Mid-level Medical Scientist salary in Los Angeles, CA

Based on 19 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Irvine, Duarte, Pasadena, West Hollywood, Monrovia.

Also listed as: Research Scientist, Associate Research Scientist

Median salary$110,000
Middle 50%$108.3k–$132.7k
vs. all levels here+29%comparison median $85,578
Filings19FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $105,435 and $215,985.
PercentileSalary
10th$105,602
25th$108,326
50th (median)$110,000
75th$132,652
90th$142,255

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $90k $130k FY2020: median $79,000 (29 filings) FY2021: median $87,620 (16 filings) FY2022: median $66,562 (39 filings) FY2023: median $66,560 (48 filings) FY2024: median $66,685 (22 filings) FY2025: median $119,498 (12 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 29 filings FY20 FY2021: 16 filings FY21 FY2022: 39 filings FY22 FY2023: 48 filings FY23 FY2024: 22 filings FY24 FY2025: 12 filings FY25 FY2026: 7 filings FY26 48
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$79,000$64,251$86,02929
FY2021$87,620$82,181$94,88416
FY2022$66,562$63,149$71,92639
FY2023$66,560$62,400$68,30448
FY2024$66,685$66,685$69,18122
FY2025$119,498$107,655$134,30312
FY2026–––7

Cost of living

Los Angeles's median mid-level Medical Scientist salary of $110,000 is worth about $96,900 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $134,890 in May 2025 (8,520 employed). The H-1B median here is $110,000, 18% 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
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center$115,26810
University of California, Los Angelestoo few3

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $93,434 37
Mid-level · Level II $110,000 19
Senior · Level III $142,500 12
Expert · Level IV too few 3

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$88,878$93,43437
Mid-level · Level II$105,435$110,00019
Senior · Level III$122,824$142,50012

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.