Computer Science Researcher Salary in California
$29.6K - $41.5K
4% of jobs
$41.5K - $53.3K
3% of jobs
$65.1K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$53.3K - $65.1K
17% of jobs
$65.1K - $77K
9% of jobs
$77K - $88.8K
8% of jobs
$88.8K - $100.7K
3% of jobs
$100.7K - $112.5K
4% of jobs
The median wage is $114.4K / yr.
$112.5K - $124.4K
4% of jobs
$124.4K - $136.2K
3% of jobs
$136.2K - $148K
3% of jobs
$152.5K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$148K - $159.9K
40% of jobs
$29.6K
$121.4K
$161.9K
$111,621
/year
$53.66
/hour
Computer Science Researcher Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$113,102
California
California
$111,621
Do you get a good deal as a Computer Science Researcher?
Take The Breakroom Quiz to find out if your job offers fair pay and conditions. The 3-minute quiz lets you compare your pay, hours, benefits, and more.
Take The Breakroom Quiz
How much does a Computer Science Researcher make in California?
As of Aug 11, 2026, the average annual pay for a Computer Science Researcher in California is $111,621 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $53.66 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,146/week or $9,301/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $161,853 and as low as $29,607, the majority of Computer Science Researcher salaries currently range between $66,100 (25th percentile) to $152,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $151,983 annually in California. The average pay range for a Computer Science Researcher varies greatly (by as much as 85900), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Computer Science Researcher salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Computer Science Researcher jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Computer Science Researcher on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Computer Science Researcher Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Computer Science Researcher job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Cupertino, , with Berkeley, and Sunnyvale, close behind in the second and third positions. Sunnyvale, beats the average in California by $22,937 (20.5%), and Cupertino, furthers that trend with another $27,918 (25.0%) above the $111,621 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Computer Science Researcher appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Cupertino, and Santa Clara, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Computer Science Researcher role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Cupertino | $139,539 | $67.09 |
Berkeley | $138,486 | $66.58 |
Sunnyvale | $134,558 | $64.69 |
Mountain View | $133,356 | $64.11 |
Menlo Park | $133,286 | $64.08 |
Palo Alto | $133,107 | $63.99 |
San Francisco | $133,090 | $63.99 |
Livermore | $132,667 | $63.78 |
San Jose | $132,554 | $63.73 |
Santa Clara | $131,800 | $63.37 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Computer Science Researcher Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the Computer Science Researcher job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $111621 state average for Computer Science Researcher jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Senior Clinical Research Scientist | $146,074 | $70.23 |
Cancer Research Scientist | $128,413 | $61.74 |
Clinical Research Recruitment Specialist | $61,905 | $29.76 |
Crf | $56,910 | $27.36 |
Biomedical Research Assistant | $34,648 | $16.66 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
