19 Series · SOC 19-1042

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$103,410
Median / year
+2.8%
2024→2025
$177,780
Top 10% earn
+8.7%
Growth '24–'34
172,340
Estimated US jobs

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists earn a median of $103,410 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $103,410, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $64,800 (10th percentile) to $177,780 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 172,340 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is California ($136,990).

19 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
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The pay verdict

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists earn a median of $103,410, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 86% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks #12 of 48 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 8.7% by 2034.

$103,410
Median annual wage
Top 14%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#12 of 48
in Life, Physical, and Social Science
2.7×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: California at $136,990. Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.

Observed pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025

May 2019 → May 2025
  • The published national median for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists moved from $88,790 in May 2019 to $103,410 in May 2025 (+16.5%).
  • Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
  • Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists sits -8.0 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (SOC 19-1042) has a national median of $103,410 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $64,800 to $177,780, and the published mean is $116,840. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 172,340 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 47 state or territory areas and 209 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $100,590 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $103,410 in May 2025, a rise of $2,820 (+2.8%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a +8.7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as much faster than average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 9,600 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Doctoral or professional degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. California pays the highest state median at $136,990, which is +32% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Vallejo, CA at $168,860. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.

BLS OEWS May 2025 172,340 jobs Median $103,410/yr

Median Salary

$103,410

per year

Median Hourly

$49.72/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$116,840

average

Employment

172,340

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$103,410 Top 14% higher than 86% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000 and above: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $180,000+ every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$20,000 0 US occupations 0%
$20,000–$40,000 98 US occupations 12%
$40,000–$60,000 298 US occupations 36%
$60,000–$80,000 209 US occupations 25%
$80,000–$100,000 82 US occupations 10%
$100,000–$120,000 (this entry) 58 US occupations 7%
$120,000–$140,000 32 US occupations 4%
$140,000–$160,000 14 US occupations 2%
$160,000–$180,000 9 US occupations 1%
$180,000 and above 25 US occupations 3%

$103,410 · 86th percentile of 825 US occupations

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 19-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 24 19-series occupations with growth data, Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists sits on the faster-growing side at +8.7% growth and $103,410 median pay. Scatter plot of 24 data points. $0$50000$100000$150000$200000 -5%0%5%10%15% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage Medical Scientists, … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 8.7% · Median annual wage: $103410Occupational Health … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 12.5% · Median annual wage: $90150Environmental Scient… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.4% · Median annual wage: $82220Chemists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.9% · Median annual wage: $91240Clinical and Counsel… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 11.2% · Median annual wage: $100580Life, Physical, and … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.5% · Median annual wage: $62280Biological Technicians - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.5% · Median annual wage: $57510School Psychologists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 0.7% · Median annual wage: $95990Chemical Technicians - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.7% · Median annual wage: $60390Biological Scientist… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.2% · Median annual wage: $98920Urban and Regional P… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.4% · Median annual wage: $89320Social Scientists an… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -1.7% · Median annual wage: $101110Environmental Scienc… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4% · Median annual wage: $55090Biochemists and Biop… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 5.8% · Median annual wage: $127410Social Science Resea… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.4% · Median annual wage: $61990Occupational Health … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 8.5% · Median annual wage: $61560Forest and Conservat… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -3.2% · Median annual wage: $54560Conservation Scienti… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.4% · Median annual wage: $73010Geoscientists, Excep… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.2% · Median annual wage: $101920Physical Scientists,… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 0.6% · Median annual wage: $122570Physicists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4% · Median annual wage: $172250Forensic Science Tec… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 12.8% · Median annual wage: $72060Microbiologists - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.1% · Median annual wage: $87990Psychologists, All O… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.3% · Median annual wage: $110840
Among 24 19-series occupations with growth data, Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists sits on the faster-growing side at +8.7% growth and $103,410 median pay.
Read the chart as text
  • Medical Scientists, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $103410
  • Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.5%, Median annual wage $90150
  • Environmental Scient…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $82220
  • Chemists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.9%, Median annual wage $91240
  • Clinical and Counsel…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11.2%, Median annual wage $100580
  • Life, Physical, and …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $62280
  • Biological Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $57510
  • School Psychologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.7%, Median annual wage $95990
  • Chemical Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $60390
  • Biological Scientist…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.2%, Median annual wage $98920
  • Urban and Regional P…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $89320
  • Social Scientists an…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.7%, Median annual wage $101110
  • Environmental Scienc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $55090
  • Biochemists and Biop…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.8%, Median annual wage $127410
  • Social Science Resea…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $61990
  • Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.5%, Median annual wage $61560
  • Forest and Conservat…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -3.2%, Median annual wage $54560
  • Conservation Scienti…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $73010
  • Geoscientists, Excep…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $101920
  • Physical Scientists,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $122570
  • Physicists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $172250
  • Forensic Science Tec…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.8%, Median annual wage $72060
  • Microbiologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $87990
  • Psychologists, All O…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.3%, Median annual wage $110840

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

+8.7%

Much faster than average

Annual Openings

9,600

per year (projected)

Employment Change

+14,300

165,300 (2024) → 179,600 (2034)

Typical Education

Doctoral or professional degree

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
Group

Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations context

Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade

Fatality Rate

1.5/100K

Injury Rate

0.7/100

Danger Index

3.6/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Career Intelligence

Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.

Top Skills

Writing 4.3
Speaking 4.1
Science 4.1
Active Learning 4.1
Reading Comprehension 4.0
Active Listening 4.0
Critical Thinking 4.0
Judgment and Decision Making 4.0
Complex Problem Solving 3.9
Systems Analysis 3.8

Knowledge Areas

Biology 4.7
English Language 4.1
Medicine and Dentistry 3.7
Chemistry 3.4
Mathematics 3.2
Computers and Electronics 3.0
Education and Training 2.9
Administration and Management 2.8
Administrative 2.1
Physics 2.1

Key Tasks

  • Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
  • Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.
  • Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
  • Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.
  • Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.
  • Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
  • Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
  • Study animal and human health and physiological processes.
  • Write and publish articles in scientific journals.
  • Write applications for research grants.

Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

10th$64,800
25th$79,840
Median$103,410
75th$139,380
90th$177,780

Hourly Rate Distribution

10th$31.15
25th$38.39
Median$49.72
75th$67.01
90th$85.47

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists pay history, 2015–2025

Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.

$70,000$80,000$90,000$100,000$110,000 20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 National median - 2015: $82,240National median - 2016: $80,530National median - 2017: $82,090National median - 2018: $84,810National median - 2019: $88,790National median - 2020: $91,510National median - 2021: $95,310National median - 2022: $99,930National median - 2023: $100,890National median - 2024: $100,590National median - 2025: $103,410$103,410
National median annual wage for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists, May 2015 to May 2025 OEWS releases
Read the chart as text
Period National median
2015 $82,240
2016 $80,530
2017 $82,090
2018 $84,810
2019 $88,790
2020 $91,510
2021 $95,310
2022 $99,930
2023 $100,890
2024 $100,590
2025 $103,410

2015 median

$82,240

2025 median

$103,410

2019–2025 change (same SOC)

+$14,620 (+16.5%)

Avg/year (same SOC)

+2.6%

Published national median annual wage and estimated employment for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists by OEWS release year
Release Median Change Estimated jobs
May 2015 $82,240 First banked release 104,440
May 2016 $80,530 -2.1% 108,870
May 2017 $82,090 +1.9% 111,690
May 2018 $84,810 +3.3% 120,320
May 2019 $88,790 Classification break 127,180
May 2020 $91,510 +3.1% 126,110
May 2021 $95,310 +4.2% 108,550
May 2022 $99,930 +4.8% 110,550
May 2023 $100,890 +1.0% 136,620
May 2024 $100,590 -0.3% 156,300
May 2025 $103,410 +2.8% 172,340

Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $82,240 in May 2015 to $103,410 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.6% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 127,180 in May 2019 to 172,340 in May 2025.

Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.

Salary by State

View all 47 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 California $136,990 +32% above national
2 New Jersey $129,280 +25% above national
3 Massachusetts $128,210 +24% above national
4 Connecticut $116,990 +13% above national
5 Arizona $116,820 +13% above national
6 Oregon $111,030 +7% above national
7 Maryland $106,000 +3% above national
8 Washington $105,680 +2% above national
9 Alaska $104,930 +1% above national
10 Rhode Island $103,370 same as national
11 North Carolina $102,980 same as national
12 Tennessee $102,720 1% below national
13 Missouri $102,540 1% below national
14 Montana $101,950 1% below national
15 District of Columbia $101,940 1% below national
16 New Hampshire $100,650 3% below national
17 Delaware $100,190 3% below national
18 Pennsylvania $99,190 4% below national
19 Nevada $98,560 5% below national
20 Florida $94,940 8% below national
21 Maine $93,730 9% below national
22 Virginia $93,620 9% below national
23 Georgia $92,450 11% below national
24 Minnesota $89,950 13% below national
25 New York $87,760 15% below national
26 Kansas $84,490 18% below national
27 Michigan $84,310 18% below national
28 Ohio $83,910 19% below national
29 Iowa $83,850 19% below national
30 Idaho $83,010 20% below national
31 Utah $82,940 20% below national
32 West Virginia $82,690 20% below national
33 Wisconsin $82,530 20% below national
34 Illinois $82,330 20% below national
35 Indiana $81,110 22% below national
36 Nebraska $80,970 22% below national
37 South Dakota $80,890 22% below national
38 Texas $80,470 22% below national
39 Kentucky $77,580 25% below national
40 Oklahoma $76,480 26% below national
41 Arkansas $72,530 30% below national
42 Alabama $68,490 34% below national
43 New Mexico $67,100 35% below national
44 Vermont $66,500 36% below national
45 North Dakota $64,470 38% below national
46 Mississippi $54,040 48% below national
47 Puerto Rico $49,650 52% below national

Salary by Metro Area

View all 178 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 Vallejo, CA $168,860 +63% above national
2 Topeka, KS $162,810 +57% above national
3 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $162,230 +57% above national
4 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $160,180 +55% above national
5 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $159,300 +54% above national
6 Chico, CA $155,470 +50% above national
7 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $145,340 +41% above national
8 Modesto, CA $143,760 +39% above national
9 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $140,300 +36% above national
10 Syracuse, NY $138,940 +34% above national
11 Salinas, CA $138,590 +34% above national
12 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $138,390 +34% above national
13 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT $138,090 +34% above national
14 Stockton-Lodi, CA $138,050 +33% above national
15 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $137,640 +33% above national
16 Fresno, CA $137,080 +33% above national
17 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $134,890 +30% above national
18 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $134,060 +30% above national
19 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $133,870 +29% above national
20 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $132,110 +28% above national
21 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $130,980 +27% above national
22 Boulder, CO $130,310 +26% above national
23 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $129,910 +26% above national
24 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $129,500 +25% above national
25 Visalia, CA $129,480 +25% above national
26 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $128,620 +24% above national
27 Colorado Springs, CO $125,450 +21% above national
28 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $125,070 +21% above national
29 Redding, CA $123,510 +19% above national
30 Kennewick-Richland, WA $122,180 +18% above national
31 Tucson, AZ $119,630 +16% above national
32 El Centro, CA $119,480 +16% above national
33 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $118,290 +14% above national
34 Salem, OR $117,550 +14% above national
35 Naples-Marco Island, FL $114,330 +11% above national
36 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $112,640 +9% above national
37 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $108,390 +5% above national
38 Bend, OR $107,950 +4% above national
39 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $107,110 +4% above national
40 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL $107,020 +3% above national
41 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $106,670 +3% above national
42 Logan, UT-ID $106,650 +3% above national
43 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $105,430 +2% above national
44 Worcester, MA $105,310 +2% above national
45 Mobile, AL $105,290 +2% above national
46 Jacksonville, FL $104,610 +1% above national
47 Raleigh-Cary, NC $104,500 +1% above national
48 New Haven, CT $104,310 +1% above national
49 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $103,650 same as national
50 Savannah, GA $103,590 same as national
51 Reno, NV $103,570 same as national
52 St. Louis, MO-IL $103,410 same as national
53 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $103,360 same as national
54 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $102,950 same as national
55 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $102,940 same as national
56 Knoxville, TN $102,720 1% below national
57 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $101,390 2% below national
58 Manchester-Nashua, NH $100,650 3% below national
59 Wilmington, NC $99,070 4% below national
60 Cedar Rapids, IA $98,920 4% below national
61 Anchorage, AK $97,670 6% below national
62 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX $97,530 6% below national
63 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $97,440 6% below national
64 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $96,990 6% below national
65 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $96,660 7% below national
66 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $96,640 7% below national
67 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $96,640 7% below national
68 Asheville, NC $96,510 7% below national
69 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $96,430 7% below national
70 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $96,190 7% below national
71 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $95,800 7% below national
72 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $95,770 7% below national
73 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $95,200 8% below national
74 Lima, OH $94,580 9% below national
75 Bloomington, IN $94,350 9% below national
76 Ames, IA $93,720 9% below national
77 Portland-South Portland, ME $92,560 10% below national
78 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $92,010 11% below national
79 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT $90,350 13% below national
80 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $89,910 13% below national
81 Tallahassee, FL $89,390 14% below national
82 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $88,980 14% below national
83 Waco, TX $88,430 14% below national
84 Dover, DE $88,370 15% below national
85 Green Bay, WI $88,120 15% below national
86 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $87,490 15% below national
87 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV $87,420 15% below national
88 Reading, PA $87,280 16% below national
89 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $86,890 16% below national
90 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $86,260 17% below national
91 Madison, WI $85,570 17% below national
92 Ann Arbor, MI $85,120 18% below national
93 Champaign-Urbana, IL $85,030 18% below national
94 Duluth, MN-WI $84,370 18% below national
95 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $84,320 18% below national
96 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $84,310 18% below national
97 Columbus, OH $84,300 18% below national
98 Springfield, MA $84,190 19% below national
99 Winston-Salem, NC $83,590 19% below national
100 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $83,470 19% below national
101 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $83,250 19% below national
102 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $83,240 20% below national
103 Greensboro-High Point, NC $83,200 20% below national
104 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $82,940 20% below national
105 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI $82,880 20% below national
106 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $82,720 20% below national
107 Youngstown-Warren, OH $82,620 20% below national
108 Huntsville, AL $82,400 20% below national
109 Toledo, OH $82,250 20% below national
110 Springfield, IL $82,160 21% below national
111 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $82,120 21% below national
112 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN $82,060 21% below national
113 Morgantown, WV $82,060 21% below national
114 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL $81,940 21% below national
115 Rochester, MN $81,780 21% below national
116 Iowa City, IA $81,580 21% below national
117 Lancaster, PA $81,520 21% below national
118 Omaha, NE-IA $81,500 21% below national
119 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $81,260 21% below national
120 Kansas City, MO-KS $81,250 21% below national
121 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $80,470 22% below national
122 York-Hanover, PA $80,450 22% below national
123 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL $80,370 22% below national
124 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $80,350 22% below national
125 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $80,280 22% below national
126 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA $79,910 23% below national
127 Flagstaff, AZ $79,730 23% below national
128 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $79,470 23% below national
129 Gainesville, FL $79,370 23% below national
130 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN $79,310 23% below national
131 Waterbury-Shelton, CT $79,130 23% below national
132 Charleston, WV $78,840 24% below national
133 Cleveland, OH $78,800 24% below national
134 Akron, OH $78,780 24% below national
135 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA $78,620 24% below national
136 Sheboygan, WI $78,460 24% below national
137 Killeen-Temple, TX $78,390 24% below national
138 Evansville, IN $78,090 24% below national
139 Ogden, UT $78,030 25% below national
140 Tulsa, OK $77,910 25% below national
141 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX $77,720 25% below national
142 Lynchburg, VA $77,650 25% below national
143 Winchester, VA-WV $77,620 25% below national
144 Lexington Park, MD $77,570 25% below national
145 Ocala, FL $77,320 25% below national
146 Fayetteville, NC $77,120 25% below national
147 St. Joseph, MO-KS $76,740 26% below national
148 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $76,730 26% below national
149 Peoria, IL $76,420 26% below national
150 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $76,370 26% below national
151 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI $76,370 26% below national
152 Lincoln, NE $76,190 26% below national
153 Oklahoma City, OK $75,910 27% below national
154 Columbia, MO $75,870 27% below national
155 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA $75,140 27% below national
156 Altoona, PA $75,130 27% below national
157 Burlington, NC $73,650 29% below national
158 College Station-Bryan, TX $72,980 29% below national
159 Springfield, MO $72,160 30% below national
160 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $71,730 31% below national
161 El Paso, TX $70,150 32% below national
162 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $69,410 33% below national
163 Lansing-East Lansing, MI $68,470 34% below national
164 Albuquerque, NM $67,100 35% below national
165 Burlington-South Burlington, VT $66,500 36% below national
166 Lexington-Fayette, KY $66,490 36% below national
167 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO $66,420 36% below national
168 Missoula, MT $66,190 36% below national
169 Charlottesville, VA $65,540 37% below national
170 Rochester, NY $64,560 38% below national
171 Idaho Falls, ID $64,420 38% below national
172 Birmingham, AL $63,940 38% below national
173 Fargo, ND-MN $63,840 38% below national
174 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA $63,510 39% below national
175 Grand Forks, ND-MN $63,020 39% below national
176 Erie, PA $62,580 39% below national
177 Jackson, MS $54,040 48% below national
178 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR $49,650 52% below national

Same SOC major group

Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 19 (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.

Showing 5 of 47 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.

Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale

Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($103,410 here) and reported employment (172,340 jobs here).

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists make?
The median annual salary for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists is $103,410 ($49.72/hour). The salary range spans from $64,800 at the 10th percentile to $177,780 at the 90th percentile.
Where does Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists pay rank nationally?
At a published national median of $103,410, Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists pay is higher than 86% of the 825 detailed occupations with a published BLS annual median in the May 2025 OEWS release. This compares occupation-level medians, not individual workers, job offers, or this occupation's own worker pay-percentile range.
What state pays Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists the most?
California pays the highest median salary for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists at $136,990/year, which is +32% above the national median.
What education do Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists need?
BLS assigns Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists to Doctoral or professional degree for typical education needed for entry.
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists?
BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in this release. WageDex shows the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations SOC-group rate only as broad context and does not rank it as this occupation's measured rate.
Is Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists a good career?
Employment for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists is projected to grow 8.7% from 2024 to 2034, which is much faster than average. About 9,600 openings are projected each year.
How does Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists pay vary by state?
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is California at $136,990/year, while Puerto Rico pays the least at $49,650/year. BLS data covers 47 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists?
The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Vallejo, CA at $168,860/year. BLS reports a median for 178 metropolitan areas for this occupation. The ranking does not establish why values differ.

What to do with this data

How to use Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists pay figures in a real decision

  • The 75th-percentile wage is about $139,380/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
  • Location moves pay significantly: California leads at $136,990/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
  • Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.