A scientific expert employed by a drug or device company who discusses research and clinical data with leading physicians. BLS does not publish separate figures for medical scientists, except epidemiologists; it counts them within medical scientist, except epidemiologists (SOC 19-1042), whose median pay is $103,410 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
- SOC 19-1042
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Medical Science Liaison in four numbers
- Median pay
- $103,410a year, or $49.72/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $65KTop 10% $178K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +12.6%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+12.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +12.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 10,500181,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025181K
- Projected 2035203.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 181K Projected 2035 203.7K - Typical education
- Doctorateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Bachelor's8%
- Master's24.6%
- Post-master’s certificate6.9%
- Doctorate35.9%
- Post-doctoral training24.7%
Highest education held by medical scientists, except epidemiologists Segment Value Bachelor's 8% Master's 24.6% Post-master’s certificate 6.9% Doctorate 35.9% Post-doctoral training 24.7%
Also advertised as: MSL, Medical Liaison, Field Medical Director, Regional Medical Scientist, Clinical Science Liaison.
Pay
How much do Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists make?
Every medical science liaison in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$103,410
Middle half earn $79,840 to $139,380
- 10th
- $64,800
- 25th
- $79,840
- 75th
- $139,380
- 90th
- $177,780
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $64,800 |
| 25th | $79,840 |
| Median | $103,410 |
| 75th | $139,380 |
| 90th | $177,780 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $103,410
- Median hourly wage
- $49.72/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $116,840
- People employed
- 172,340
Versus all US occupations
At $103,410, Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists earn 103% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $52,430 a year.
Versus life, physical, and social science occupations
Inside the Life, Physical, and Social Science group, where the middle occupation pays $82,220, this is 26% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $177,780 or more while the bottom 10% earn $64,800, a gap of 2.7×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 77% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $136,990, and still leads at $123,727 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $136,990 | $123,727 | 29,830 |
| 2New Jersey | $129,280 | $118,818 | 6,120 |
| 3Massachusetts | $128,210 | $121,231 | 17,100 |
| 4Connecticut | $116,990 | $112,914 | 2,410 |
| 5Arizona | $116,820 | $116,034 | 2,190 |
| 6Oregon | $111,030 | $107,420 | 1,030 |
| 7Maryland | $106,000 | $100,992 | 6,760 |
| 8Washington | $105,680 | $98,754 | 6,150 |
| 9Alaska | $104,930 | $102,512 | 260 |
| 10Rhode Island | $103,370 | $101,066 | 670 |
Job outlook
Is Medical Science Liaison a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +12.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | +12.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists to change 12.6% over 2025–2035, roughly 3.6× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 22,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 10,500 openings are projected each year, 5.8% of the 181,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Medical Science Liaison
Most MSLs hold an advanced clinical or science degree, typically a PharmD, PhD, MD, or a nursing or physician assistant degree with specialty experience. Companies look for deep knowledge of a therapeutic area such as oncology, neurology, or immunology, plus strong communication skills.
Breaking in often means moving from clinical practice, a postdoctoral fellowship, or a pharmacy industry fellowship into a first MSL role. The Medical Science Liaison Society provides training and career resources, and the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs offers the Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS) credential, which some candidates earn to strengthen applications.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Doctoral or professional degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as medical scientists, except epidemiologists.
- Doctoral Degree35.9%
- Post-Doctoral Training24.7%
- Master's Degree24.6%
- Bachelor's Degree8%
- Post-Master's Certificate6.9%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Doctoral Degree | 35.9% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 24.7% |
| Master's Degree | 24.6% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 8% |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 6.9% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Medical Science Liaison do?
Medical science liaisons work in the medical affairs function of pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies. They build peer-to-peer relationships with key opinion leaders, such as academic physicians and specialists, and hold in-depth scientific discussions about disease areas, clinical trial data, and how their company's products work.
Unlike sales representatives, MSLs do not promote products. They answer unsolicited medical questions, present data at advisory boards and medical meetings, support investigator-initiated research and clinical trial sites, and bring insights from the field back to internal teams that plan research and medical strategy. They must follow strict compliance rules about what they can discuss.
Day-to-day tasks
- Build scientific relationships with key opinion leaders in a therapeutic area
- Present clinical trial data and disease state information to physicians
- Respond to unsolicited medical information requests
- Support clinical trial sites and investigator-initiated studies
- Gather field insights and report them to internal medical teams
- Attend medical congresses and summarize new research
- Train internal colleagues on the science behind products
- Follow regulatory and compliance rules for non-promotional communication
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
MSLs are field-based and cover a geographic territory, often several states, working from home between visits to hospitals, academic centers, and practices. Frequent travel, including overnight trips and national medical conferences, is typical. The schedule is self-directed but involves meetings with internal teams and close attention to compliance.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Writing4.3
- Speaking4.1
- Science4.1
- Active Learning4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Mathematics3.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Mathematics | 3.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Systems Analysis3.8
- Instructing3.3
- Systems Evaluation3.3
- Service Orientation3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.8 |
| Instructing | 3.3 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Geographic information system · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Medical Science Liaison?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IES) built on O*NET's Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Medical Science Liaison |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 7 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Investigative7.0
- Realistic4.3
- Social4.0
- Conventional3.7
- Enterprising3.5
- Artistic2.4
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Medical Science Liaison
O*NET related occupations
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists
$103,410median a year
Most earn $65K to $178K
+12.6%Doctorate - Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist
$62,930median a year
Most earn $39K to $101K
+2.7%Bachelor's
More life, physical, and social science careers
Median annual pay, with medical scientists, except epidemiologists highlighted
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologist$193,950
- Physicist$172,250
- Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists$103,410
- Medical Science Liaison$103,410
- Chemist$91,240
- Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health$82,220
- Conservation Scientist$73,010
- Chemical Technician$60,390
- Biological Technician$57,510
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | $193,950 |
| Physicist | $172,250 |
| Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 |
| Medical Science Liaison | $103,410 |
| Chemist | $91,240 |
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health | $82,220 |
| Conservation Scientist | $73,010 |
| Chemical Technician | $60,390 |
| Biological Technician | $57,510 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Medical Science Liaison appears on
Questions
Medical Science Liaison: frequently asked questions
How much do Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for medical scientists, except epidemiologists. It counts them within medical scientist, except epidemiologists, whose median pay is $103,410 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $79,840 and $139,380, and the top 10% earn $177,780 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Medical Science Liaison?
Yes, and beyond a bachelor's: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry requirement for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 35.9% hold doctoral degree.
Is Medical Science Liaison a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 12.6% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 10,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Medical Science Liaison do?
Medical science liaisons work in the medical affairs function of pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies. A typical task: build scientific relationships with key opinion leaders in a therapeutic area. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Development environment software, Geographic information system.
Which states pay Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists the most?
The highest state medians for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists are California ($136,990), New Jersey ($129,280), Massachusetts ($128,210) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Medical Science Liaison?
O*NET scores Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists highest on the Investigative, Realistic and Social interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with INTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.