Highest paying countries for Research Scientists
Dreaming of international or remote work as a Research Scientist? The ranking below shows the ten countries with the highest estimated salaries for this role. Salaries can vary significantly based on country, industry and individual experience.
- 1 Switzerland $194,285$16,190 / mo
- 2 Iceland $165,473$13,789 / mo
- 3 Luxembourg $159,299$13,275 / mo
- 4 Bermuda $147,000$12,250 / mo
- 5 United States $122,500$10,208 / mo
- 6 Vatican City $122,500$10,208 / mo
- 7 Singapore $122,010$10,168 / mo
- 8 Cayman Islands $110,250$9,188 / mo
- 9 Hong Kong $106,979$8,915 / mo
- 10 Jersey $104,125$8,677 / mo
The highest estimated salaries are found in Switzerland
The top 3 countries for Research Scientist professionals are Switzerland, Iceland and Luxembourg, with estimated annual salaries of $194,285, $165,473 and $159,299.
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Research Scientist salaries by continent
Pick a region to compare the estimated monthly and annual salaries by country.
We compare 54 countries in Africa. The lowest estimate is in Niger at $3,259 per year.
- Equatorial Guinea $48,841$4,070 / mo
- Gabon $40,707$3,392 / mo
- South Africa $38,735$3,228 / mo
- Namibia $32,560$2,713 / mo
- Botswana $27,134$2,261 / mo
- Angola $21,707$1,809 / mo
- Zambia $20,347$1,696 / mo
- Seychelles $18,988$1,582 / mo
- Ghana $17,640$1,470 / mo
- Comoros $17,640$1,470 / mo
- Sao Tome and Principe $17,640$1,470 / mo
- Mauritius $16,893$1,408 / mo
- Malawi $16,832$1,403 / mo
- Congo $15,460$1,288 / mo
- Cabo Verde $15,055$1,255 / mo
- Rwanda $14,921$1,243 / mo
- Lesotho $13,573$1,131 / mo
- Uganda $13,291$1,108 / mo
- Burkina Faso $13,022$1,085 / mo
- Tanzania $12,483$1,040 / mo
- Ivory Coast $12,213$1,018 / mo
- Senegal $12,213$1,018 / mo
- Djibouti $12,213$1,018 / mo
- Morocco $11,307$942 / mo
- Central African Republic $11,123$927 / mo
- Cameroon $10,854$904 / mo
- Kenya $10,217$851 / mo
- Mozambique $10,045$837 / mo
- Nigeria $8,955$746 / mo
- Zimbabwe $8,955$746 / mo
- Libya $8,759$730 / mo
- Mali $8,685$724 / mo
- Burundi $8,685$724 / mo
- Tunisia $8,453$704 / mo
- Madagascar $8,134$678 / mo
- Guinea $8,134$678 / mo
- Togo $8,134$678 / mo
- Eritrea $8,134$678 / mo
- Eswatini $8,134$678 / mo
- Chad $7,864$655 / mo
- Somalia $7,595$633 / mo
- Sudan $7,460$622 / mo
- Liberia $7,056$588 / mo
- Ethiopia $6,787$566 / mo
- South Sudan $6,787$566 / mo
- Algeria $6,248$521 / mo
- Benin $5,427$452 / mo
- Mauritania $5,427$452 / mo
- DR Congo $4,888$407 / mo
- Sierra Leone $4,067$339 / mo
- Gambia $4,067$339 / mo
- Guinea-Bissau $4,067$339 / mo
- Egypt $3,969$331 / mo
- Niger $3,259$272 / mo
We compare 36 countries in Asia. The lowest estimate is in Palau at $2,707 per year.
- Singapore $122,010$10,168 / mo
- Hong Kong $106,979$8,915 / mo
- Israel $72,128$6,011 / mo
- South Korea $69,935$5,828 / mo
- Japan $62,267$5,189 / mo
- Maldives $59,694$4,975 / mo
- China $26,215$2,185 / mo
- Malaysia $26,203$2,184 / mo
- Jordan $17,530$1,461 / mo
- India $17,138$1,428 / mo
- Turkmenistan $16,280$1,357 / mo
- Mongolia $16,280$1,357 / mo
- Armenia $16,219$1,352 / mo
- Thailand $16,146$1,345 / mo
- Kazakhstan $15,803$1,317 / mo
- Russia $15,251$1,271 / mo
- Iraq $14,039$1,170 / mo
- Vietnam $12,642$1,054 / mo
- Azerbaijan $11,895$991 / mo
- Uzbekistan $11,883$990 / mo
- Timor-Leste $10,854$904 / mo
- Bhutan $10,854$904 / mo
- Philippines $10,413$868 / mo
- Indonesia $8,857$738 / mo
- Palau $8,759$730 / mo
- Tajikistan $8,134$678 / mo
- Kyrgyzstan $8,134$678 / mo
- Iran $7,203$600 / mo
- Laos $6,787$566 / mo
- Bangladesh $6,517$543 / mo
- Nepal $5,843$487 / mo
- Sri Lanka $5,402$450 / mo
- Cambodia $5,292$441 / mo
- Pakistan $4,888$407 / mo
- Myanmar $4,067$339 / mo
- Palau $2,707$226 / mo
We compare 46 countries in Europe. The lowest estimate is in Ukraine at $10,694 per year.
- Switzerland $194,285$16,190 / mo
- Iceland $165,473$13,789 / mo
- Luxembourg $159,299$13,275 / mo
- Vatican City $122,500$10,208 / mo
- Jersey $104,125$8,677 / mo
- Denmark $102,827$8,569 / mo
- Guernsey $98,000$8,167 / mo
- Netherlands $97,927$8,161 / mo
- Norway $92,181$7,682 / mo
- Ireland $87,845$7,320 / mo
- United Kingdom $86,436$7,203 / mo
- Germany $85,946$7,162 / mo
- Belgium $83,337$6,945 / mo
- Monaco $81,401$6,783 / mo
- Sweden $80,568$6,714 / mo
- Finland $78,241$6,520 / mo
- Liechtenstein $75,950$6,329 / mo
- Austria $71,748$5,979 / mo
- France $70,389$5,866 / mo
- San Marino $67,828$5,652 / mo
- Spain $52,161$4,347 / mo
- Cyprus $49,392$4,116 / mo
- Italy $48,596$4,050 / mo
- Slovenia $45,252$3,771 / mo
- Estonia $44,125$3,677 / mo
- Poland $42,165$3,514 / mo
- Croatia $38,171$3,181 / mo
- Lithuania $37,963$3,164 / mo
- Slovakia $34,251$2,854 / mo
- Latvia $33,112$2,759 / mo
- Malta $32,560$2,713 / mo
- Portugal $31,139$2,595 / mo
- Hungary $28,298$2,358 / mo
- Greece $28,273$2,356 / mo
- Bulgaria $27,808$2,317 / mo
- Andorra $27,134$2,261 / mo
- Montenegro $25,762$2,147 / mo
- Romania $25,480$2,123 / mo
- Serbia $21,450$1,787 / mo
- Bosnia and Herzegovina $19,747$1,646 / mo
- Albania $17,395$1,450 / mo
- North Macedonia $16,881$1,407 / mo
- Moldova $16,133$1,344 / mo
- Belarus $14,075$1,173 / mo
- Georgia $13,267$1,106 / mo
- Ukraine $10,694$891 / mo
We compare 27 countries in North America. The lowest estimate is in Guatemala at $10,008 per year.
- Bermuda $147,000$12,250 / mo
- United States $122,500$10,208 / mo
- Cayman Islands $110,250$9,188 / mo
- Turks and Caicos Islands $91,875$7,656 / mo
- Canada $79,147$6,596 / mo
- Puerto Rico $48,841$4,070 / mo
- Antigua and Barbuda $40,707$3,392 / mo
- Bahamas $37,963$3,164 / mo
- Barbados $32,560$2,713 / mo
- Dominica $25,762$2,147 / mo
- Costa Rica $25,639$2,137 / mo
- Belize $24,414$2,035 / mo
- Saint Kitts and Nevis $24,414$2,035 / mo
- Trinidad and Tobago $23,067$1,922 / mo
- Panama $21,781$1,815 / mo
- Cuba $21,707$1,809 / mo
- Guyana $18,988$1,582 / mo
- Saint Lucia $18,988$1,582 / mo
- Mexico $18,853$1,571 / mo
- Jamaica $17,640$1,470 / mo
- Grenada $17,640$1,470 / mo
- Honduras $16,280$1,357 / mo
- Nicaragua $14,921$1,243 / mo
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $13,573$1,131 / mo
- Haiti $10,854$904 / mo
- El Salvador $10,854$904 / mo
- Guatemala $10,008$834 / mo
We compare 11 countries in South America. The lowest estimate is in Venezuela at $5,047 per year.
- Uruguay $29,608$2,467 / mo
- Paraguay $19,355$1,613 / mo
- Chile $19,061$1,588 / mo
- Suriname $15,913$1,326 / mo
- Ecuador $13,622$1,135 / mo
- Argentina $12,471$1,039 / mo
- Brazil $11,393$949 / mo
- Peru $11,197$933 / mo
- Bolivia $10,915$910 / mo
- Colombia $10,008$834 / mo
- Venezuela $5,047$421 / mo
We compare 13 countries in Oceania. The lowest estimate is in Nauru at $4,067 per year.
- Australia $102,300$8,525 / mo
- New Zealand $84,292$7,024 / mo
- Brunei $81,401$6,783 / mo
- Fiji $18,988$1,582 / mo
- Tonga $18,988$1,582 / mo
- Papua New Guinea $16,280$1,357 / mo
- Solomon Islands $13,573$1,131 / mo
- Vanuatu $12,213$1,018 / mo
- Samoa $10,854$904 / mo
- Kiribati $9,494$791 / mo
- Marshall Islands $8,134$678 / mo
- Tuvalu $8,134$678 / mo
- Nauru $4,067$339 / mo
Methodology: how these estimates are calculated
All figures are estimates. We start from the average annual salary of Research Scientists in the United States ($122,500) and multiply it by a country-specific salary factor. The factor reflects the general wage level of each country compared with the U.S. and is based on public data such as:
The results show general differences in pay levels between countries. They do not account for differences in the role itself, taxes or individual negotiations.
Actual compensation can vary significantly by company size, experience, region within a country and local tax rules. Please use these figures as a rough orientation, not as a salary guarantee.