Medical Scientist salary
From 7,850 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 19-1042: Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
- Also filed as: Research Scientist, Associate Research Scientist
At a glance
- Mostly Level I (entry-level). 59% of Medical Scientist filings are Level I, compared with 19% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Washington University. 357 filings (5% of the total), median $68,000.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 10 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $67,824 in St. Louis, MO to $125,278 in San Francisco, CA.
- Median up 20% since FY2020. From $64,000 in FY2020 to $77,076 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Medical Scientist H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 7,850 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Medical Scientist jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 19-1042, Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists). The median base salary is $75,324, 39% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $67,824 and $93,995. The most common wage level is Level I (entry-level), at 59% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (1,212), and Washington University is the employer that files the most (357).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Medical Scientist
Washington University357 filings · 5%$68,000
Mayo Clinic286 filings · 4%$74,643
General Hospital203 filings · 3%$71,750
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai201 filings · 3%$85,000
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center181 filings · 2%$80,000
UT Southwestern Medical Center180 filings · 2%$70,000
Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania166 filings · 2%$77,055
Columbia University160 filings · 2%$80,000
National Institutes of Health, HHS138 filings · 2%$108,963
University of Pittsburgh133 filings · 2%$70,000
Employers with the most Medical Scientist filings. Bar: share of all Medical Scientist filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 59% of filings
Mid-level · 28% of filings
Senior · 8% of filings
Expert · 5% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $70,000 | 4,107 |
| Level II · Qualified | $85,000 | 1,930 |
| Level III · Experienced | $126,006 | 522 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $160,000 | 375 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Medical Scientist pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 73 metro areas
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Medical Scientist does
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.
Typical tasks
- 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.
Preparation
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
O*NET occupation: Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (19-1042.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists), the median annual wage was $103,410 in May 2025, with 172,340 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $75,324, 27% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,900 | $64,800 |
| 25th percentile | $67,824 | $79,840 |
| Median | $75,324 | $103,410 |
| 75th percentile | $93,995 | $139,380 |
| 90th percentile | $133,900 | $177,780 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $61,900 |
| 25th | $67,824 |
| 50th (median) | $75,324 |
| 75th | $93,995 |
| 90th | $133,900 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $64,000 | $54,309 | $90,000 | 4,764 |
| FY2021 | $65,292 | $56,000 | $90,000 | 4,011 |
| FY2022 | $66,538 | $58,608 | $90,000 | 4,165 |
| FY2023 | $68,000 | $59,784 | $85,000 | 4,366 |
| FY2024 | $71,500 | $62,500 | $90,000 | 4,451 |
| FY2025 | $75,000 | $66,492 | $91,520 | 4,565 |
| FY2026 | $77,076 | $68,922 | $97,500 | 3,285 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Medical Scientist make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Medical Scientist jobs is $75,324 (7,850 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $67,824 and $93,995.
What does an entry-level Medical Scientist earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $70,000. Level I accounts for 59% of Medical Scientist filings.
Which city pays H-1B Medical Scientists the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Francisco, CA has the highest median base salary for Medical Scientist jobs: $125,278 (260 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Medical Scientists?
Washington University (357), Mayo Clinic (286) and General Hospital (203) filed the most Medical Scientist LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Medical Scientists earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($75,324) is 27% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($103,410, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.