This is what we do all day: recruit technology and IT professionals.
Technology Headhunters uses BLS OEWS data to answer this pay question. The median pay for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in the United States is $140,300 a year, and the middle half of workers earned between $103,570 and $188,700 (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 15-1221).
Broader occupation
BLS does not report this exact title. The figures shown are for SOC 15-1221, Computer and Information Research Scientists. BLS reports Computer and Information Research Scientists as a broader occupation. It does not separate Research Scientist / Applied Scientist, technology stack, seniority, certifications or employer sector. These figures are not a title-specific offer range.
BLS publishes one set of figures for SOC 15-1221. Other titles in our taxonomy map to it and show the same numbers. Percentiles describe all workers in the occupation. They are not experience levels.
Annual wage percentiles
Measure
Per year
10th percentile
$82,200
25th percentile
$103,570
Median
$140,300
75th percentile
$188,700
90th percentile
$230,630
Mean
$153,930
Hourly wage percentiles
Measure
Per hour
10th percentile
$39.52
25th percentile
$49.79
Median
$67.45
75th percentile
$90.72
90th percentile
$110.88
Mean
$74.00
A figure shown as "or more" is top-coded. BLS does not publish exact wages at or above $239,200 a year or $115.00 an hour.
BLS estimates 37,200 people work in this occupation nationally.
Target metros
Research Scientist / Applied Scientist pay in target metros, May 2025
These are BLS survey-based wage estimates, not observed individual offers or a modeled technology-title range. A broader occupation or proxy is not separate pay data for your job title.
Recruiter's read
Qualitative view from the search team. Not BLS data.
This title is broader than the BLS occupation, so the published range is a starting point. The skills you need may sit above or below it, so compare with live offers before you commit. Talk to us if your search needs more than a published range can tell you.
Questions answered by BLS data
What is the median pay for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist?
BLS reports a median of $140,300 a year for SOC 15-1221, Computer and Information Research Scientists, in the United States (May 2025). Half of workers earned less and half earned more.
What is the pay range for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist?
10% of workers in this occupation earned less than $82,200. 10% earned more than $230,630.
How many Research Scientist / Applied Scientist jobs are there?
BLS estimates 37,200 workers in SOC 15-1221 nationally in May 2025.
Does BLS publish this exact job title?
Not exactly. Research Scientist / Applied Scientist is shown using SOC 15-1221, Computer and Information Research Scientists, a broader occupation. BLS reports Computer and Information Research Scientists as a broader occupation. It does not separate Research Scientist / Applied Scientist, technology stack, seniority, certifications or employer sector. These figures are not a title-specific offer range.
Which of our target metros reports the highest median for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
, at $170,890 a year (May 2025).
Are percentiles the same as experience levels?
No. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than that amount. BLS does not report pay by experience.
These are BLS survey estimates for SOC 15-1221, Computer and Information Research Scientists. They are not a projection or a comparison of the same individual workers.
United States median, annual wages
Reference period
Median
May 2024
$140,910
May 2025
$140,300
How do published wages differ by industry?
These national rows describe private establishments in BLS four-digit industry groups. Industry names are shown as BLS publishes them. They do not include government establishments. An industry figure is still an occupation estimate, not a quote for this exact title.
View the published industry table
Computer and Information Research Scientists national industry wages, May 2025, annual
Industry
NAICS
25th percentile
Median
75th percentile
Mean
Employment
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing
334100
$133,190
$158,930
$189,350
$164,570
280
Communications Equipment Manufacturing
334200
$172,740
$213,160
$216,370
$204,470
70
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing
334400
$168,190
$204,510
$345,000
$234,270
690
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing
334500
$158,970
$182,000
$212,510
$181,530
520
Software Publishers
513200
$170,180
$211,270
$267,060
$212,430
1300
Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers
516200
Not published by BLS
Not published by BLS
Not published by BLS
Not published by BLS
450
Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services
518200
$154,990
$196,770
$257,830
$201,970
600
Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services
519200
$212,710
$222,230
$298,720
$235,950
1330
Insurance Carriers
524100
$119,020
$164,980
$232,750
$169,860
70
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services
541200
$82,500
$104,500
$134,930
$107,170
1190
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
541300
$100,190
$134,310
$192,190
$152,160
1130
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
541500
$129,990
$162,760
$211,750
$175,000
6480
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
541600
$104,670
$128,370
$166,650
$142,730
750
Scientific Research and Development Services
541700
$102,630
$142,740
$198,260
$155,010
5660
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
541800
$62,890
$73,360
$75,610
$73,890
30
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
541900
$131,620
$165,550
$190,750
$156,400
Not published by BLS
Management of Companies and Enterprises
551100
$134,000
$163,290
$202,540
$170,050
530
Employment Services
561300
$99,050
$144,920
$207,040
$160,520
500
What should you check outside the wage figure?
For this technology hire, compare the cash work covered by the occupation before judging an offer. Keep discretionary bonuses separate. BLS does not list equity or RSUs in its wage definition. We do not assign stock awards a cash value or add them to these wages.
Remote pay bands are an employer decision. These figures have no remote-work or cost-of-living adjustment. The published metro and state rows describe the BLS area, not a remote candidate's personal pay expectations.
These are BLS survey-based wage estimates, not observed individual offers or a modeled technology-title range. A broader occupation or proxy is not separate pay data for your job title.
What do these figures mean for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States?
Technology Headhunters uses the May 2025 occupation-wide wage distribution to discuss Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States. The Research Scientist / Applied Scientist comparison uses a $140,300 median for Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221) in United States. That $140,300 point divides the published distribution for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States; it is not a quote from a candidate. Before using $140,300 for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States, compare the BLS occupation with the work you need done.
For Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States, the published middle band runs from $103,570 at P25 to $188,700 at P75. The middle-band width in this Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States comparison is $85,130. The $103,570 and $188,700 markers for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States describe workers across the BLS occupation, rather than the price of a junior and a senior hire. Using this United States band for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist requires checking the responsibilities first.
The lower published marker for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States is $82,200 at P10, and the upper marker is $230,630 at P90. Those Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States values do not identify an exact percentile for an amount between them. If the $230,630 marker for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States says “or more,” it is a lower bound from the May 2025 release. A suppressed Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States cell means BLS did not publish that estimate, not that the opening has no cash-pay cost.
The national $140,300 median for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States combines workers in the BLS occupation across reported locations. A remote Research Scientist / Applied Scientist opening still needs a stated work-location policy; this Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States national cell does not supply a remote-pay formula. A Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States title may cover a narrower set of duties than Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221). For Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States, keep that scope difference visible when comparing a candidate's cash-pay expectations with the $140,300 national marker.
For Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States, two configured target markets with published medians are Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL, at $132,680; Tampa-St. For Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States, petersburg-Clearwater, FL, at $109,660. These Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States comparisons use the same SOC 15-1221 as the national table. The target-market selection for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States is not a ranking of the nearest metros or the highest pay. Read each Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States market's full row before comparing it with the $140,300 national median.
A comparable May 2024 median is not available for this Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States selection, so no release-to-release difference is calculated. The $140,300 May 2025 median for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States stands on its own reference period. A missing prior Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States cell does not establish growth, decline or unchanged pay. Keep the United States area and SOC 15-1221 labels attached when sharing this Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States result.
The published mean for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States is $153,930, alongside the $140,300 median. The mean-minus-median difference for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States is $13,630. The mean and median for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States summarize the same occupation differently; neither is a recommended starting salary. Do not choose the higher Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States summary simply to describe a stronger candidate, since the May 2025 table does not tie either summary to interview quality.
A complete Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States offer needs terms the Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221) wage cell cannot price. Keep equity and RSUs separate from the $140,300 Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States comparison. Check the BLS include-and-exclude definition when discussing on-call terms or shift differential for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States; a job-specific arrangement is not another published percentile. For Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States, spell out the reporting line and work-location expectations alongside cash pay rather than presenting $140,300 as the complete package.
The BLS employment estimate attached to Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States is 37,200 for Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221). That Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States estimate describes employment in the surveyed occupation, not candidates available for your opening. Workers counted in the United States estimate for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist are not a ready-made shortlist. Use the May 2025 Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States employment row to understand the occupation's reported presence, while keeping the search for an individual hire separate.
Which national industries report pay for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States?
The table below gives released national industry medians for Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221), selected for this Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States discussion. These Research Scientist / Applied Scientist industry rows are national cuts, not industry-specific wages for United States.
National industry rows for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States, BLS May 2025
BLS industry
NAICS
Published median
Employment
Software Publishers
513200
$211,270
1,300
Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services
518200
$196,770
600
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities
523000
$166,880
60
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
524000
$164,980
80
Insurance Carriers
524100
$164,980
70
Management of Companies and Enterprises
551100
$163,290
530
Questions about Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States
Which occupation prices Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States?
The Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States figures use Computer and Information Research Scientists, SOC 15-1221. BLS does not release an exact rate for an employer's particular Research Scientist / Applied Scientist opening in United States.
Does the Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States band price seniority?
The $103,570 to $188,700 band describes the published occupation distribution for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States. It is not a junior-to-senior ladder for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States.
Can I treat the May 2025 Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States median as a complete offer?
The $140,300 wage cell for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States starts a cash-pay comparison. Benefits and equity for Research Scientist / Applied Scientist in United States need a separate discussion from this BLS cell.