United States
Job
Principal Investigator

Average Principal Investigator Salary

Pay
Job Listings
How should I pay?Price a Job
What am I worth?Find market worth
$99,999
/ year

Avg. Base Salary (USD)
10%
$61k
MEDIAN
$100k
90%
$144k

The average salary for a Principal Investigator is $99,999 in 2025

Base Salary
$61k - $144k
Bonus
$2k - $29k
Profit Sharing
$500 - $14k
Total Pay
$60k - $217k
Based on 81 salary profiles (last updated Mar 04 2025)
Is Average Principal Investigator Salary your job title? Find out what you should be paid
Use our tool to get a personalized report on your market worth.What's this?
United States (change)
How it works:
1
Enter city & years of experience
2
Add pay factors like skills & education
3
Find your market worth with a report tailored to you

Featured Content

‹
Remote Work
New research shows how to set pay for remote employees
Gender Pay Gap
New research shows that each woman experiences the disparity of gender pay gap in different ways, depending on her position, age, race and education.
Compensation Best Practices Report
From compensation planning to variable pay to pay equity analysis, we surveyed 4,900+ organizations on how they manage compensation.
Salary Budget Survey Report
See how organizations are shifting their salary budgets this year.
Retention Report
Get strategies you can use to retain top talent and learn how impactful employee retention really is.
Variable Pay Playbook
Before you decide whether variable pay is right for your org, get a deeper understanding of the variable pay options and the cultural impact of pay choices.
›
Find your market worth – how it works:

How do Principal Investigators Rate Their Jobs?

3.9 out of 5
(9)
Highly Satisfied
0Reviews
We currently don't have any reviews for this job and need at least 5 ratings before we can calculate a satisfaction score. Are you a Principal Investigator? Take our survey to help us meet this goal.

Common Health Benefits for a Principal Investigator

Medical
88%
Dental
90%
Vision
77%
None
8%

Gender Breakdown for Principal Investigators

Male
52.9%
Female
47.1%
This data is based on 34 survey responses. Learn more about the gender pay gap.
benefits-icon

FAQs About Principal Investigators

What is the highest pay for Principal Investigators?

Our data indicates that the highest pay for a Principal Investigator is $144k / year

What is the lowest pay for Principal Investigators?

Our data indicates that the lowest pay for a Principal Investigator is $61k / year

How can Principal Investigators increase their salary?

Increasing your pay as a Principal Investigator is possible in different ways. Change of employer: Consider a career move to a new employer that is willing to pay higher for your skills. Level of Education: Gaining advanced degrees may allow this role to increase their income potential and qualify for promotions. Managing Experience: If you are a Principal Investigator that oversees more junior Principal Investigators, this experience can increase the likelihood to earn more.

WHAT AM I WORTH?
What your skills are worth in the job market is constantly changing.
United States (change)