2026 Research Scientist Salary Guide

Key takeaways

Research scientists conduct research experiments and collect information and evidence for analysis, earning generous salaries that vary by industry.

• Research scientist salaries can vary, but according to Glassdoor, the median total pay for the role is approximately $219,000 annually [1].

• Top-paying technical skills for research scientists include digital signal processing, engineering design, and simulation.

• You can work in various roles in the broad field of research science, including research assistant, staff scientist, and research consultant.

Learn more about research scientist salaries and the factors that affect how much you make. If you’re ready to develop your research skills in health care, consider enrolling in Rice University’s Medical Terminology Specialization. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to identify prefixes, suffixes, roots, and abbreviations of key medical terms. Upon completion, you’ll gain a shareable certificate from the university. 

What is a research scientist?

A research scientist plans and executes experiments and research in their chosen field. Depending on the field, this may be performed in a laboratory setting. For those focusing on computer science, work often takes place online.

A research scientist's daily responsibilities include setting up and managing experiments, analyzing data, presenting findings, and writing research for journals and publications. In some cases, research scientists also write grant proposals to gain funding.

What is the average salary of a research scientist?

According to various job sites, the average annual salary for a research scientist in the United States is as follows [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:

Research scientists can also make additional earnings separate from their base pay.

Factors that affect research scientist salary

As a research scientist, your salary typically increases as you gain experience and level up. Still, it also depends on the field you enter and many other factors, such as location, skills, and education level. Below is a breakdown of the factors that could affect your earnings as a research scientist. 

Experience 

The amount of experience you have can affect the salary you earn. The following shows how the salary for a research scientist can increase over time, according to Payscale [4]:

Education

Education is a significant factor in your ability to secure a job as a research scientist, and having a higher level of education can lead to career advances. A bachelor’s degree is typically the minimum requirement, but employers often specify a master’s degree or even a PhD in a relevant field, especially if working at a university as a research scientist. View the expected salary according to Zippia for various education levels [6]:

With a PhD, you may be able to advance to a role as a principal investigator, which pays $206,000 per year, according to Glassdoor [7]. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Do you need a PhD to be a research scientist?

Depending on your employer, you may need a PhD to become a research scientist or qualify for a role. Typically, you must complete your bachelor’s degree at a minimum before going on to earn your master’s degree and PhD in research science.

Industry

The term “research scientist” is an all-encompassing title for people who conduct research in a variety of fields. Each of these areas comes with different skills, degree subjects, and pay. Below, discover several industry titles and their associated average annual salaries, according to Glassdoor:

• Computer and information research scientist: $155,000

• Medical research scientist: $191,000

• Biomedical research scientist: $153,000

• Biotechnology research associate: $125,000

• Social research scientist: $124,000

• Cybersecurity researcher: $167,000

• Machine learning research scientist: $232,000

• Chemist: $118,000

Company

Industry plays a big part in how much you earn as a research scientist, but it’s also a good idea to do some research on companies that pay well. Zippia identifies the following companies as offering top average salaries [2]:

• Lyft: $175,144

• Flexport: $174,532

• Meta: $171,477

• Netflix: $168,720

• StubHub: $167,700

• Google: $167,427

• DoorDash: $166,792

• eBay: $166,231

• Waymo: $163,156

• NVIDIA: $162,497

Location

Where you work can influence your salary as well. The following data, taken from Zippia, ranks the top 10 highest-paying cities in the US. Take a look at the average annual salaries for research scientists in each of these cities [2]:

• Menlo Park, California: $124,477

• Indianapolis, Indiana: $98,052

• Newark, New Jersey: $92,744

• Oak Ridge, Tennessee: $91,185

• Newark, Delaware: $87,528

• Seattle, Washington: $81,884

• Albany, Oregon: $81,025

• Boston, Massachusetts: $80,225

• Albany, New York: $76,678

• Washington, DC: $76,649

Research scientist skills

Developing your skills is a great way to help you grow in your career and reach a senior-level position. Several technical and workplace skills are essential in the role of a research scientist in general, with many more that are industry-specific. Popular in-demand skills for research scientists often include:

Workplace:

• Communication

• Critical thinking

• Problem-solving

• Interpersonal skills

• Attention to detail

Technical:

• Research analysis

• Data analysis

• Math

• Programming languages, such as Python and C++

• Chemistry

Certain essential skills may impact the salary you can expect to receive. According to Payscale, the following top skills can increase your salary by over 50 percent [4]:

• Digital signal processing: 67 percent

• Engineering design, semiconductor: 59 percent

• Simulation: 54 percent

Research scientist job outlook

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks two categories of research scientist careers: computer and information research and medical research. The agency estimates that computer and information research scientist roles can grow by 20 percent between 2024 and 2034. This is much faster than the average for all jobs [8].

The outlook is similar for other fields, with a growth rate of 9 percent expected for medical research scientists, according to BLS data [9].

Research scientist career path 

Your degree subject choice has an influence on the type of research scientist you become, so reflect on your area of interest and align your course of study with your career choice.

Research scientists usually start off in entry-level positions and then move into more senior roles with experience, such as senior research scientist.

As your career progresses, you may discover other roles to consider. Explore possible career steps for research scientists and their associated salaries, according to Glassdoor:

• Research analyst: $105,000

• Research consultant: $121,000

• Staff scientist: $191,000

• Senior research scientist: $234,000

• Principal research scientist: $295,000

Read more: What Is an AI Research Scientist? Career Guide

Explore free career resources 

Subscribe to Career Chat, our weekly LinkedIn newsletter, which offers career insights and highlights industry trends. Then, check out these resources to learn more about a career in science:

• Expand your knowledge: How to Strengthen Your Critical Thinking Skills

• Choose your path: Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz?

   

• Watch on YouTube: Career Spotlight: AI Research Scientist

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