The average salary for a scientist in the United States is around $86,669 per year.
Avg Salary
Scientists earn an average yearly salary of $86,669.
Wages typically start from $50,662 and go up to $132,128.
40% above national average Updated in 2021
Scientist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level scientist earnings begin at:
$63.52 per hour
$132,128 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level scientist earnings begin at:
$54.93 per hour
$114,258 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level scientist earnings begin at:
$41.67 per hour
$86,669 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level scientist earnings begin at:
$31.23 per hour
$64,962 per year
10th percentile
Starting level scientist earnings begin at:
$24.36 per hour
$50,662 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Scientist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $99,309 |
| Rhode Island | $96,221 |
| Maryland | $92,806 |
| New York | $92,286 |
| Colorado | $90,408 |
| Hawaii | $90,040 |
| New Hampshire | $88,541 |
| Washington | $86,796 |
| Oregon | $85,225 |
| Virginia | $84,197 |
| North Carolina | $84,193 |
| Alaska | $83,811 |
| Delaware | $83,267 |
| Michigan | $82,674 |
| Arizona | $82,215 |
| Minnesota | $80,626 |
| Texas | $80,085 |
| Nevada | $79,419 |
| Tennessee | $79,158 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,202 |
| North Dakota | $78,011 |
| Kansas | $77,670 |
| Idaho | $77,530 |
| Illinois | $77,376 |
| Wyoming | $77,260 |
| Ohio | $76,889 |
| Maine | $76,491 |
| Iowa | $76,227 |
| Georgia | $75,895 |
| Utah | $75,648 |
| South Carolina | $75,508 |
| Wisconsin | $75,155 |
| Nebraska | $74,427 |
| Montana | $74,008 |
| New Mexico | $73,243 |
| Missouri | $73,206 |
| Alabama | $72,693 |
| Mississippi | $72,684 |
| Louisiana | $72,549 |
| Oklahoma | $72,423 |
| West Virginia | $72,329 |
| Arkansas | $71,851 |
| Florida | $71,228 |
| Vermont | $71,176 |
| Indiana | $69,802 |
| South Dakota | $68,799 |
| Kentucky | $67,642 |
| Puerto Rico | $62,806 |
| Guam | $49,750 |
| District of Columbia | $114,694 |
| California | $104,815 |
| New Jersey | $101,926 |
| Massachusetts | $101,404 |
How do scientist salaries compare to similar careers?
Scientists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than materials scientists but more than molecular biologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Materials scientist salary | $100K |
| Geologist salary | $84K |
| Biostatistician salary | $96K |
| Neuropsychologist salary | $103K |
| Sociologist salary | $93K |
| Scientist salary | $87K |
| Hydrologist salary | $84K |
| Biologist salary | $83K |
| Geneticist salary | $83K |
| Molecular biologist salary | $83K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)