Entry-level Medical Scientist salary in Indianapolis, IN

Based on 50 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Carmel, Fishers, Lebanon, Whitestown.

Also listed as: Research Scientist, Associate Research Scientist

Median salary$67,157
Middle 50%$62.5k–$76.3k
vs. all levels here−8%comparison median $73,250
Filings50FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $60,322 and $99,895.
PercentileSalary
10th$61,008
25th$62,458
50th (median)$67,157
75th$76,329
90th$83,105

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $65k $80k FY2023: median $61,000 (15 filings) FY2024: median $61,500 (18 filings) FY2025: median $66,492 (31 filings) FY2026: median $67,821 (19 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 6 filings FY20 FY2021: 6 filings FY21 FY2022: 4 filings FY22 FY2023: 15 filings FY23 FY2024: 18 filings FY24 FY2025: 31 filings FY25 FY2026: 19 filings FY26 31
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–––6
FY2021–––6
FY2022–––4
FY2023$61,000$57,857$65,61415
FY2024$61,500$59,795$65,92118
FY2025$66,492$61,404$76,43331
FY2026$67,821$64,309$75,53819

Cost of living

Indianapolis's median entry-level Medical Scientist salary of $67,157 is worth about $70,200 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Indianapolis = 95.7).

Compared with all workers here

All Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in the Indianapolis, IN area earned a median of $79,310 in May 2025 (920 employed). The H-1B median here is $67,157, 15% lower.

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

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Indiana University Indianapolis$67,15744
Eli Lilly and Companytoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $67,157 50
Mid-level · Level II too few 7
Senior · Level III too few 3
Expert · Level IV too few 9

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$60,320$67,15750

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.