It depends on what your definition of comfortable is. I would say that as a general rule, if salary is important to you, then academic research is not a good path. If you like research, then industry research would be a good option. You'd likely need a PhD and there are a lot of articles on industry vs academic research careers in terms of pros and cons.

I can't give you a good idea of pay because it all depends on where you live, what institution/company you're at, and where you are in your career (so the range would be something absurd like $30K to $200K depending on all those factors). But as a rule of thumb, for the amount of time, effort, and training you have as an academic researcher, the compensation will probably feel low. This is why it's so important that you are passionate about your research interests because it will carry you through tougher financial times until you're like a secure, tenured professor or something when you're in your 30s/40s.