178 metro areas
Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists Salary by City (2026)
Medical scientists earn the most in Syracuse, NY, an average of $182,580 a year, against $116,840 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Syracuse, NY ($190,700 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $116,840BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $182,580Syracuse, NY
- Best after cost of living
- $190,700Syracuse, NY
- Metro areas
- 178With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for medical scientists
Top 10 metro areas
- Syracuse, NY$182,580
- Vallejo, CA$162,840
- Topeka, KS$162,660
- Charleston, SC$160,640
- San Francisco, CA$157,540
- San Jose, CA$154,420
- Santa Rosa, CA$149,990
- Chico, CA$148,720
- Stockton, CA$144,270
- Norwich, CT$143,020
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Syracuse, NY | $182,580 |
| Vallejo, CA | $162,840 |
| Topeka, KS | $162,660 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $160,640 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $157,540 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $154,420 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $149,990 |
| Chico, CA | $148,720 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $144,270 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $143,020 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Syracuse, NY$182,580 nominal$190,700
- Topeka, KS$162,660 nominal$183,130
- Charleston, SC$160,640 nominal$159,110
- Vallejo, CA$162,840 nominal$150,110
- Chico, CA$148,720 nominal$146,960
- Norwich, CT$143,020 nominal$142,390
- San Jose, CA$154,420 nominal$139,840
- Santa Rosa, CA$149,990 nominal$139,160
- Stockton, CA$144,270 nominal$137,280
- Kennewick, WA$137,280 nominal$137,170
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Syracuse, NY | $190,700 |
| Topeka, KS | $183,130 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $159,110 |
| Vallejo, CA | $150,110 |
| Chico, CA | $146,960 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $142,390 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $139,840 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $139,160 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $137,280 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $137,170 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syracuse, NY | $182,580 | $89,190 | $228,570 | $190,700 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $162,840 | $133,580 | $177,260 | $150,110 |
| 3 | Topeka, KS | $162,660 | $77,190 | $204,730 | $183,130 |
| 4 | Charleston, SC | $160,640 | $73,720 | $203,470 | $159,110 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $157,540 | $108,910 | $181,500 | $136,260 |
| 6 | San Jose, CA | $154,420 | $101,110 | $180,670 | $139,840 |
| 7 | Santa Rosa, CA | $149,990 | $120,790 | $164,380 | $139,160 |
| 8 | Chico, CA | $148,720 | $108,720 | $168,440 | $146,960 |
| 9 | Stockton, CA | $144,270 | $114,070 | $159,140 | $137,280 |
| 10 | Norwich, CT | $143,020 | $92,770 | $167,750 | $142,390 |
| 11 | Modesto, CA | $142,460 | $120,660 | $153,210 | $136,840 |
| 12 | Santa Cruz, CA | $140,520 | $91,600 | $164,610 | $127,870 |
| 13 | Kennewick, WA | $137,280 | $86,240 | $162,410 | $137,170 |
| 14 | Sacramento, CA | $136,950 | $96,910 | $156,670 | $128,390 |
| 15 | Santa Maria, CA | $136,910 | $95,310 | $157,390 | $125,840 |
| 16 | Trenton, NJ | $136,740 | $96,550 | $156,540 | $132,530 |
| 17 | Bridgeport, CT | $136,590 | $81,330 | $163,820 | $127,820 |
| 18 | Boulder, CO | $134,910 | $94,790 | $154,670 | $128,240 |
| 19 | Riverside, CA | $134,510 | $107,180 | $147,990 | $126,370 |
| 20 | Boston, MA-NH | $133,740 | $85,550 | $157,480 | $123,530 |
| 21 | Salinas, CA | $132,810 | $103,250 | $147,350 | $121,800 |
| 22 | Naples, FL | $132,770 | $75,900 | $160,780 | $128,650 |
| 23 | Los Angeles, CA | $131,870 | $91,310 | $151,840 | $116,120 |
| 24 | Oxnard, CA | $131,710 | $95,280 | $149,660 | $119,160 |
| 25 | Bakersfield, CA | $130,960 | $105,830 | $143,330 | $129,810 |
| 26 | Jacksonville, FL | $129,480 | $67,560 | $159,970 | $130,150 |
| 27 | San Diego, CA | $129,060 | $87,460 | $149,550 | $115,350 |
| 28 | Fresno, CA | $128,500 | $96,120 | $144,440 | $125,790 |
| 29 | Portland, OR-WA | $127,860 | $77,670 | $152,570 | $121,290 |
| 30 | Visalia, CA | $127,820 | $113,920 | $134,660 | $128,040 |
| 31 | Colorado Springs, CO | $127,280 | $80,790 | $150,180 | $126,390 |
| 32 | Salem, OR | $126,420 | $76,860 | $150,840 | $121,970 |
| 33 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $125,280 | $94,240 | $140,550 | $115,360 |
| 34 | Olympia, WA | $125,240 | $77,210 | $148,910 | $120,810 |
| 35 | Miami, FL | $124,780 | $68,990 | $152,260 | $109,310 |
| 36 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $122,870 | $76,900 | $145,500 | $112,840 |
| 37 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $122,780 | $67,830 | $149,840 | $119,720 |
| 38 | Providence, RI-MA | $122,370 | $71,590 | $147,370 | $120,240 |
| 39 | Worcester, MA | $121,930 | $80,580 | $142,290 | $118,930 |
| 40 | New York, NY-NJ | $121,410 | $76,420 | $143,580 | $107,860 |
| 41 | Asheville, NC | $121,310 | $62,280 | $150,380 | $125,700 |
| 42 | Bend, OR | $119,620 | $79,890 | $139,210 | $115,460 |
| 43 | El Centro, CA | $119,580 | $108,740 | $124,920 | $125,640 |
| 44 | Sebastian, FL | $119,430 | $80,080 | $138,800 | $121,490 |
| 45 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $119,200 | $66,640 | $145,080 | $122,450 |
| 46 | Redding, CA | $118,870 | $61,110 | $147,330 | $118,060 |
| 47 | Raleigh, NC | $118,640 | $74,340 | $140,480 | $120,870 |
| 48 | Seattle, WA | $118,000 | $75,650 | $138,860 | $106,180 |
| 49 | Phoenix, AZ | $117,210 | $76,070 | $137,490 | $113,450 |
| 50 | North Port, FL | $116,920 | $62,610 | $143,670 | $114,160 |
| 51 | New Haven, CT | $116,810 | $78,620 | $135,620 | $111,720 |
| 52 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $115,770 | $75,400 | $135,660 | $105,800 |
| 53 | Greenville, SC | $113,690 | $62,340 | $138,990 | $121,910 |
| 54 | Logan, UT-ID | $113,610 | $54,830 | $142,560 | $118,430 |
| 55 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $113,130 | $76,020 | $131,410 | $118,970 |
| 56 | Dayton, OH | $112,960 | $70,220 | $134,040 | $121,860 |
| 57 | Ames, IA | $112,610 | $62,730 | $137,180 | $126,770 |
| 58 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $112,320 | $75,210 | $130,600 | $107,150 |
| 59 | Wilmington, NC | $111,820 | $80,750 | $127,130 | $115,970 |
| 60 | Palm Bay, FL | $111,590 | $67,180 | $133,470 | $111,580 |
| 61 | Tucson, AZ | $110,260 | $70,660 | $129,770 | $113,790 |
| 62 | Savannah, GA | $109,930 | $81,200 | $124,090 | $115,470 |
| 63 | Albany, NY | $109,800 | $68,580 | $130,080 | $110,280 |
| 64 | Tampa, FL | $109,570 | $64,790 | $131,620 | $108,600 |
| 65 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $109,470 | $67,580 | $130,100 | $123,050 |
| 66 | Buffalo, NY | $109,370 | $74,710 | $126,420 | $114,110 |
| 67 | Cape Coral, FL | $108,720 | $72,880 | $126,380 | $106,220 |
| 68 | Atlanta, GA | $108,410 | $68,600 | $128,020 | $108,350 |
| 69 | Greensboro, NC | $108,310 | $65,500 | $129,380 | $116,630 |
| 70 | Hickory, NC | $107,600 | $63,400 | $129,380 | $121,600 |
| 71 | Durham, NC | $107,520 | $65,080 | $128,400 | $110,200 |
| 72 | Provo, UT | $106,540 | $69,760 | $124,650 | $108,460 |
| 73 | Tallahassee, FL | $106,060 | $57,870 | $129,810 | $112,930 |
| 74 | Hartford, CT | $105,100 | $67,080 | $123,840 | $102,290 |
| 75 | Austin, TX | $104,890 | $61,630 | $126,210 | $106,960 |
| 76 | Bloomington, IN | $104,540 | $66,770 | $123,160 | $109,940 |
| 77 | Knoxville, TN | $104,230 | $70,260 | $120,950 | $112,600 |
| 78 | Lakeland, FL | $103,690 | $79,810 | $115,460 | $106,740 |
| 79 | Manchester, NH | $103,630 | $79,370 | $115,560 | $98,080 |
| 80 | Orlando, FL | $103,330 | $64,460 | $122,490 | $101,890 |
| 81 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $103,250 | $59,510 | $124,780 | $108,260 |
| 82 | Anchorage, AK | $103,210 | $78,150 | $115,540 | $97,900 |
| 83 | Little Rock, AR | $102,810 | $63,190 | $122,320 | $115,050 |
| 84 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $102,630 | $54,370 | $126,400 | $102,660 |
| 85 | Las Vegas, NV | $102,590 | $80,120 | $113,650 | $102,370 |
| 86 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $102,500 | $65,000 | $120,970 | $110,760 |
| 87 | Springfield, MA | $102,230 | $73,780 | $116,250 | $106,420 |
| 88 | Ann Arbor, MI | $101,920 | $59,220 | $122,950 | $101,030 |
| 89 | Huntsville, AL | $101,590 | $61,730 | $121,220 | $109,150 |
| 90 | Deltona, FL | $101,440 | $66,710 | $118,560 | $102,090 |
| 91 | Mobile, AL | $101,400 | $61,300 | $121,160 | $115,100 |
| 92 | Reno, NV | $101,210 | $84,200 | $109,600 | $100,190 |
| 93 | Des Moines, IA | $100,590 | $63,170 | $119,020 | $109,690 |
| 94 | Baltimore, MD | $99,780 | $71,640 | $113,650 | $95,500 |
| 95 | Morgantown, WV | $99,720 | $69,410 | $114,650 | $106,850 |
| 96 | Columbus, OH | $99,150 | $59,740 | $118,560 | $103,860 |
| 97 | Lafayette, IN | $98,820 | $63,250 | $116,330 | $105,770 |
| 98 | Gainesville, FL | $98,760 | $59,630 | $118,020 | $102,100 |
| 99 | Harrisburg, PA | $98,430 | $62,960 | $115,900 | $99,780 |
| 100 | Pensacola, FL | $97,700 | $56,220 | $118,120 | $99,980 |
| 101 | Evansville, IN | $97,680 | $64,170 | $114,190 | $106,720 |
| 102 | Augusta, GA-SC | $97,660 | $54,640 | $118,830 | $106,260 |
| 103 | Flagstaff, AZ | $97,590 | $66,440 | $112,920 | $97,270 |
| 104 | Kalamazoo, MI | $96,870 | $64,520 | $112,820 | $102,140 |
| 105 | Hagerstown, MD-WV | $96,450 | $65,750 | $111,570 | $102,420 |
| 106 | Spokane, WA | $96,410 | $61,320 | $113,690 | $96,080 |
| 107 | Indianapolis, IN | $96,320 | $63,340 | $112,570 | $100,650 |
| 108 | Burlington, NC | $95,870 | $53,710 | $116,650 | $102,870 |
| 109 | Waco, TX | $95,620 | $61,550 | $112,400 | $103,320 |
| 110 | Salt Lake City, UT | $95,510 | $68,020 | $109,030 | $94,690 |
| 111 | Portland, ME | $95,240 | $77,420 | $104,040 | $93,500 |
| 112 | Reading, PA | $94,930 | $66,710 | $108,800 | $97,810 |
| 113 | Duluth, MN-WI | $94,580 | $68,430 | $107,430 | $106,550 |
| 114 | Chicago, IL-IN | $94,240 | $62,840 | $109,700 | $90,970 |
| 115 | Lexington Park, MD | $94,220 | $74,240 | $104,080 | $93,510 |
| 116 | Ocala, FL | $92,960 | $60,440 | $108,970 | $97,610 |
| 117 | Columbia, MO | $92,810 | $60,740 | $108,620 | $103,770 |
| 118 | Madison, WI | $92,600 | $66,960 | $105,230 | $95,180 |
| 119 | Houston, TX | $92,580 | $63,190 | $107,060 | $93,870 |
| 120 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | $92,350 | $63,040 | $106,790 | $106,910 |
| 121 | York, PA | $91,750 | $63,380 | $105,730 | $95,570 |
| 122 | Champaign, IL | $91,500 | $60,510 | $106,770 | $98,700 |
| 123 | Milwaukee, WI | $91,150 | $66,710 | $103,210 | $94,030 |
| 124 | Green Bay, WI | $90,980 | $67,750 | $102,420 | $97,740 |
| 125 | Ogden, UT | $90,940 | $50,500 | $110,840 | $90,620 |
| 126 | Lexington, KY | $90,830 | $61,550 | $105,270 | $97,780 |
| 127 | Sheboygan, WI | $90,730 | $65,560 | $103,130 | $96,510 |
| 128 | Dallas, TX | $90,170 | $64,400 | $102,860 | $87,470 |
| 129 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $89,790 | $58,760 | $105,100 | $96,470 |
| 130 | Akron, OH | $89,710 | $55,600 | $106,520 | $96,080 |
| 131 | Winston, NC | $89,460 | $60,690 | $103,630 | $97,190 |
| 132 | Toledo, OH | $89,190 | $62,980 | $102,110 | $97,520 |
| 133 | Dover, DE | $88,880 | $68,060 | $99,130 | $91,150 |
| 134 | Lima, OH | $88,650 | $70,620 | $97,530 | $98,860 |
| 135 | Lincoln, NE | $88,440 | $61,820 | $101,570 | $96,570 |
| 136 | Oklahoma City, OK | $88,440 | $62,630 | $101,150 | $97,820 |
| 137 | Fayetteville, NC | $88,340 | $56,140 | $104,190 | $96,040 |
| 138 | Rochester, MN | $88,090 | $71,300 | $96,350 | $96,990 |
| 139 | Waterbury, CT | $88,000 | $59,180 | $102,210 | $88,200 |
| 140 | Oshkosh, WI | $87,900 | $64,210 | $99,570 | $94,590 |
| 141 | San Antonio, TX | $87,530 | $60,200 | $100,980 | $92,410 |
| 142 | Detroit, MI | $87,400 | $70,140 | $95,910 | $87,140 |
| 143 | Blacksburg, VA | $87,300 | $65,560 | $97,990 | $94,160 |
| 144 | Winchester, VA-WV | $87,030 | $77,500 | $91,730 | $90,230 |
| 145 | Lancaster, PA | $86,900 | $51,400 | $104,400 | $88,440 |
| 146 | Tulsa, OK | $86,670 | $62,960 | $98,340 | $97,150 |
| 147 | Lynchburg, VA | $85,740 | $73,130 | $91,940 | $95,950 |
| 148 | Peoria, IL | $85,010 | $62,130 | $96,280 | $93,180 |
| 149 | Scranton, PA | $84,720 | $67,250 | $93,310 | $90,560 |
| 150 | Killeen, TX | $84,640 | $68,990 | $92,330 | $92,880 |
| 151 | Omaha, NE-IA | $84,640 | $57,260 | $98,110 | $92,090 |
| 152 | Cleveland, OH | $84,340 | $67,140 | $92,830 | $89,800 |
| 153 | Iowa City, IA | $83,760 | $66,250 | $92,390 | $91,530 |
| 154 | Charlottesville, VA | $82,910 | $61,130 | $93,640 | $83,620 |
| 155 | Burlington, VT | $81,330 | $64,460 | $89,630 | $80,570 |
| 156 | Springfield, IL | $81,240 | $67,520 | $88,000 | $87,600 |
| 157 | Charleston, WV | $81,180 | $58,390 | $92,410 | $91,500 |
| 158 | Youngstown, OH | $80,560 | $64,770 | $88,340 | $92,180 |
| 159 | Shreveport, LA | $79,930 | $61,670 | $88,920 | $94,290 |
| 160 | Birmingham, AL | $79,370 | $55,100 | $91,330 | $86,610 |
| 161 | Springfield, MO | $79,370 | $57,660 | $90,060 | $89,600 |
| 162 | Missoula, MT | $79,210 | $58,220 | $89,560 | $82,130 |
| 163 | Idaho Falls, ID | $78,520 | $52,020 | $91,560 | $83,170 |
| 164 | College Station, TX | $78,120 | $57,990 | $88,050 | $85,890 |
| 165 | Slidell, LA | $77,420 | $63,110 | $84,470 | $83,490 |
| 166 | Rochester, NY | $76,440 | $51,000 | $88,980 | $78,780 |
| 167 | Fargo, ND-MN | $75,480 | $54,140 | $85,990 | $83,060 |
| 168 | Erie, PA | $74,880 | $60,650 | $81,890 | $82,330 |
| 169 | Lansing, MI | $73,280 | $60,360 | $79,640 | $77,140 |
| 170 | Altoona, PA | $72,130 | $55,740 | $80,200 | $80,590 |
| 171 | Davenport, IA-IL | $71,840 | $63,520 | $75,920 | $80,650 |
| 172 | Grand Forks, ND-MN | $71,260 | $55,270 | $79,140 | $82,230 |
| 173 | San Juan, PR | $71,140 | $33,860 | $89,480 | N/A |
| 174 | Albuquerque, NM | $70,370 | $45,160 | $82,780 | $73,650 |
| 175 | McAllen, TX | $70,030 | $49,030 | $80,390 | $81,530 |
| 176 | Fort Collins, CO | $69,240 | $46,950 | $80,230 | $68,470 |
| 177 | El Paso, TX | $68,160 | $56,530 | $73,880 | $75,810 |
| 178 | Jackson, MS | $59,970 | $40,930 | $69,350 | $67,350 |
More
More on medical scientists
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays medical scientists the most?
Syracuse, NY, where the average (mean) wage is $182,580 a year, followed by Vallejo, CA ($162,840), Topeka, KS ($162,660), Charleston, SC ($160,640). The national mean is $116,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do medical scientists earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Syracuse, NY ($190,700 at national prices, $182,580 nominal), Topeka, KS ($183,130 at national prices, $162,660 nominal), Charleston, SC ($159,110 at national prices, $160,640 nominal).
How much do medical scientists make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $121,410; Los Angeles, CA: $131,870; Chicago, IL-IN: $94,240; Dallas, TX: $90,170; Houston, TX: $92,580 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do medical scientists earn the least?
Of the 178 metro areas with their own estimate, Jackson, MS has the lowest mean wage, $59,970. At local prices that is worth $67,350.