Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Salary: $138,546 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 156,300 medical scientists, except epidemiologists nationally earn a mean of $138,546. Employment in the series shown rose about 7% from the first to the last year; CA accounts for about 22,870 jobs in our geographic extract.
Key Statistics
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists: what the data shows
Common questions about medical scientists, except epidemiologists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a medical scientists, except epidemiologists?
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 19-1042.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 156,300 workers.
What does a medical scientists, except epidemiologists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Thinking Creatively, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Working with Computers, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a medical scientists, except epidemiologists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $100,590 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $138,546 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $82,667 |
| 25th percentile | $108,542 |
| Median (50th) | $135,002 |
| 75th percentile | $161,226 |
| 90th percentile | $173,675 |
What education do you need?
For Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Writing, Science, Speaking, Active Learning, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, and knowledge areas including Biology, English Language, Medicine and Dentistry, Chemistry. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is medical scientists, except epidemiologists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.3% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 1.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 2.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 156,300.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do medical scientists, except epidemiologistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 156,300 | 16.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 132,950 | 13.7% |
| Hospitals | 76,880 | 7.9% |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 69,470 | 7.1% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 60,550 | 6.2% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 60,550 | 6.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | 59,710 | $93,330 |
| Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 53,250 | $83,460 |
| Genetic Counselors | 3,510 | $98,910 |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 34,520 | $103,650 |
| Pharmacists | 328,870 | $137,480 |
| Chemists | 83,250 | $84,150 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
156,300 Workforce in 2023
The Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$138,546 Average Wage
In 2023, Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists earned an average of $138,546.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Salary distribution for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Employment Growth Projections
0.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
95,978 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 1.5%
97,377 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 2.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 22,870 employees, $138,966 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 5,020 employees, $129,543 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 4,240 employees, $129,126 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 4,190 employees, $155,318 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 2,510 employees, $151,045 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 1,600 employees, $154,950 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,590 employees, $130,504 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 990 employees, $129,250 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 930 employees, $136,769 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 330 employees, $127,052 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 250 employees, $132,701 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in 2023 was 156,300 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in 2023 were Business Administration, Health Sciences, Biology.
Common majors for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists workers.
Education level distribution for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Skills
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists need many skills, but most especially Writing, Science, Speaking, Active Learning, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists include Biology, English Language, Medicine and Dentistry, Chemistry, Mathematics.
Knowledge areas required for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists include Written Expression, Oral Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Speech Clarity, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Daily Activities
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists spend their time on activities such as Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Thinking Creatively, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
About
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
The average yearly wage for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists was $138,546 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-1042 - Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists reports an average salary of $138,546, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 156,300 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.