Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists: Career Overview
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.
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What Tasks Do Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Take On?
The core tasks performed by medical scientists, except epidemiologists include:
- Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
- Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.
- Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
- Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
- Write and publish articles in scientific journals.
- Write applications for research grants.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective medical scientists, except epidemiologists draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Anatomist
- Cancer Researcher
- Chemotherapist
- Clinical Analyst
- Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Clinical Lab Scientist)
- Clinical Pharmacologist
- Clinical Research Analyst
- Clinical Research Scientist
How Many Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Are There?
There are roughly 115,486 medical scientists, except epidemiologists working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +8.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $111,314 |
| Hourly median | $53.52 |
| 10th percentile | $68,983 |
| 25th percentile | $90,148 |
| 75th percentile | $132,479 |
| 90th percentile | $153,644 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $131,430 |
| Massachusetts | $129,230 |
| Connecticut | $128,140 |
| New Jersey | $127,210 |
| District of Columbia | $110,830 |
| Maine | $107,950 |
| Rhode Island | $104,330 |
| North Carolina | $104,300 |
| Maryland | $103,500 |
| Arizona | $102,250 |
| Washington | $101,140 |
| Alaska | $100,960 |
| Nevada | $100,580 |
| Oregon | $99,540 |
| Pennsylvania | $99,440 |
| Florida | $98,240 |
| Delaware | $97,640 |
| Missouri | $96,880 |
| Kansas | $96,150 |
| Tennessee | $95,580 |
| Virginia | $95,080 |
| Georgia | $94,320 |
| New Hampshire | $92,490 |
| South Carolina | $87,870 |
| Iowa | $85,010 |
| New York | $84,950 |
| West Virginia | $84,350 |
| Minnesota | $83,450 |
| Michigan | $81,300 |
| Wisconsin | $80,940 |
| Ohio | $79,470 |
| Oklahoma | $79,370 |
| Utah | $78,570 |
| Illinois | $78,430 |
| Texas | $78,410 |
| Indiana | $77,220 |
| South Dakota | $77,070 |
| Colorado | $76,770 |
| Nebraska | $76,030 |
| North Dakota | $75,870 |
| Idaho | $75,580 |
| Kentucky | $73,220 |
| Vermont | $67,410 |
| Montana | $67,120 |
| Alabama | $65,750 |
| Arkansas | $64,730 |
| New Mexico | $60,680 |
| Mississippi | $49,220 |
| Puerto Rico | $47,520 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for medical scientists, except epidemiologists differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $127,447 | 12.4% | 3.84 |
| Far Western US | $122,600 | 21.4% | 1.41 |
| Middle Atlantic | $102,343 | 19.5% | 1.42 |
| Southeast | $91,104 | 15.2% | 0.81 |
| Plains States | $85,961 | 7.6% | 1.66 |
| Southwest | $80,272 | 8.7% | 0.75 |
| Great Lakes | $79,527 | 11.6% | 0.83 |
| Rocky Mountains | $76,721 | 3.4% | 0.96 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $158,810 | 90 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $155,990 | 1,600 |
| Syracuse, NY | NY | $153,890 | 150 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $144,660 | 100 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $142,540 | 6,870 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $139,110 | 140 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | OR | $137,200 | 90 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $136,180 | 100 |
Which Industries Hire Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
The bulk of medical scientists, except epidemiologists are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 60,550 | $120,890 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 54,000 | $96,280 |
| Educational Services | 24,330 | $76,120 |
| Manufacturing | 6,360 | $112,120 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4,750 | $164,100 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,700 | $125,530 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,620 | $94,610 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 430 | $100,960 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Microsoft Visual Basic (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Python (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: R (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of medical scientists, except epidemiologists reflects the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Contact With Others
Education and Training
This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Clinical Research Coordinators (Supplemental)
- Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Biochemists and Biophysicists (Primary-Short)
- Microbiologists (Primary-Short)
- Bioinformatics Scientists (Supplemental)
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists (Primary-Long)
- Geneticists (Primary-Short)
- Epidemiologists (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for medical scientists, except epidemiologists often complete programs in:
152 programs across 29 majors
- Combined Medical Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Multiple-Pathway Medical Fellowship Programs
- Allergy and Immunology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Anesthesiology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Dermatology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Emergency Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Family Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Internal Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Medical Genetics and Genomics Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Neurological Surgery Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Neurology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Nuclear Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Ophthalmology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Orthopedic Surgery Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Osteopathic Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Otolaryngology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Pathology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Pediatrics Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Plastic Surgery Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Podiatric Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Preventive Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Psychiatry Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Radiation Oncology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Radiology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Surgery Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Urology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Medical Residency/Fellowship Programs, Other
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
45 programs across 11 majors
- General Biology
- Biochemistry & Biophysics
- Physiology & Pathology Sciences
- Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences
- Ecology & Systematics Biology
- Microbiology Science & Immunology
- Biomathematics & Bioinformatics
- Neurobiology & Neurosciences
- Pharmacology & Toxicology
- Genetics
- Molecular Medicine
Health Professions and Related Programs
9 programs across 3 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
2 programs across 2 majors
Psychology
1 programs across 1 majors
Social Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-1042.00 (Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists).
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