Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 19-1042 · National · May 2024 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$100,589
$48.36/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025
Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025
Next refresh: May 15, 2026
Get notified when this number updates
Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
The national median salary for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists is $100,589 per year ($48.36/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $77,251 and $133,869 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $168,210 per year. There are approximately 156,300 medical scientists, except epidemiologists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Conduct research dealing with the understanding of human diseases and the improvement of human health. Engage in clinical investigation, research and development, or other related activities. Includes physicians, dentists, pharmacologists, and medical pathologists who primarily conduct research. Practitioners who primarily provide medical or dental care or dispense drugs are included in “Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners” (29-1000).
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+8.7%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
10K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
165K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
15% from new growth85% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
57K
$121,240
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
35K
$92,920
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
24K
$76,120
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories
NAICS 621500
9K
$95,140
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing
NAICS 325400
6K
$109,070
Wage range across top 5 industries: $76,120 to $121,240 (59% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$29.74
$61,859
P25
$37.14
$77,251
P50MEDIAN
$48.36
$100,589
P75
$64.36
$133,869
P90
$80.87
$168,210
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average medical scientists, except epidemiologists salary?
The national median salary for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists is $100,589 per year ($48.36/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $77,251 and $133,869 annually.
How much do top-earning medical scientists, except epidemiologists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists is $168,210 per year ($80.87/hr). The 75th percentile is $133,869 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for medical scientists, except epidemiologists?
Entry-level Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (10th percentile) earn approximately $61,859 per year ($29.74/hr). The 25th percentile is $77,251 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.