Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

Median salary

$103,410

Average salary

$116,840

Employment

172,340

Projected growth

8.7% growth

Annual openings

9,600

Typical entry education

Doctoral or professional degree

What Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Do

Conduct research dealing with the understanding of human diseases and the improvement of human health. Engage in clinical investigation, research and development, or other related activities.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 0.6%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 5 of 5

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Experience: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.
Education: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Job training: Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Biologyimportance 4.7/5
English Languageimportance 4.1/5
Medicine and Dentistryimportance 3.7/5
Chemistryimportance 3.4/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.2/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.0/5
Education and Trainingimportance 2.9/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.8/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail4.9/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.8/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8/5
Contact With Others4.7/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.6/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Animal Scientists97% skill match
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers96% skill match
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary95% skill match
Architectural and Civil Drafters95% skill match
Financial Examiners95% skill match
Soil and Plant Scientists95% skill match
Medical Dosimetrists95% skill match
Neurologists95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 4.0/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.9/5
Systems Analysisimportance 3.8/5
Instructingimportance 3.3/5
Systems Evaluationimportance 3.3/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.1/5
Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

BioArray Software Environment BASE
Database software
FileMaker Pro
IBM Notes
Integrated development environment IDE software
LexisNexis
Medical Scientists HybridAI
Medical Scientists MediSave

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Intellectual Curiosity
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Innovation
Integrity
Achievement Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

InvestigativeHigh
RealisticMedium
ConventionalMedium
SocialMedium
ArtisticLow
EnterprisingLow

Specific Interests

A more detailed breakdown of this occupation’s interest profile, per O*NET.

Military Backgrounds That Lead Here

Military occupations commonly matched to this career, per the DMDC Military Crosswalk.

Nuclear Medical Science (72A)Army
Biomedical Scientist (43B3)Air Force
Biomedical Scientist (43B4)Air Force
Biomedical Laboratory, Blood Bank (43T1E)Air Force
Biomedical Laboratory, Toxicologist (43T1F)Air Force
Biomedical Laboratory, Blood Bank (43T3E)Air Force
Biomedical Laboratory, Toxicologist (43T3F)Air Force
Biomedical Laboratory, Blood Bank (43T4E)Air Force
Biomedical Laboratory, Toxicologist (43T4F)Air Force
Allied Sciences (67B)Army

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where medical scientists, except epidemiologists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1Durham-Chapel Hill, NC5.88× national avg
2Charlottesville, VA5.74× national avg
3Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH5.36× national avg
4Iowa City, IA4.48× national avg
5Madison, WI4.24× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

MicrobiologistsLateral Move
NeurologistsCareer Change
General Internal Medicine PhysiciansCareer Change
Chemistry Teachers, PostsecondaryCareer Change

See the full career path from Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.