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Life & Physical Science

Medical Scientists

SOC 19-1042

Run research aimed at understanding disease and improving treatment.

The job
Median pay
$103k
$80k to $139k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+13% projected
Openings a year
11k
BLS projection
Typical education
PhD
Our model
AI displacement risk
High
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
6/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
50th pct
More exposed than 50% of occupations · modeled estimate · 67th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
66/100

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Weigh it against EpidemiologistsPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostCalifornia leads at $137k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Medical Scientists and explore its neighbours See open jobsMedical Scientists roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Medical Scientists, who lean most on writing Real pay & reviewsWhat Medical Scientists say they actually earn

Key skills

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
California29,8301.61.5×$137k
Massachusetts17,1004.74.2×$128k
Pennsylvania12,6302.11.9×$99k
Texas11,9200.80.8×$80k
New York7,6900.80.7×$88k
Maryland6,7602.42.2×$106k
Minnesota6,7602.32.1×$90k
Florida6,4900.70.6×$95k
Washington6,1501.71.6×$106k
New Jersey6,1201.41.3×$129k
All 51 states
StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
North Carolina5,7301.21.1×$103k
Ohio4,8400.90.8×$84k
Illinois4,7000.80.7×$82k
Virginia4,5601.11.0×$94k
Colorado4,2041.51.3×$106k~
Tennessee4,0201.21.1×$103k
Missouri3,6501.21.1×$103k
Wisconsin2,9701.00.9×$83k
Connecticut2,4101.41.3×$117k
Michigan2,3700.50.5×$84k
Arizona2,1900.70.6×$117k
Indiana2,0100.60.6×$81k
Georgia1,9100.40.3×$92k
Louisiana1,7960.90.8×$94k~
Alabama1,7040.80.7×$68k~
Utah1,5600.90.8×$83k
Kansas1,0700.70.7×$84k
Iowa1,0600.70.6×$84k
Oregon1,0300.50.5×$111k
South Carolina1,0200.40.4×$95k~
Oklahoma9200.50.5×$76k
Hawaii8811.41.3×$93k~
Washington DC6701.00.9×$102k
Kentucky6700.30.3×$78k
Rhode Island6701.31.2×$103k
Nebraska6200.60.6×$81k
Nevada5300.30.3×$99k
Wyoming5161.81.7×$92k~
Mississippi4400.40.3×$54k
Idaho3800.40.4×$83k
New Mexico3400.40.3×$67k
West Virginia3300.50.4×$83k
Montana3200.60.6×$102k
Delaware2700.60.5×$100k
Alaska2600.80.7×$105k
North Dakota2500.60.5×$64k
Arkansas2300.20.2×$73k
New Hampshire2100.30.3×$101k
South Dakota1400.30.3×$81k
Vermont1100.40.3×$67k
Maine1000.20.1×$94k

Top metro areas

  1. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH16,060 jobs · $130k median
  2. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ10,090 jobs · $103k median
  3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA8,520 jobs · $135k median
  4. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD8,020 jobs · $103k median
  5. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA7,310 jobs · $160k median
  6. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX6,090 jobs · $80k median
  7. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV5,980 jobs · $107k median
  8. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA5,480 jobs · $105k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.