Medical Scientist salary in Durham, NC

Based on 65 certified H-1B filings in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Chapel Hill, Research Triangle Park.

Also listed as: Research Scientist, Associate Research Scientist

Median salary$70,146
Middle 50%$67k–$90.2k
vs. national median−7%comparison median $75,324
Filings65FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $57,420 and $221,053.
PercentileSalary
10th$62,718
25th$67,000
50th (median)$70,146
75th$90,176
90th$119,492

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $65k $80k FY2020: median $63,149 (49 filings) FY2021: median $63,149 (43 filings) FY2022: median $64,728 (41 filings) FY2023: median $64,580 (42 filings) FY2024: median $64,064 (39 filings) FY2025: median $70,146 (43 filings) FY2026: median $71,353 (22 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 49 filings FY20 FY2021: 43 filings FY21 FY2022: 41 filings FY22 FY2023: 42 filings FY23 FY2024: 39 filings FY24 FY2025: 43 filings FY25 FY2026: 22 filings FY26 49
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$63,149$54,746$75,00049
FY2021$63,149$57,356$76,50043
FY2022$64,728$59,781$80,00041
FY2023$64,580$60,459$75,01742
FY2024$64,064$61,572$82,16139
FY2025$70,146$66,068$87,26843
FY2026$71,353$68,182$90,17622

Cost of living

Durham's median Medical Scientist salary of $70,146 is worth about $71,900 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Durham = 97.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in the Durham, NC area earned a median of $96,430 in May 2025 (2,240 employed). The H-1B median here is $70,146, 27% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
Duke University$69,03226
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill$68,18220
National Institutes of Health, HHStoo few5
Creyon Biotoo few2
Guidehouse Digitaltoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $66,278 26
Mid-level · Level II $73,557 29
Senior · Level III too few 2
Expert · Level IV too few 2

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$56,202$66,27826
Mid-level · Level II$64,064$73,55729

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.