Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists earn a median of $103,410 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 103% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $49.72/hr. The middle half earn between $79,840 and $139,380. The top 10% earn $177,780 or more.

The median hourly wage for medical scientists, except epidemiologists is $49.72 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $103,410 annual median works out to about $8,620 a month before tax.

BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of medical scientists, except epidemiologists earn less than $64,800 a year and the bottom quarter less than $79,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.

Yes, more often than not. The median is $103,410, so more than half of medical scientists, except epidemiologists earn over $100,000 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). In 17 states the median itself is above $100,000: California ($136,990), New Jersey ($129,280), Massachusetts ($128,210), Connecticut ($116,990), and 13 more.

The highest state medians for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists are California ($136,990), New Jersey ($129,280), Massachusetts ($128,210) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

BLS does not split medical scientists, except epidemiologists' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $177,780, against a median of $103,410 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are California ($136,990), New Jersey ($129,280), Massachusetts ($128,210). BLS also counts 2 specialty careers inside this occupation (genome editing scientist, medical science liaison), which share its federal pay figures.

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.

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.

Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. A core O*NET task: follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Development environment software, Geographic information system.

More work over 40 hours than at exactly 40. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 48% of medical scientists, except epidemiologists usually work more than 40 hours a week, 46% work exactly 40 and 6% work fewer. 83% say their schedule is regular and 17% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.

O*NET scores Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists highest on the Investigative, Realistic and Conventional 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.

BLS states no duration for the doctorate anywhere on its medical scientists page, so any single figure would be invented. The nearest federally anchored numbers come from NIH training policy: Kirschstein-NRSA support at the predoctoral level for dual-degree training is capped at six years in aggregate across institutional training grants and individual fellowships, and NIGMS MSTP institutional training grants are usually awarded for five years and are renewable.

Not a state license. No state licenses medical scientists as such. State licensure enters only through the practice of medicine: a medical scientist who treats patients, in a clinical trial or otherwise, needs the same licence any physician or other healthcare practitioner would need from that state's board, and that licence is for practice rather than for research.

Women make up 55.6% of medical scientists, except epidemiologists, against 47.1% of all employed people: more women than in the workforce as a whole. 22.5% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs. The median worker is 41.2 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages, for the Census group "Medical scientists".