The average salary for a scientist in Virginia is around $98,109 per year.
Avg Salary
Scientists earn an average yearly salary of $98,109.
Wages typically start from $64,310 and go up to $158,125.
40% above national average Updated in 2025
Scientist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level scientist earnings begin at:
$76.02 per hour
$158,125 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level scientist earnings begin at:
$60.64 per hour
$126,123 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level scientist earnings begin at:
$47.17 per hour
$98,109 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level scientist earnings begin at:
$37.82 per hour
$78,662 per year
10th percentile
Starting level scientist earnings begin at:
$30.92 per hour
$64,310 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Scientist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $99,351 |
| Virginia | $98,109 |
| Colorado | $96,654 |
| Pennsylvania | $95,942 |
| New Hampshire | $95,537 |
| Florida | $95,080 |
| Delaware | $95,073 |
| North Carolina | $94,482 |
| Maine | $93,777 |
| Hawaii | $93,112 |
| Texas | $92,444 |
| Utah | $92,433 |
| Minnesota | $91,120 |
| New Mexico | $91,046 |
| Idaho | $90,982 |
| Illinois | $90,920 |
| Mississippi | $90,302 |
| Arizona | $89,711 |
| Georgia | $89,686 |
| Wisconsin | $89,228 |
| Nevada | $88,887 |
| Iowa | $87,866 |
| Tennessee | $87,730 |
| Ohio | $87,452 |
| Montana | $87,280 |
| Oklahoma | $86,912 |
| Missouri | $86,474 |
| Michigan | $86,210 |
| Kentucky | $86,146 |
| Wyoming | $86,099 |
| North Dakota | $86,070 |
| Louisiana | $85,797 |
| Alabama | $85,518 |
| South Carolina | $85,420 |
| Vermont | $84,927 |
| Indiana | $83,769 |
| Kansas | $83,441 |
| Nebraska | $82,020 |
| Arkansas | $80,035 |
| West Virginia | $78,766 |
| South Dakota | $76,975 |
| Guam | $72,445 |
| Puerto Rico | $54,194 |
| California | $119,602 |
| Massachusetts | $117,881 |
| District of Columbia | $115,003 |
| Maryland | $110,038 |
| Connecticut | $108,001 |
| Rhode Island | $107,377 |
| New Jersey | $105,434 |
| Oregon | $103,488 |
| Washington | $102,230 |
| Alaska | $100,515 |
How do scientist salaries compare to similar careers?
Scientists earn about the same as related careers in Virginia. On average, they make less than hydrologists but more than food science technologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Hydrologist salary | $132K |
| Geographer salary | $108K |
| Atmospheric scientist salary | $84K |
| Historian salary | $102K |
| Scientist salary | $98K |
| Geologist salary | $88K |
| Chemist salary | $97K |
| Molecular biologist salary | $96K |
| Bioinformatics scientist salary | $96K |
| Food science technologist salary | $94K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)