific Associate$158,792
$70,086 0 yr
$81,512 < 2 yrs
$98,628 2-4 yrs
$130,046 5-8 yrs
$158,792 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Scientific Associates

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: $89,144
  • San Francisco: $88,168
  • Oakland: $86,310

What Skills Can Increase a Scientific Associate's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 12.04% 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 2.73% 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.
  • SOP (Mentioned in 1.81% Job Postings): SOP is A standard operating procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out routine operations.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 12.04%
Data Analysis 2.73%
SOP 1.81%
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 Scientific Associate's salary.
  • Corporate Development: Can increase your salary by up to 32%.
  • Process Development: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Corporate Development
$93,293
32%
Process Development
$75,624
7%
Commitment
$75,624
7%
Collaboration
$74,917
6%
Biotechnology
$74,210
5%
Economics
$73,504
4%
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Scientific Associate Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Scientific Associate roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 65% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Software & Networking and Pharmaceuticals sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 35% above the average. In contrast, Scientific Associate positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Scientific Associate as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Scientific Associate

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking$95,413$46.035%
Pharmaceuticals$91,879$44.030%
Biotechnology$88,346$42.025%
Financial Services$88,346$42.025%
Internet$84,812$41.020%

How Education impacts a Scientific Associate's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Scientific Associates 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 Scientific Associate with a Bachelor's Degree is between $69,477 and $74,521).

Scientific Associate Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Scientific Associate
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.5%
High School 2.0%
Associates 3.2%
Bachelors 56.5%
Masters 28.2%
Doctorate 9.5%
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Scientific Associate Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Scientific Associate'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 August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Scientific Associate

Salaries for a Scientific Associate can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $78,651 in 2023 to around $73,937 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Scientific Associate salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Scientific Associate Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$78,651
2024
$75,978
2025
$73,937
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $78,651
2024 $75,978
2025 $73,937
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Scientific Associate

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

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

Find Your Next Scientific Associate Job

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

United States
  • Maxim Healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    Maxim Healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Private duty nursing (PDN) allows medically fragile patients to receive quality, skilled nursing care in the comfort of their home: a setting preferred by ... more

    13 Days Ago

  • XPO

    Columbus, OH

    CDL

    XPO | Columbus, OH

    XPO is Hiring Driver Teams. XPO Teams. As an XPO Team, you’ll run dedicated routes between XPO facilities in. new sleeper. trucks equipped with microwaves ... more

    13 Days Ago

  • Schneider

    Columbus, OH

    Schneider | Columbus, OH

    CDL-A - Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Average pay. $1,200-$1,450 weekly. Home time. Daily. Experience. Al... more

    14 Days Ago

  • Summit Recruiting Group

    Columbus, OH

    Summit Recruiting Group | Columbus, OH

    NP/PA Dermatology job opening in Columbus, OHPosition Details. Full-time, permanent opening. Experience required. Well-Established Practice. Seeking a NP/P... more

    15 Days Ago

  • Family Dollar

    Columbus, OH

    Family Dollar | Columbus, OH

    Customer Service Associate. We're seeking a Customer Service Associate to join our team and deliver a great shopping experience for every customer. Duties ... more

    16 Days Ago

  • GO Staffing

    Columbus, OH

    GO Staffing | Columbus, OH

    Locums - A well respected group has a Trauma Surgery APP opportunity available in Columbus, Ohio. Certified Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant. 1/1/... more

    16 Days Ago

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FAQ about Scientific Associate

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Scientific Associate?

The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Scientific Associate roles, with salaries approximately 35% 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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