Research Lab Scientist Salary
$42.5K - $52.5K
10% of jobs
$61.2K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$52.5K - $62.5K
18% of jobs
$62.5K - $72.5K
8% of jobs
$72.5K - $82.5K
6% of jobs
The median wage is $92.2K / yr.
$82.5K - $92.5K
9% of jobs
$92.5K - $102.5K
11% of jobs
$102.5K - $112.5K
11% of jobs
$115.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$112.5K - $122.5K
11% of jobs
$122.5K - $132.5K
8% of jobs
$132.5K - $142.5K
5% of jobs
$142.5K - $152.5K
4% of jobs
$42.5K
$94K
$153K
$94,420
/year
$45.39
/hour
Research Lab Scientist Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$94,420
Columbus
Ohio
$91,200
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How much does a Research Lab Scientist make?
As of Sep 6, 2026, the average annual pay for a Research Lab Scientist in the United States is $94,420 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $45.39 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,815/week or $7,868/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $153,000 and as low as $42,500, the majority of Research Lab Scientist salaries currently range between $59,000 (25th percentile) to $119,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $140,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Research Lab Scientist varies greatly (by as much as 60000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Research Lab Scientist in your area makes on average $91,200 per year, or $3,220 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $94,420. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Research Lab Scientist salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Research Lab Scientist jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Research Lab Scientist on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Research Lab Scientist Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Research Lab Scientist job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Hettinger, ND, and Berlin Corners, VT, close behind in the second and third positions. Berlin Corners, VT, beats the national average by $20,980 (22.2%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $22,707 (24.0%) above the $94,420 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Research Lab Scientist 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 Nome, AK, and Livermore, 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 Lab Scientist role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $117,127 | $56.31 |
Hettinger, ND | $116,705 | $56.11 |
Berlin Corners, VT | $115,400 | $55.48 |
Jones, OK | $115,070 | $55.32 |
Aspen, CO | $114,126 | $54.87 |
Sitka, AK | $113,745 | $54.69 |
Lauderdale, MN | $112,254 | $53.97 |
San Francisco, CA | $111,243 | $53.48 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $110,816 | $53.28 |
Livermore, CA | $110,753 | $53.25 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Research Lab Scientist Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Research Lab Scientist category.
For example Clinical Scientist jobs pay as much as $19,457 (20.6%) more than the average Research Lab Scientist salary of $94,420. If you're qualified, finding work as a Clinical Scientist may help you make more money than that of the average Research Lab Scientist position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Clinical Scientist | $113,877 | $54.75 |
Physics Researcher | $113,102 | $54.38 |
Postdoctoral Research Scientist | $85,959 | $41.33 |
Environmental Research Scientist | $84,123 | $40.44 |
Phd Library Science | $32,732 | $15.74 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
