Medical Scientists vs Physicists
Median pay is about $69k higher for Physicists. The usual entry education is phD for Medical Scientists and doctoral for Physicists.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Medical Scientists | Physicists |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $103,410 | $172,250, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $79,840 | $111,720, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $139,380 | $222,760, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +13% Growing fast, higher | +7.2% Growing fast |
| Openings a year | 10,500 | 1,300 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | PhD | Doctoral |
| Difficulty modeled | 3.6 / 5 | 3 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | High | High |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 50th pct | 76th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Medical Scientists
- Writing
- Active Learning
Only Physicists
- Mathematics
- Critical Thinking
Both lean on speaking, science, reading comprehension, active listening.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.