Entry-level Medical Scientist salary in Iowa, IA

Based on 47 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Iowa City, IA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Iowa City, Coralville.

Also listed as: Research Scientist, Associate Research Scientist

Median salary$69,000
Middle 50%$66.5k–$73.4k
vs. all levels here−1%comparison median $69,400
Filings47FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $62,941 and $184,800.
PercentileSalary
10th$64,356
25th$66,492
50th (median)$69,000
75th$73,352
90th$81,200

Salary by year

Median salary

$40k $60k $80k FY2020: median $55,595 (13 filings) FY2022: median $53,785 (13 filings) FY2023: median $58,892 (26 filings) FY2024: median $68,580 (18 filings) FY2025: median $66,746 (22 filings) FY2026: median $70,000 (25 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 13 filings FY20 FY2021: 5 filings FY21 FY2022: 13 filings FY22 FY2023: 26 filings FY23 FY2024: 18 filings FY24 FY2025: 22 filings FY25 FY2026: 25 filings FY26 26
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$55,595$53,446$56,99913
FY2021–––5
FY2022$53,785$53,760$55,63113
FY2023$58,892$54,936$66,00026
FY2024$68,580$67,011$71,51018
FY2025$66,746$64,356$70,89922
FY2026$70,000$68,506$79,56825

Cost of living

Iowa's median entry-level Medical Scientist salary of $69,000 is worth about $75,400 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Iowa = 91.5).

Compared with all workers here

All Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in the Iowa, IA area earned a median of $81,580 in May 2025 (470 employed). The H-1B median here is $69,000, 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
The University of Iowa$68,96146

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $69,000 47
Mid-level · Level II too few 4
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

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$64,459$69,00047

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.