How Much Do Research Scientists Make?
Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary research scientists make, you've come to the right place.
Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for research scientists and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of research scientists are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much research scientists can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Research Scientists
According to data from 2023, there were about 39,187 positions for research scientists in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for research scientists was reported to be $145,080. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 4,779 job postings related to positions for research scientists.
How Much Money Do Research Scientists Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money research scientists and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.
Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for research scientists.
Annual Salary for Research Scientists
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for research scientists and related professions earned about $81,453 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $233,106 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for research scientists in the United States in 2023 was $145,080.
Annual Salary Range For Research Scientists In 2023
Hourly Salary for Research Scientists
The BLS also breaks down compensation for research scientists by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for research scientists in 2023 was $70. Lowest hourly earners took home $39 while the highest reported hourly salaries for research scientists was $112.
Hourly Salary Range For Research Scientists In 2023
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Advertised Compensation for Research Scientists
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for research scientists, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for research scientists.
Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™
Annual Salary from Job Postings for Research Scientists
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 6,582 job postings related to research scientists, advertised salary was included in 1,929 of them, which was 29%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for research scientists was $132,864 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Research Scientists
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for research scientists. Based on 40% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for research scientists in the United States is about $64.
Salary Trend for Research Scientists
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for research scientists. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.
Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for research scientists dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for research scientists have increased 11%.
Advertised Wage Trend For Research Scientists
What's the Job Growth for Research Scientists?
Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for research scientists over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 39,225 jobs for research scientists in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 10,022 jobs will be added. That's a 25.6% increase over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For Research Scientists
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about research scientists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for research scientists.
What do research scientists do?
Research Scientists: How do you become one?
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