Medical Scientists: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Stan T.Career, Overview

Medical Scientists

Medical Scientists 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.

Salary
$101800
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Doctoral degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



Job description

Medical Scientists 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, public health specialists, pharmacologists, and medical pathologists who primarily conduct research.

  • Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
  • Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
  • Study animal and human health and physiological processes.
  • Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
Read more about what does a Medical Scientist really do at work and what is it like being and working as one.



Salary

Average salary
$96420 per year

Average hourly wage
$46 per hour


Medical Scientists with little to no experience tend to make between $46810 and $59580 while the more experienced ones can earn over $118040 per year.

Top 5 paying states Hourly Annual
NJ $70 $145,300
CT $65 $134,710
NH $56 $116,200
RI $55 $115,170
DE $55 $115,070

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Medical Scientist is to move to a higher paying state like NJ. Right now, the highest paying states for Medical Scientists are NJ, CT, NH, RI and DE.

However, a higher pay at NJ doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at NJ might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Medical Scientist is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.


Requirements

Recommended degree level
Doctoral degree

We asked other Medical Scientists what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Post-Doctoral Training followed by a PhD.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Biomedical Sciences, General
Biochemistry
Biophysics
Molecular Biology
Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology
Read more about how to become a Medical Scientist and the degree, training and education you need.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Medical Scientist.

PROS
Suitable for people who likes to solve problems mentally
Suitable for people who values achievements and are results-oriented
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
Very high salary (top 25% highest paid careers)
CONS
Not suitable for people who likes to start and carry out projects
It is very hard to get into this career. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience is required for this career.
Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week)

What is the job like

Job satisfaction
73%

Is this job meaningful
83%


73% of Medical Scientists said they were satisfied with their job and 83% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.


Is this right for me

Best personality for this career
The Thinkers and The Builders

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.



Learn more about Medical Scientists

Summary (You are here)
Job Description
Salary
Requirements
Quiz

Related career information

Medical Scientists job description, Medical Scientists salary, Medical Scientists information, what is the job of a Medical Scientist like, pros and cons about Medical Scientists, colleges and universities for Medical Scientists, is Medical Scientists the right career for me, careers in Social Science and Humanities

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