$407K–$460K/yrHybridLead / Staff+ · Full-time
Research Scientist salary in California
From 47 US job postings that list pay, out of 60 open Research Scientist jobs in California. These are the amounts employers advertised, not pay reported by employees.
- Median pay
- $220ka year
- Middle half
- $183k–$283k25th to 75th percentile
- Postings with pay
- 47of 60 open jobs
Pay range
$173k$380k
Pay by experience level
| Level the posting asks for | Median a year | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $179k | 5 |
| Mid level | $250k | 23 |
| Senior | $223k | 16 |
Top-paying companies
Companies with at least 3 postings that list pay.
Open Research Scientist jobs with pay listed
$150K–$230K/yrOnsiteEntry level · Full-time
$350K–$500K/yrHybrid
$185K–$215K/yrOnsiteFull-time
$150K–$225K/yrHybridSenior · Full-time
$207K–$300K/yrOnsite
How these numbers are made
- Lumirole reads job postings straight from employers' own career sites (Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS and 30 more), not job boards, and keeps the pay each posting states.
- Only open US postings for this job title count, with pay in US dollars of at least $10k a year. A range counts at its middle. Hourly pay is turned into a year at 2,080 hours (40 a week), daily pay at 260 days.
- These are advertised amounts, not what people are paid: bonuses, equity and tips aren't included. A company or place is listed once it has enough postings with pay.
- Updated November 11, 2026; the numbers move as jobs open and close.