Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Salary: $100,590 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 156,300 medical scientists, except epidemiologists work nationally, and $100,590 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 7% from the first to the last year; much hiring sits in hospitals.
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 percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| 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 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 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists grew from 90,320 in 2009 to 94,600 in 2025 (4.7%).
Historical employment for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$100,590 Median pay (BLS national)
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists earn $100,590 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 24,190 employees, $134,880 avg wage
- MA: 16,170 employees, $129,060 avg wage
- TX: 11,450 employees, $90,150 avg wage
- PA: 8,540 employees, $113,690 avg wage
- NY: 8,440 employees, $106,120 avg wage
- MN: 6,990 employees, $97,750 avg wage
- WA: 6,920 employees, $111,160 avg wage
- NJ: 6,510 employees, $136,600 avg wage
- MD: 6,150 employees, $113,970 avg wage
- OH: 5,400 employees, $91,550 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 15,330 employees, $129,040 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 10,640 employees, $116,950 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 6,870 employees, $148,920 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 6,600 employees, $126,340 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 6,370 employees, $118,940 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 6,230 employees, $111,600 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 6,040 employees, $88,190 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 5,830 employees, $125,620 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 4,240 employees, $125,710 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 3,760 employees, $98,790 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 U.S. workforce for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists is about 156,300 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists earn $100,590 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.