Medical Scientist Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of medical scientists to grow 12.6% from 2025 to 2035 (about 22,700 more jobs), with about 10,500 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $103,410 a year ranks 118th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +12.6%
- Openings a year
- 10,500
- Median pay
- $103,410
- Pay rank
- 118th of 825
Is employment of medical scientists growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of medical scientists to rise 12.6% (about 22,700 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +7.6% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 48 life, physical, and social science occupations with a projection. That change ranks 37th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 181,000 |
| Employment, 2035 | 203,700 |
| Projected change | +12.6% |
| Openings a year | 10,500 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 181,000 jobs here differ from the 172,340 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 10,500 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 270th most of 830 occupations. About 78% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 2,270 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for medical scientists rank?
The median of $103,410 a year ranks 118th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: doctoral or professional degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | +4.7% | 4,300 | $98,920 |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | +12.3% | 2,900 | $127,410 |
| Microbiologists | +6.2% | 1,500 | $87,990 |
| Epidemiologists | +18.7% | 800 | $87,220 |
| Psychologists, All Other | +2.3% | 3,500 | $110,840 |
| Biological Technicians | +7.4% | 9,400 | $57,510 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | +4.8% | 300 | $312,400 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.