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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

19-1042 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

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. Includes physicians, dentists, pharmacologists, and medical pathologists who primarily conduct research. Practitioners who primarily provide medical or dental care or dispense drugs are included in “Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners” (29-1000).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
127,180 3.2 % $47.49 $98,770 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $23.57 $29.77 $42.69 $58.58 $76.77
Annual Wage (2) $49,020 $61,920 $88,790 $121,850 $159,680


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 47,220 6.68 $51.41 $106,930
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 25,130 0.81 $37.08 $77,120
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 20,590 0.37 $42.16 $87,700
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 9,880 3.32 $55.72 $115,900
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories 4,080 1.47 $44.67 $92,910

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 47,220 6.68 $51.41 $106,930
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 9,880 3.32 $55.72 $115,900
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories 4,080 1.47 $44.67 $92,910
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 25,130 0.81 $37.08 $77,120
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 1,920 0.72 $40.26 $83,750

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Employment Services (8) (8) $70.47 $146,590
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers 80 0.01 $68.27 $141,990
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 160 0.04 $65.95 $137,170
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 1,240 0.06 $61.81 $128,570
Grantmaking and Giving Services 200 0.14 $61.65 $128,220


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 23,460 1.35 1.56 $52.57 $109,350
Massachusetts 16,860 4.66 5.38 $51.25 $106,610
New York 8,590 0.90 1.04 $50.37 $104,760
Pennsylvania 7,410 1.26 1.45 $54.56 $113,490
Washington 6,300 1.90 2.19 $45.19 $94,000




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 16,860 4.66 5.38 $51.25 $106,610
Maryland 5,170 1.91 2.21 $50.59 $105,230
Washington 6,300 1.90 2.19 $45.19 $94,000
California 23,460 1.35 1.56 $52.57 $109,350
Pennsylvania 7,410 1.26 1.45 $54.56 $113,490




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maine 120 0.20 0.23 $62.65 $130,310
New Jersey 3,300 0.81 0.93 $61.94 $128,830
Connecticut 1,510 0.90 1.04 $60.62 $126,090
Rhode Island 430 0.89 1.03 $59.26 $123,250
Pennsylvania 7,410 1.26 1.45 $54.56 $113,490





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 16,120 5.76 6.66 $51.32 $106,740
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 8,140 0.84 0.97 $54.38 $113,100
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 7,170 1.15 1.33 $49.52 $103,000
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 6,300 2.19 2.53 $56.91 $118,360
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 6,190 2.50 2.89 $57.92 $120,470
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 5,680 2.81 3.25 $44.79 $93,160
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 4,990 1.57 1.81 $55.10 $114,610
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 3,790 2.53 2.93 $48.74 $101,370
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 3,520 0.75 0.87 $44.01 $91,540
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,960 0.97 1.12 $31.47 $65,450




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Iowa City, IA 850 9.29 10.72 $30.08 $62,570
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 2,350 7.48 8.64 $49.45 $102,850
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 16,120 5.76 6.66 $51.32 $106,740
Trenton, NJ 1,320 5.49 6.34 $64.68 $134,540
Charlottesville, VA 420 3.61 4.17 $32.55 $67,700
Madison, WI 1,230 3.11 3.59 $35.57 $73,980
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 5,680 2.81 3.25 $44.79 $93,160
Raleigh, NC 1,760 2.71 3.13 $43.00 $89,430
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 3,790 2.53 2.93 $48.74 $101,370
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 6,190 2.50 2.89 $57.92 $120,470




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Haven, CT 280 1.00 1.15 $65.45 $136,130
Kennewick-Richland, WA 50 0.39 0.45 $65.02 $135,240
Trenton, NJ 1,320 5.49 6.34 $64.68 $134,540
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 760 1.83 2.11 $62.41 $129,810
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 220 1.54 1.78 $61.76 $128,470
Pine Bluff, AR 40 1.46 1.69 $60.76 $126,390
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 640 2.02 2.33 $59.45 $123,650
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 450 0.77 0.89 $58.79 $122,280
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 6,190 2.50 2.89 $57.92 $120,470
Stockton-Lodi, CA 90 0.36 0.42 $57.03 $118,620

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 210 2.03 2.34 $38.74 $80,580
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 80 0.33 0.38 (8) (8)
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 60 0.55 0.63 $51.14 $106,360
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.52 0.60 $52.09 $108,360
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 50 0.31 0.35 $45.90 $95,470

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 210 2.03 2.34 $38.74 $80,580
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 60 0.55 0.63 $51.14 $106,360
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.52 0.60 $52.09 $108,360
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 80 0.33 0.38 (8) (8)
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 50 0.31 0.35 $45.90 $95,470

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.52 0.60 $52.09 $108,360
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $51.26 $106,610
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 60 0.55 0.63 $51.14 $106,360
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) (8) (8) (8) $48.25 $100,360
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $47.20 $98,180


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020