Computer and Information Research Scientists pay in the U.S.
$153,930avg. a year
$74.00 an hour · 37,200 employed
Computer and Information Research Scientists in the U.S. earn an average of $153,930 a year and a median of $140,300. Pay is highest in Oregon ($215,420) and lowest in Indiana ($92,800).
$140,300Median pay
$74.00Average hourly
+18%Avg. pay since 2020
37,200Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for computer and information research scientists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1730 jobs
Oregon
$215,420
$103.57 an hour
21,950 jobs
New York
$203,370
$97.78 an hour
32,050 jobs
Washington
$194,360
$93.44 an hour
4490 jobs
New Mexico
$173,530
$83.43 an hour
51,760 jobs
Massachusetts
$170,470
$81.96 an hour
68,440 jobs
California
$168,580
$81.05 an hour
73,590 jobs
Virginia
$164,260
$78.97 an hour
8360 jobs
Arizona
$152,580
$73.36 an hour
990 jobs
New Hampshire
$151,040
$72.62 an hour
10330 jobs
District of Columbia
$148,690
$71.48 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Computer and Information Research Scientists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $123k$123k–$134k$134k–$151k$151k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $223,160 | $107.29 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $216,560 | $104.12 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $203,260 | $97.72 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $195,400 | $93.94 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $194,390 | $93.46 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $183,450 | $88.20 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $182,620 | $87.80 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $175,510 | $84.38 |
Related jobs
- Software Developers$148,100
- Computer User Support Specialists$67,330
- Computer Systems Analysts$114,610
- Computer Occupations, All Other$122,230
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators$103,680
- Information Security Analysts$132,510
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Computer and Information Research Scientists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $124,970 | $117,870 | 570 |
| Arizona | $152,580 | $129,760 | 360 |
| California | $168,580 | $159,100 | 8,440 |
| Colorado | $146,790 | $133,160 | 400 |
| Connecticut | $133,580 | $131,650 | – |
| District of Columbia | $148,690 | $144,190 | 330 |
| Florida | $128,620 | $119,810 | 1,070 |
| Georgia | $105,860 | $92,250 | 810 |
| Hawaii | $129,070 | $134,350 | 70 |
| Illinois | $142,950 | $136,540 | 630 |
| Indiana | $92,800 | $85,460 | 720 |
| Louisiana | $117,930 | $115,210 | 140 |
| Maryland | $148,630 | $145,310 | 2,870 |
| Massachusetts | $170,470 | $170,510 | 1,760 |
| Michigan | $106,130 | $82,590 | 530 |
| Minnesota | $137,690 | $135,850 | 30 |
| Mississippi | $112,880 | $109,050 | 300 |
| Missouri | $134,230 | $127,820 | 230 |
| Nevada | $142,800 | $134,310 | 80 |
| New Hampshire | $151,040 | $136,160 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $148,250 | $140,840 | 1,580 |
| New Mexico | $173,530 | $165,690 | 490 |
| New York | $203,370 | $181,990 | 1,950 |
| North Carolina | $136,080 | $128,370 | 600 |
| Ohio | $126,370 | $135,510 | 280 |
| Oklahoma | $99,480 | $93,100 | 590 |
| Oregon | $215,420 | $206,220 | 730 |
| Pennsylvania | $131,430 | $130,300 | 330 |
| Rhode Island | $127,470 | $121,470 | 500 |
| South Carolina | $122,950 | $126,980 | 430 |
| Tennessee | $116,810 | $108,830 | – |
| Texas | $130,400 | $121,210 | 1,960 |
| Utah | $109,430 | $94,700 | 1,250 |
| Virginia | $164,260 | $157,390 | 3,590 |
| Washington | $194,360 | $202,400 | 2,050 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$165,880
3,420 jobsSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$216,560
2,210 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$194,390
2,100 jobsSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$132,100
1,680 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$175,510
1,670 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$171,100
1,620 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$203,260
1,620 jobsBaltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
$155,510
1,070 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do computer and information research scientists make?
The average is $153,930 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $140,300 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $74.00, and the median is $67.45 an hour.
Which state pays computer and information research scientists the most?
Oregon, with an average of $215,420 a year. The best-paying metro area is Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA at $223,160.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $82,200 a year, and the top 10% earn over $230,630.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 15-1221. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.