Scientist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level scientist earnings begin at:

$50.13 per hour

$104,262 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level scientist earnings begin at:

$42.47 per hour

$88,331 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level scientist earnings begin at:

$33.68 per hour

$70,051 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level scientist earnings begin at:

$25.95 per hour

$53,976 per year

10th percentile

Starting level scientist earnings begin at:

$20.82 per hour

$43,302 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Scientist salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Maryland $94,553
New Jersey $87,997
Connecticut $86,938
Delaware $84,106
Massachusetts $83,691
New Hampshire $82,421
Virginia $81,690
New York $81,407
Alaska $81,231
Colorado $80,514
Rhode Island $79,724
Hawaii $79,417
Illinois $77,949
Pennsylvania $77,837
New Mexico $77,603
Washington $77,513
Nevada $77,402
Oklahoma $75,474
Arizona $74,734
Georgia $74,328
Oregon $74,174
Texas $74,130
Michigan $73,762
Florida $73,608
Ohio $73,383
Minnesota $72,879
Mississippi $72,771
Guam $72,445
North Carolina $72,356
North Dakota $70,845
Nebraska $70,811
Alabama $70,051
Idaho $69,762
Iowa $69,412
Wyoming $69,311
Tennessee $69,271
Utah $69,106
Vermont $68,737
South Carolina $68,702
Montana $68,654
Wisconsin $68,510
Louisiana $67,341
Maine $67,110
Missouri $66,306
Indiana $65,851
Arkansas $64,947
West Virginia $64,497
Kentucky $63,999
Kansas $63,762
South Dakota $59,719
Puerto Rico $54,194
California $44,960
District of Columbia $101,742

How do scientist salaries compare to similar careers?

Scientists earn 11% less than similar careers in Alabama. On average, they make less than natural sciences managers but more than school psychologists.

Career Median Salary
Natural sciences manager salary $101K
Materials scientist salary $89K
Neuropsychologist salary $96K
Geospatial information scientist salary $85K
Chemist salary $76K
Scientist salary $70K
Geologist salary $67K
Conservation scientist salary $73K
Soil and water conservationist salary $73K
School psychologist salary $59K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)