SOC 19-1042 · Life, physical and social science
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists prevailing wage by area
At Level II this ranges from $133,099 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA down to $63,669 in Rochester, NY, a spread of $69,430 on the same job.
What this occupation covers
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.
Occupation definition from oes_soc_occs.csv, OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip.
Every area with a surveyed figure
| Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $108,909 | $133,099 | $157,310 | $181,501 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $101,109 | $127,629 | $154,149 | $180,669 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $96,907 | $116,834 | $136,739 | $156,666 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $96,554 | $116,542 | $136,552 | $156,541 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $91,312 | $111,488 | $131,664 | $151,840 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $87,464 | $108,160 | $128,856 | $149,552 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $77,667 | $102,627 | $127,608 | $152,568 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $76,898 | $99,757 | $122,637 | $145,496 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $76,419 | $98,800 | $121,202 | $143,582 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $68,994 | $96,741 | $124,509 | $152,256 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $75,650 | $96,720 | $117,790 | $138,861 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $76,066 | $96,533 | $117,021 | $137,488 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $74,339 | $96,387 | $118,435 | $140,483 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $67,829 | $95,160 | $122,512 | $149,843 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $75,213 | $93,683 | $112,133 | $130,603 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $66,643 | $92,789 | $118,934 | $145,080 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $68,598 | $88,400 | $108,222 | $128,024 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $64,792 | $87,069 | $109,346 | $131,622 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $65,083 | $86,195 | $107,286 | $128,398 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $71,635 | $85,634 | $99,653 | $113,651 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $64,459 | $83,803 | $103,147 | $122,491 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $61,630 | $83,158 | $104,686 | $126,214 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $68,016 | $81,682 | $95,368 | $109,034 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $59,509 | $81,266 | $103,022 | $124,779 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $63,336 | $79,747 | $96,158 | $112,570 |
| Columbus, OH | $59,738 | $79,352 | $98,946 | $118,560 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $66,706 | $78,874 | $91,042 | $103,210 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $70,138 | $78,728 | $87,318 | $95,909 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $62,837 | $78,458 | $94,078 | $109,699 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $63,190 | $77,813 | $92,435 | $107,058 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $64,397 | $77,210 | $90,043 | $102,856 |
| Cleveland, OH | $67,142 | $75,712 | $84,261 | $92,830 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $60,195 | $73,798 | $87,381 | $100,984 |
| Rochester, NY | $51,002 | $63,669 | $76,315 | $88,982 |
34 areas, all surveyed for that metropolitan area rather than imputed from a broader geography. 3 of them carry a full breakdown page, selected by filing volume; the rest show their figures here. ALC_Export.csv, wage year 2026-27.
How employers filed for this occupation
Across 1,056 certified H-1B filings in FY2025 Q1 to Q4 that recorded a level, the plurality landed on Level I. The median wage actually offered was $74,672 a year, from 1,218 filings.
| Level | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 626 | 59.3% |
| Level II | 323 | 30.6% |
| Level III | 73 | 6.9% |
| Level IV | 34 | 3.2% |
LCA disclosure data, FY2025 Q1 to Q4. Certified H-1B filings only.
Work out a specific determination
The level depends on the requirements in the job description rather than the title. Run the worksheet for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists with a specific area, experience requirement and education level.