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Medical Scientists : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Medical Scientists
Summary

Medical scientists usually specialize in a area of

research, such as neuroscience.
Quick Fact s: Medical Scient ist s
2015 Median Pay

$82 ,2 4 0 per y ear

$3 9 .54 per hou r

Ty pical Ent ry -Lev el Educat ion

Doctor al or pr ofessional degr ee

Work Experience in a Relat ed Occupat ion

None

On-t he-job Training

None

Number of Jobs, 2014

1 07 ,9 00

Job Out look, 2014-24

8% (As fast as av er age)

Employ ment Change, 2014-24

9 ,000

Wh at Medical Scientists Do
Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improv ing ov erall human health. They often use clinical trials and
other inv estigativ e methods to reach their findings.
Work Env ironm ent
Medical scientists work in offices and laboratories. Most work full time.
How to Becom e a Medical Scientist
Medical scientists ty pically hav e a Ph.D., usually in biology or a related life science. Some medical scientists get
a medical degree instead of a Ph.D., but prefer doing research to practicing as a phy sician.
Pay
The median annual wage for medical scientists was $82,240 in May 201 5.
Job Ou tlook
Employ ment of medical scientists is projected to grow 8 percent from 201 4 to 2024, about as fast as the

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Employ ment of medical scientists is projected to grow 8 percent from 201 4 to 2024, about as fast as the
av erage for all occupations. Medical scientists will continue to be needed because they contribute to the
dev elopment of treatments and medicines that improv e human health.
State & A rea Data
Ex plore resources for employ ment and wages by state and area for medical scientists.
Sim ilar Occu pations
Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of medical scientists with similar occupations.
More I nform ation, I nclu ding Links to O*NET
Learn more about medical scientists by v isiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key
characteristics of workers and occupations.

What Medical Scientists Do

Medical scientists design and conduct studies to

investigate human diseases, and methods to prevent
and treat them.
Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improv ing ov erall human health. They often use clinical trials and
other inv estigativ e methods to reach their findings.

Duties
Medical scientists ty pically do the following:
Design and conduct studies that inv estigate both human diseases and methods to prev ent and treat
them
Prepare and analy ze medical samples and data to inv estigate causes and treatment of tox icity ,
pathogens, or chronic diseases
Standardize drug potency , doses, and methods to allow for the mass manufacturing and distribution of
drugs and medicinal compounds
Create and test medical dev ices
Dev elop programs that improv e health outcomes, in partnership with health departments, industry
personnel, and phy sicians
Write research grant proposals and apply for funding from gov ernment agencies and priv ate funding
sources
Follow procedures to av oid contamination and maintain safety
Many medical scientists form hy potheses and dev elop ex periments,
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Many medical scientists form hy potheses and dev elop ex periments, with little superv ision. They often lead
teams of technicians, and sometimes students, who perform support tasks. For ex ample, a medical scientist
working in a univ ersity laboratory may hav e undergraduate assistants take measurements and make
observ ations for the scientists research.
Medical scientists study the causes of diseases and other health problems. For ex ample, a medical scientist who
does cancer research might put together a combination of drugs that could slow the cancers progress. A
clinical trial may be done to test the drugs. A medical scientist may work with licensed phy sicians to test the
new combination on patients who are willing to participate in the study .
In a clinical trial, patients agree to help determine if a particular drug, a combination of drugs, or some other
medical interv ention works. Without knowing which group they are in, patients in a drug-related clinical trial
receiv e either the trial drug or a placeboa pill or injection that looks like the trial drug but does not actually
contain the drug.
Medical scientists analy ze the data from all the patients in the clinical trial, to see how the trial drug performed.
They compare the results with those obtained from the control group that took the placebo, and they analy ze
the attributes of the participants. A fter they complete their analy sis, medical scientists may write about and
publish their findings.
Medical scientists do research both to dev elop new treatments and to try to prev ent health problems. For
ex ample, they may study the link between smoking and lung cancer or between diet and diabetes.
Medical scientists who work in priv ate industry usually hav e to research the topics that benefit their company
the most, rather than inv estigate their own interests. A lthough they may not hav e the pressure of writing grant
proposals to get money for their research, they may hav e to ex plain their research plans to nonscientist
managers or ex ecutiv es.
Medical scientists usually specialize in an area of research. The following are ex amples of ty pes of medical
scientists:
Cancer research ers research the causes of cancers, as well as way s to prev ent and cure cancers. They may
specialize in one or more ty pes of cancer.
Clinical and m edical inform aticians dev elop new way s to use large datasets. They look for ex planations
of health outcomes through the statistical analy sis of data.
Clinical ph arm acologists research, dev elop, and test current and new drugs. They inv estigate the full
effects that drugs hav e on human health. Their interests may range from understanding specific molecules to
the effects that drugs hav e on large populations.
Gerontologists study the changes that people go through as they get older. Medical scientists who specialize
in this field seek to understand the biology of aging and inv estigate way s to improv e the quality of our later
y ears.
Im m unoch em ists inv estigate the reactions and effects that v arious chemicals and drugs hav e on the human
immune sy stem.
Neuroscientists study the brain and nerv ous sy stem.
Research h istologists hav e a specific skill set that is used to study human tissue. They inv estigate how tissue
grows, heals, and dies, and may inv estigate grafting techniques that can help people who hav e ex perienced
serious injury .
Serologists research fluids found in the human body , such as blood and saliv a. A pplied serologists often work
in forensic science. For more information on forensic science, see the profile on forensic science technicians.
Toxicologists research the harmful effects of drugs, household chemicals, and other potentially poisonous
substances. They seek to ensure the safety of drugs, radiation, and other treatments by inv estigating safe
dosage limits.

Work Environment
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Medical scientists usually work in offices and

laboratories.
Medical scientists held about 1 07 ,900 jobs in 201 4. The industries that employ ed the most medical scientists
were as follows:

Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences 34%
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private

27

Hospitals; state, local, and private

15

Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing

Medical and diagnostic laboratories

Medical scientists usually work in offices and laboratories. They spend most of their time study ing data and
reports. Medical scientists sometimes work with dangerous biological samples and chemicals, but they take
precautions that ensure a safe env ironment.

Work Schedules
Most medical scientists work full time.

How to Become a Medical Scientist

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Medical scientists typically have a

Ph.D. in biology or a related life
science.
Medical scientists ty pically hav e a Ph.D., usually in biology or a related life science. Some medical scientists get
a medical degree instead of a Ph.D., but prefer doing research to practicing as a phy sician.

Education
Students planning careers as medical scientists ty pically pursue a bachelors degree in biology , chemistry , or a
related field. Undergraduate students benefit from taking a broad range of classes, including life sciences,
phy sical sciences, and math. Students also ty pically take courses that dev elop communication and writing
skills, because they must learn to write grants effectiv ely and publish research findings.
A fter students hav e completed their undergraduate studies, they ty pically enter Ph.D. programs. Dual-degree
programs are av ailable that pair a Ph.D. with a range of specialized medical degrees. A few degree programs that
are commonly paired with Ph.D. studies are Medical Doctor (M.D.), Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.), Doctor of
Dental Medicine (D.M.D.), and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). Whereas Ph.D. studies focus on research
methods, such as project design and data interpretation, students in dual-degree programs learn both the
clinical skills needed to be a phy sician and the research skills needed to be a scientist.
Graduate programs emphasize both laboratory work and original research. These programs offer prospectiv e
medical scientists the opportunity to dev elop their ex periments and, sometimes, to superv ise undergraduates.
Ph.D. programs culminate in a thesis that the candidate presents before a committee of professors. Students
may specialize in a particular field, such as gerontology , neurology , or cancer.
Those who go to medical school spend most of the first 2 y ears in labs and classrooms, taking courses such as
anatomy , biochemistry , phy siology , pharmacology , psy chology , microbiology , pathology , medical ethics, and
medical law. They also learn how to record medical histories, ex amine patients, and diagnose illnesses. They
may be required to participate in residency programs, meeting the same requirements that phy sicians and
surgeons hav e to fulfill.
Medical scientists often continue their education with postdoctoral work. Postdoctoral work prov ides
additional and more independent lab ex perience, including ex perience in specific processes and techniques
such as gene splicing, which is transferable to other research projects.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Medical scientists primarily conduct research and ty pically
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do not need licenses or certifications. Howev er,

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Medical scientists primarily conduct research and ty pically do not need licenses or certifications. Howev er,
those who administer drugs, gene therapy , or otherwise practice medicine on patients in clinical trials or a
priv ate practice need a license to practice as a phy sician.

Important Qualities
Com m unication skills. Communication is critical, because medical scientists must be able to ex plain their
conclusions. In addition, medical scientists write grant proposals, because grants often are required to fund
their research.
Critical-th inking skills. Medical scientists must use their ex pertise to determine the best method for
solv ing a specific research question.
Data-analy sis skills. Medical scientists use statistical techniques, so that they can properly quantify and
analy ze health research questions.
Decisionm aking skills. Medical scientists must determine what research questions to ask, how best to
inv estigate the questions, and what data will best answer the questions.
Observation skills. Medical scientists conduct ex periments that require precise observ ation of samples and
other health data. A ny mistake could lead to inconclusiv e or misleading results.

Pay

Medical Scientists
Median annual wages, May 2015

Medical scientists, except

epidem iologists

$82,240

Life scientists

Total, all occupations

$72,090

$36,200

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics

The median annual wage for medical scientists was $82,240 in May 201 5. The median wage is the wage at which
half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 1 0 percent
earned less than $44,51 0, and the highest 1 0 percent earned more than $1 55,1 80.
In May 201 5, the median annual wages for medical scientists in the top industries in which they worked were as
follows:

Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing

$108,200

Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences

96,290

Medical and diagnostic laboratories

79,020

Hospitals; state, local, and private

76,670

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Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private

58,370

Most medical scientists work full time.

Job Outlook

Medical Scientists
Percent change in employment, projected 2014-24

Medical scientists, except

epidem iologists

8%

Total, all occupations

7%

Life scientists

6%

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

Employ ment of medical scientists is projected to grow 8 percent from 201 4 to 2024, about as fast as the
av erage for all occupations. A larger and aging population, increased rates of sev eral chronic conditions, and a
growing reliance on pharmaceuticals are all factors that are ex pected to increase demand for medical scientists.
In addition, a greater understanding of biological processes and new discov eries should open frontiers in
research that are ex pected to require the serv ices of medical scientists.
Medical scientists will be needed for research related to treating diseases such as A IDS, A lzheimers disease,
and cancer. Research into treatment problems, such as resistance to antibiotics, also should spur growth. In
addition, a higher population density and the increasing frequency of international trav el may facilitate the
spread of ex isting diseases and possibly giv e rise to new ones. Medical scientists will continue to be needed
because they contribute to the dev elopment of treatments and medicines that improv e human health.
The federal gov ernment is a major source of funding for medical research. Going forward, the lev el of federal
funding will continue to affect competition for winning and renewing research grants.

Employment projections data for medical scientists, 2014-24

Occupational Title
Medical scientists, except
epidemiologists

SOC
Code
19-1042

Employment,
2014

Projected
Employment, 2024

107,900

116,800

Change, 2014-24
Percent Numeric
8

9,000

Employment
by Industry
[XLSX]

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

State & Area Data

Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)
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The Occupational Employ ment Statistics (OES) program produces employ ment and wage estimates annually for
ov er 800 occupations. These estimates are av ailable for the nation as a whole, for indiv idual states, and for
metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employ ment and wages by
state and area.
Medical scientists, ex cept epidemiologists

Projections Central
Occupational employ ment projections are dev eloped for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or
indiv idual state Employ ment Projections offices. A ll state projections data are av ailable at
www.projectionscentral.com . Information on this site allows projected employ ment growth for an
occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce
projections for areas; there are links to each states websites where these data may be retriev ed.

Career InfoNet
A mericas Career InfoNet includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data av ailable by state and metro
area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employ ment by state and
occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip
code.

Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of medical scientists.
OCCUPATION

JOB DUTIES

ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION

2015 MEDIAN PAY

A gr i cu l t u r a l
a n d Food
Sci en t i st s

A g r icu lt u r a l
a n d food
scien t ist s
r esea r ch w a y s
t o im pr ov e t h e
efficien cy a n d
sa fet y of
a g r icu lt u r a l
est a blish m en t s
a n d pr odu ct s.

Ba ch elor 's deg r ee

$6 2 ,4 7 0

Bi och em i st s
and
Bi oph y si ci st s

Bioch em ist s a n d
bioph y sicist s
st u dy t h e
ch em ica l a n d
ph y sica l
pr in ciples of
liv in g t h in g s
a n d of biolog ica l
pr ocesses, su ch
a s cell
dev elopm en t ,
g r ow t h ,
h er edit y , a n d
disea se.

Doct or a l or pr ofession a l deg r ee

$8 2 ,1 5 0

Epidem iolog ist s

a r e pu blic
h ea lt h
pr ofession a ls
w h o in v est ig a t e
pa t t er n s a n d
ca u ses of disea se
a n d in ju r y in
h u m a n s. T h ey
seek t o r edu ce
Ma st er 's deg r ee
Epi dem i ol ogi st s
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$6 9 ,4 5 0

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Ma st er 's deg r ee

$6 9 ,4 5 0

Hea l t h
Edu ca t or s a n d
Com m u n i t y
Hea l t h Wor k er s

H ea lt h
edu ca t or s t ea ch
people a bou t
beh a v ior s t h a t
pr om ot e
w elln ess. T h ey
dev elop a n d
im plem en t
st r a t eg ies t o
im pr ov e t h e
h ea lt h of
in div idu a ls a n d
com m u n it ies.
Com m u n it y
h ea lt h w or k er s
collect da t a a n d
discu ss h ea lt h
con cer n s w it h
m em ber s of
specific
popu la t ion s or
com m u n it ies.

See H ow t o Becom e On e

$4 3 ,8 4 0

Medi ca l a n d
Cl i n i ca l
La bor a t or y
T ech n ol ogi st s
and
T ech n i ci a n s

Medica l
la bor a t or y
t ech n olog ist s
(com m on ly
k n ow n a s
m edical
labo rato ry
s cientis ts ) a n d
m edica l
la bor a t or y
t ech n icia n s
collect sa m ples
a n d per for m
t est s t o a n a ly ze
body flu ids,
t issu e, a n d
ot h er
su bst a n ces.

See H ow t o Becom e On e

$5 0 ,5 5 0

Ba ch elor 's deg r ee

$6 7 ,5 5 0

Epi dem i ol ogi st s

Mi cr obi ol ogi st s

seek t o r edu ce
t h e r isk a n d
occu r r en ce of
n eg a t iv e h ea lt h
ou t com es
t h r ou g h
r esea r ch ,
com m u n it y
edu ca t ion , a n d
h ea lt h policy .

Micr obiolog ist s

st u dy
m icr oor g a n ism s
su ch a s
ba ct er ia ,
v ir u ses, a lg a e,
fu n g i, a n d som e
t y pes of
pa r a sit es. T h ey
try to
u n der st a n d h ow
t h ese or g a n ism s
liv e, g r ow , a n d

in t er a ct w it h
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in t er a ct w it h
t h eir
en v ir on m en t s.

Ph y si ci a n s a n d
Su r geon s

Ph y sicia n s a n d
su r g eon s
dia g n ose a n d
t r ea t in ju r ies or
illn esses.
Ph y sicia n s
ex a m in e
pa t ien t s; t a k e
m edica l
h ist or ies;
pr escr ibe
m edica t ion s;
a n d or der ,
per for m , a n d
in t er pr et
dia g n ost ic t est s.
T h ey cou n sel
pa t ien t s on diet ,
h y g ien e, a n d
pr ev en t iv e
h ea lt h ca r e.
Su r g eon s
oper a t e on
pa t ien t s t o t r ea t
in ju r ies, su ch a s
br ok en bon es;
disea ses, su ch a s
ca n cer ou s
t u m or s; a n d
defor m it ies,
su ch a s cleft
pa la t es.

Doct or a l or pr ofession a l deg r ee

T h is w a g e is equ a l t o or
g r ea t er t h a n $1 8 7 ,2 0 0
per y ea r .

Post secon da r y
T ea ch er s

Post secon da r y
t ea ch er s
in st r u ct
st u den t s in a
w ide v a r iet y of
a ca dem ic a n d
ca r eer a n d
t ech n ica l
su bject s bey on d
t h e h ig h sch ool
lev el. T h ey a lso
con du ct
r esea r ch a n d
pu blish
sch ola r ly
pa per s a n d
book s.

See H ow t o Becom e On e

$7 2 ,4 7 0

V et er in a r ia n s
ca r e for t h e
h ea lt h of
a n im a ls a n d
w or k t o
im pr ov e pu blic
h ea lt h . T h ey
V et er i n a r i a n s
Doct or a l or pr ofession a l deg r ee
dia g n ose, t r ea t ,
a n d r esea r ch
m edica l
con dit ion s a n d
disea ses of pet s,
liv est ock , a n d
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$8 8 ,4 9 0

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liv est ock , a n d

ot h er a n im a ls.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about research specialties and opportunities within specialized fields for medical
scientists, v isit
A merican A ssociation for Cancer Research
A merican Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
A merican Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
A merican Society for Pharmacology and Ex perimental Therapeutics
Gerontological Society of A merica
Society for Neuroscience
Society of Tox icology

O*NET
Medical Scientists, Ex cept Epidemiologists
Suggested citation:

Bu r ea u of La bor St a t ist ics, U.S. Depa r t m en t of La bor , Occupatio nal Outlo o k Handbo o k , 2016-17 Editio n, Medica l
Scien t ist s,
on t h e In t er n et a t h t t p://w w w .bls.g ov /ooh /life-ph y sica l-a n d-socia l-scien ce/m edica l-scien t ist s.h t m (v isit ed
Septem ber 25, 2016).

Pu blish Date: Thursday , December 1 7 , 201 5

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, PSB Suite 2135, 2
Massachusetts Avenue, NE W ashington, DC 20212-0001
w w w .bls.gov/ooh | T elephone: 1-202-691-5700 | Contact OOH

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