What are the main factors that influence a Scientist III's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Scientist 's salary?

A Scientist 's salary grows with experience: a Scientist I - Biotech (0-2 years)earns $106,538, a Scientist II - Biotech (2-4 years)earns $127,542, a Scientist III (4-7 years)earns $144,446,

What are the highest paying states for a Scientist III?

Scientist III salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Scientist III roles are District of Columbia $161,329, California $160,717, Massachusetts $158,575. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Scientist roles make?

Salaries for Scientist level roles vary by specialization: Applied Scientist III: $147,260; Biotech Research Scientist III: $143,700; Scientist III - Biotech: $143,670; AI Research Scientist III: $128,770; Pathology Research Scientist III: $127,068.

How do different companies affect a Scientist III's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Scientist III roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Scientist III Salary in the United States

How much does a Scientist III make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Scientist III in the United States is $145,709 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $70.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $178,525
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $134,461 to $162,886
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $124,220

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Scientist III Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$162,886	$13,574	$3,132	$78
Average	$145,709	$12,142	$2,802	$70
25th Percentile	$134,461	$11,205	$2,586	$65

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Key Factors That Influence Scientist III Salaries

A Scientist III'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 Do Scientist III 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 Scientist IIIs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $161,329.
California: $160,717.
Massachusetts: $158,575.

District of Columbia $161,329 California $160,717 Massachusetts $158,575 Washington $157,992 New Jersey $157,934 Alaska $157,730 Connecticut $155,719 New York $154,903

Hawaii $152,295 Rhode Island $151,071 Maryland $150,241 Minnesota $149,104 Colorado $148,667 Illinois $148,521 Oregon $147,967 Delaware $147,560

New Hampshire $147,303 Virginia $146,729 Pennsylvania $145,053 Nevada $144,208 North Dakota $143,931 Michigan $143,494 Wisconsin $143,334 Vermont $143,013

Texas $142,125 Maine $142,066 Arizona $141,979 Ohio $141,877 Georgia $140,536 Indiana $139,866 Wyoming $139,735 Utah $139,531

Iowa $139,444 Kansas $138,744 Louisiana $138,540 North Carolina $138,467 Missouri $138,438 Florida $137,870 Montana $137,564 Nebraska $137,272

Kentucky $137,112 South Carolina $136,529 Tennessee $136,165 Idaho $136,019 New Mexico $134,956 Oklahoma $134,723 Alabama $133,863 South Dakota $132,420

Arkansas $131,634 West Virginia $131,211 Mississippi $129,943

Top Paying Cities for Scientist IIIs

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: $183,783
San Francisco: $181,976
Oakland: $177,940

San Jose, CA $183,783

San Francisco, CA $181,976

Oakland, CA $177,940

New York, NY $168,862

Queens Village, NY $167,769

Paramus, NJ $166,604

Passaic, NJ $166,458

Bergenfield, NJ $166,312

Stamford, CT $166,094

Huntington, NY $165,948

Newark, NJ $165,001

Bridgeport, CT $164,709

New Brunswick, NJ $164,229

Vallejo, CA $163,923

Middlesex, NJ $163,835

Somerset, NJ $163,704

Petaluma, CA $163,369

Santa Cruz, CA $162,801

Boston, MA $162,509

Monterey, CA $161,781

Fairbanks, AK $161,679

Los Angeles, CA $161,402

Washington, DC $161,329

Seattle, WA $161,067

Santa Rosa, CA $161,038

Juneau, AK $160,615

Orange, CA $160,134

Anchorage, AK $159,872

Anaheim, CA $159,770

Santa Ana, CA $159,551

Nassau, NY $159,464

Long Beach, CA $159,406

Danbury, CT $159,362

Santa Maria, CA $158,867

Everett, WA $158,837

Bremerton, WA $158,123

Trenton, NJ $157,847

Sacramento, CA $157,788

San Diego, CA $157,715

Brockton, MA $157,657

Tacoma, WA $157,599

Santa Barbara, CA $157,395

Lowell, MA $156,812

New Suffolk, NY $156,754

Nashua, NH $156,579

Lompoc, CA $156,346

Ventura, CA $156,200

Stockton, CA $156,156

New Haven, CT $155,865

Atlantic City, NJ $155,486

Hartford, CT $155,166

Modesto, CA $155,093

Poughkeepsie, NY $154,772

New Britain, CT $154,699

Olympia, WA $154,495

Kennewick, WA $154,495

New London, CT $154,466

Norwich, CT $154,422

Lawrence, MA $154,350

Bakersfield, CA $153,942

Riverside, CA $153,738

New Bedford, MA $153,738

Richland, WA $153,592

Portsmouth, NH $153,475

Vineland, NJ $153,446

San Bernardino, CA $153,330

Boulder, CO $152,922

Worcester, MA $152,805

Portland, OR $152,674

Saint Paul, MN $152,499

Minneapolis, MN $152,499

Philadelphia, PA $152,295

Honolulu, HI $151,523

Springfield, MA $151,013

Providence, RI $150,998

Chicago, IL $150,576

Bellingham, WA $150,401

Baltimore, MD $150,241

Chico, CA $149,876

Wilmington, DE $149,629

Pittsfield, MA $149,483

Manchester, NH $149,206

Spokane, WA $148,565

Denver, CO $148,550

Albany, NY $147,865

Troy, NY $147,807

Schenectady, NY $147,501

Burlington, VT $147,181

Portland, ME $146,671

Salem, OR $146,554

Yakima, WA $146,525

Ann Arbor, MI $146,481

Rochester, MN $146,073

Fresno, CA $146,000

Reno, NV $146,000

Milwaukee, WI $145,869

Detroit, MI $145,724

Allentown, PA $145,680

Carson City, NV $145,665

Houston, TX $145,447

Colorado Springs, CO $145,432

Syracuse, NY $145,359

Eugene, OR $145,082

Bismarck, ND $144,908

Gary, IN $144,908

Galveston, TX $144,908

Springfield, OR $144,791

Medford, OR $144,441

Fort Collins, CO $144,383

Austin, TX $144,266

Mesa, AZ $143,960

Phoenix, AZ $143,931

Dallas, TX $143,888

Reading, PA $143,800

Saint Cloud, MN $143,742

Concord, NH $143,611

Madison, WI $143,553

Utica, NY $143,159

Raleigh, NC $143,043

Las Vegas, NV $143,028

Rochester, NY $142,926

Des Moines, IA $142,911

Atlanta, GA $142,678

Battle Creek, MI $142,635

Salt Lake City, UT $142,591

Lancaster, PA $142,372

Champaign, IL $142,343

Harrisburg, PA $142,168

Durham, NC $142,037

Kansas City, MO $142,023

Kansas City, KS $141,993

Fort Worth, TX $141,979

Boca Raton, FL $141,921

Cleveland, OH $141,906

Columbus, OH $141,877

Pittsburgh, PA $141,862

Richmond, VA $141,804

Indianapolis, IN $141,775

Cincinnati, OH $141,585

Petersburg, VA $141,367

Billings, MT $141,046

Lansing, MI $141,046

Huntsville, AL $141,046

Lebanon, PA $141,032

Dayton, OH $141,017

Pueblo, CO $141,017

Appleton, WI $140,973

Buffalo, NY $140,915

Racine, WI $140,842

Charlotte, NC $140,828

Saint Louis, MO $140,784

Springfield, IL $140,726

Elkhart, IN $140,697

York, PA $140,697

Gastonia, NC $140,682

Benton Harbor, MI $140,682

Beaumont, TX $140,595

Lorain, OH $140,565

Toledo, OH $140,507

Binghamton, NY $140,434

Rock Hill, SC $140,420

Rockford, IL $140,347

Fargo, ND $140,274

Elyria, OH $140,274

Flagstaff, AZ $140,172

Fort Lauderdale, FL $140,085

Miami, FL $139,997

Duluth, MN $139,764

Bangor, ME $139,575

Cedar Rapids, IA $139,414

Louisville, KY $139,342

Grand Rapids, MI $139,312

Hialeah, FL $139,298

Casper, WY $139,094

Scranton, PA $138,919

New Orleans, LA $138,875

Virginia Beach, VA $138,861

Akron, OH $138,788

Peoria, IL $138,598

Sarasota, FL $138,569

Green Bay, WI $138,467

Baton Rouge, LA $138,394

Charleston, SC $138,365

Nashville, TN $138,322

Jamestown, NY $138,292

Davenport, IA $138,292

Tucson, AZ $138,220

Cheyenne, WY $138,176

Saint Petersburg, FL $138,132

Tampa, FL $138,103

Omaha, NE $138,074

Port Arthur, TX $138,016

Evansville, IN $138,016

Bradenton, FL $137,957

Santa Fe, NM $137,695

Orlando, FL $137,549

Clearwater, FL $137,389

Canton, OH $137,083

La Crosse, WI $137,083

Grand Forks, ND $137,039

Albuquerque, NM $136,996

Tulsa, OK $136,996

Newport News, VA $136,981

High Point, NC $136,937

Ogden, UT $136,879

Corpus Christi, TX $136,762

Laramie, WY $136,675

Norfolk, VA $136,675

Rock Island, IL $136,588

Saginaw, MI $136,558

Jacksonville, FL $136,544

Salisbury, NC $136,515

Memphis, TN $136,486

Moline, IL $136,413

Fort Myers, FL $136,369

Waterloo, IA $136,180

Spartanburg, SC $136,034

Lincoln, NE $135,961

Fort Wayne, IN $135,932

Birmingham, AL $135,772

Cedar Falls, IA $135,743

Provo, UT $135,728

Springfield, OH $135,713

San Antonio, TX $135,684

Greensboro, NC $135,626

South Bend, IN $135,611

Winston Salem, NC $135,597

Boise, ID $135,553

Savannah, GA $135,451

Muskegon, MI $135,189

Lima, OH $135,014

Lake Charles, LA $134,956

Anderson, IN $134,927

Lexington, KY $134,883

Augusta, GA $134,839

Greenville, SC $134,839

Wichita, KS $134,708

Tuscaloosa, AL $134,708

Columbia, SC $134,577

Bloomington, IN $134,213

Roanoke, VA $134,125

Asheville, NC $133,936

Knoxville, TN $133,688

Shreveport, LA $133,673

Wilmington, NC $133,484

Frankfort, KY $133,207

Oklahoma City, OK $133,105

Chillicothe, OH $133,047

Longview, TX $133,032

Topeka, KS $132,989

Mobile, AL $132,770

Terre Haute, IN $132,712

Erie, PA $132,697

Altoona, PA $132,624

Melbourne, FL $132,581

Amarillo, TX $132,522

Killeen, TX $132,479

Fayetteville, AR $132,362

Sioux Falls, SD $132,260

Chattanooga, TN $132,173

Idaho Falls, ID $132,158

Gainesville, FL $131,852

Portsmouth, OH $131,779

Little Rock, AR $131,750

Lynchburg, VA $131,750

Lafayette, LA $131,692

Youngstown, OH $131,692

Temple, TX $131,634

Daytona Beach, FL $131,604

Clarksville, TN $131,590

Pensacola, FL $131,575

Hopkinsville, KY $131,138

Charleston, WV $131,124

Florence, SC $131,051

Sioux City, IA $130,963

Macon, GA $130,541

Tallahassee, FL $130,526

Fayetteville, NC $130,497

Waco, TX $130,468

Wichita Falls, TX $130,468

Pine Bluff, AR $130,410

Vincennes, IN $130,133

Lubbock, TX $130,074

Great Falls, MT $129,987

Alamogordo, NM $129,972

Abilene, TX $129,856

Rapid City, SD $129,666

Monroe, LA $129,666

Albany, GA $129,579

Huntington, WV $129,564

Jackson, MS $129,550

Greenville, MS $129,535

Parkersburg, WV $129,390

Montgomery, AL $129,360

Johnstown, PA $129,331

Springfield, MO $129,215

Biloxi, MS $129,142

Sumter, SC $128,836

Columbus, GA $128,821

Twin Falls, ID $128,734

Pascagoula, MS $128,544

Kingsport, TN $128,166

Gulfport, MS $128,122

Alexandria, LA $127,641

Fort Smith, AR $127,277

El Paso, TX $126,883

Helena, MT $126,694

Las Cruces, NM $126,228

Harlingen, TX $125,820

Pocatello, ID $125,689

Florence, AL $125,645

Brownsville, TX $125,616

Dothan, AL $125,383

Mcallen, TX $125,310

Columbus, MS $124,231

Altus, OK $123,561

Lawton, OK $123,284

Pierre, SD $122,760

What Skills Can Increase a Scientist III's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 11.04% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Immunology (Mentioned in 3.3% Job Postings): Immunology is the study of the immune system and is a very important branch of the medical and biological sciences. The immune system protects us from infection through various lines of defence.
Drug Discovery (Mentioned in 1.94% Job Postings): The process of identifying chemical entities that have the potential to become therapeutic agents. Recognition of new molecular entities that may be of value in the treatment of diseases that qualify as presenting unmet medical needs.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	11.04%
Immunology	3.3%
Drug Discovery	1.94%

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 Scientist III's salary.

Oncology: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Immunology: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Drug Discovery: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Oncology	$154,452	6%
Immunology	$152,994	5%
Drug Discovery	$152,994	5%
Cell Biology	$151,537	4%
Biotechnology	$150,080	3%
Molecular Biology	$150,080	3%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Scientist III's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Scientist IIIs enter the field with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent 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 Scientist III with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent is between $147,037 and $155,559).

Scientist III Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Scientist III

No Diploma 0.2%

High School 0.2%

Associates 0.2%

Bachelors 6.6%

Masters 8.6%

Doctorate 84.4%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.2%
High School	0.2%
Associates	0.2%
Bachelors	6.6%
Masters	8.6%
Doctorate	84.4%

view as graph

Scientist III Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Scientist III'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 January 01, 2026

$134,461

Average $145,709/year

$162,886

$11,205

Average $12,142/month

$13,574

$2,586

Average $2,802/week

$3,132

$65

Average $70/hour

$78

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$162,886	$13,574	$3,132	$78
Average	$145,709	$12,142	$2,802	$70
25th Percentile	$134,461	$11,205	$2,586	$65

Salaries of jobs related to Scientist III

Salary Trends for Scientist III

Salaries for a Scientist III can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $113,755 in 2023 to around $112,042 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Scientist III salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Scientist III Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$113,755

2024

$112,502

2025

$112,042

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$113,755
2024	$112,502
2025	$112,042
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Scientist III

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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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.)

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