Medical Scientist salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 77 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Stanford, Palo Alto, Milpitas, Sunnyvale.
Also listed as: Research Scientist, Associate Research Scientist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $77,688 |
| 25th | $83,000 |
| 50th (median) | $91,000 |
| 75th | $114,738 |
| 90th | $169,146 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $71,386 | $68,536 | $88,500 | 51 |
| FY2021 | $90,677 | $74,425 | $105,500 | 68 |
| FY2022 | $72,750 | $66,888 | $88,750 | 86 |
| FY2023 | $77,000 | $71,650 | $94,388 | 96 |
| FY2024 | $77,844 | $73,083 | $90,030 | 78 |
| FY2025 | $87,360 | $80,000 | $113,300 | 53 |
| FY2026 | $96,120 | $86,913 | $132,860 | 24 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Medical Scientist salary of $91,000 is worth about $82,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $159,300 in May 2025 (2,150 employed). The H-1B median here is $91,000, 43% 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | $87,000 | 63 |
| ClearView Healthcare Partners | too few | 2 |
| Elixir Medical | too few | 2 |
| Takara Bio | too few | 2 |
| Vivo Capital,LLC | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $84,000 | 47 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $112,900 | 20 |
| Senior · Level III | – | 0 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 2 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $77,688 | $84,000 | 47 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $95,056 | $112,900 | 20 |
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.