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Research scientist salary in United States (Updated 2026)

How much does a Research Scientist make in the United States?

Average base salary

$143,971
Average $143,971
Low $68,710
High $301,668

The average salary for a research scientist is $143,971 per year in the United States. 2.9k salaries taken from job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months (updated July 19, 2026).

Research Scientist job openings in United States

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Research Scientist - Princeton
Syneos Health3.6out of 5 stars.
Princeton, NJ
$62,000 - $108,600 a year
Full-time
21 hours ago

Highest paying companies for Research Scientist in United States

Average year pay is based on job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months.
HARVEY
 
$300,000per year
View company
Scale AI
 
$282,498per year
View company
ByteDance
 
$272,894per year
View company
Public Company Accounting Over...
 
$262,650per year
View company
North Wind Group
 
$262,427per year
View company
AMD
 
$255,000per year
View company

Highest paying cities for Research Scientists near United States

  1. San Jose, CA
    $260,577 per year
  2. San Francisco, CA
    $228,724 per year
  3. Seattle, WA
    $199,132 per year
  4. San Diego, CA
    $147,537 per year
  5. Cambridge, MA
    $126,508 per year

Where can a Research Scientist earn more?

Compare salaries for Research Scientists in different locations
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How much do similar professions as Research Scientist get paid in United States?

Junior Research Scientist

Job openings
Average $70,205 per year

Senior Research Scientist

Job openings
Average $145,914 per year