Research Geophysicist

Research Geophysicist Salary

$48.5K

$91.5K

$143.5K

$95,411

/year

$45.87

/hour

Research Geophysicist Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$95,411

Columbus

Ohio

$92,158

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    How much does a Research Geophysicist make?

    As of Aug 9, 2026, the average annual pay for a Research Geophysicist in the United States is $95,411 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $45.87 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,834/week or $7,950/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $143,500 and as low as $48,500, the majority of Research Geophysicist salaries currently range between $70,000 (25th percentile) to $112,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $136,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Research Geophysicist varies greatly (by as much as 42000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Research Geophysicist in your area makes on average $92,158 per year, or $3,253 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $95,411. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Research Geophysicist salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Research Geophysicist jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Research Geophysicist on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Research Geophysicist Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Research Geophysicist job is above the national average. Topping the list is Pennington County, SD, , with Beverly, MA, and Burleigh County, ND, close behind in the second and third positions. Burleigh County, ND, beats the national average by $27,477 (28.8%), and Pennington County, SD, furthers that trend with another $35,612 (37.3%) above the $95,411 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Research Geophysicist appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 15% between Pennington County, SD, and Santa Clara, CA, , 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 Research Geophysicist role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Pennington County, SD

    $131,023

    $62.99

    Beverly, MA

    $128,605

    $61.83

    Burleigh County, ND

    $122,888

    $59.08

    Nome, AK

    $118,358

    $56.90

    Pleasant Prairie, WI

    $117,229

    $56.36

    Redwood City, CA

    $116,817

    $56.16

    Sitka, AK

    $114,940

    $55.26

    North Little Rock, AR

    $112,501

    $54.09

    San Francisco, CA

    $112,411

    $54.04

    Santa Clara, CA

    $112,055

    $53.87

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Research Geophysicist Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Research Geophysicist category.

    For example Phd In Education jobs pay as much as $25,008 (26.2%) more than the average Research Geophysicist salary of $95,411. If you're qualified, finding work as a Phd In Education may help you make more money than that of the average Research Geophysicist position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Phd In Education

    $120,419

    $57.89

    Education Researcher

    $113,102

    $54.38

    Postdoc Research Fellow

    $59,022

    $28.38

    Biochemist Phd

    $47,326

    $22.75

    Lsu Athletics

    $37,595

    $18.07

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Research Geophysicist salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $95,411 per year or $45.87 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.