Salary distribution
Where California medical scientists fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $105,670 and $156,960, with a median of $131,430.
Medical Scientists in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 485 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $93,200. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 101 | $88,878 |
| Level II — qualified | 75 | $120,078 |
| Level III — experienced | 44 | $140,462 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 39 | $178,400 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Medical Scientists in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Los Angeles | Assistant Project Scientist | 68 | $80,034 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | Basic Life Research Scientist | 48 | $86,470 |
| University of California, San Francisco | Postdoctoral Scholar | 44 | $80,034 |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO | Postdoctoral Scholar-Employee | 32 | $80,900 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | Project Scientist | 25 | $93,434 |
| Genentech, Inc. | Scientist | 25 | $141,000 |
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. | Associate Clinical Pharmacology Director | 24 | $140,462 |
| Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope | Staff Scientist | 14 | $85,024 |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE | ASSISTANT PROJECT SCIENTIST | 12 | $85,000 |
| Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute | Staff Scientist | 10 | $77,168 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Sr. Platelet & Plasma Biology Manager at Cerus Corporation$148,678ConcordDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25357-504277
- Data & Analytics Engagement Manager at ClearView Healthcare Partners, LLC$170,000San JoseDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-502628
- METABOLOMICS SCIENTIST at ETEAM INC.$107,973SOUTH SAN FRANCISCODecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-503998
- Project Scientist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center$93,434Los AngelesDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-496601
- Staff Scientist at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute$78,749La JollaDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-493772
- Manager of Product and Innovation at Medit USA, Inc$135,000Newport BeachDecided Dec 24, 2025I-203-25352-492485
- Scientist at Genentech, Inc.$125,278South San FranciscoDecided Dec 23, 2025I-200-25350-488989
- Technical Development Principal Scientist at Genentech, Inc.$126,942South San FranciscoDecided Dec 19, 2025I-200-25347-480510
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Medical Scientists pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Medical Scientists specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 357 certified offers. The most common variant is Staff Scientist at a median of $125,000.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Scientist | Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope | 97 | $125,000 |
| Assistant Project Scientist | University of California, Los Angeles | 71 | $82,100 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | University of California, San Francisco | 51 | $74,425 |
| Research Associate | University of California, Los Angeles | 28 | $83,247 |
| Basic Life Research Scientist | The Leland Stanford, Jr University | 22 | $84,500 |
| Research Scientist | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | 20 | $105,227 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar-Employee | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO | 17 | $77,179 |
| Instructor | The Leland Stanford, Jr University | 14 | $100,500 |
| Associate Specialist | University of California, San Francisco | 14 | $82,150 |
| Senior Director, Clinical Development (MD) | Gilead Sciences, Inc. | 10 | $181,906 |
| Assistant Researcher | University of California, Berkeley | 7 | $93,400 |
| Senior Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in BBE | California Institute of Technology | 6 | $74,607 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Medical Scientists in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 485 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Education leads with a median of $80,900.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles | 242 | $80,900 |
| Professional services | Genentech, Inc. | 161 | $120,078 |
| Manufacturing | ABBVIE INC. | 46 | $143,850 |
| Healthcare | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | 30 | $93,434 |
| Retail and wholesale | Medit USA, Inc | 2 | $137,500 |
| Real estate | Bayshore Global Management LLC | 2 | $1,000,480 |
| Technology and software | Technical Information And Professional Solutions, Inc. | 1 | $99,590 |
| Finance and insurance | Vivo Capital, LLC | 1 | $169,146 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.7 / 5
Biology
Knowledge
- 4.3 / 5
Writing
Basic skill
- 4.1 / 5
Oral Expression
Ability
- 4.1 / 5
Speaking
Basic skill
- 4.1 / 5
Written Expression
Ability
- 4.1 / 5
Science
Basic skill
- 4.1 / 5
Active Learning
Cross-functional
- 4.1 / 5
Inductive Reasoning
Ability
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
- 02
Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.
- 03
Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- 04
Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.
- 05
Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.
- 06
Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
- 07
Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
- 08
Study animal and human health and physiological processes.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+8.7%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for medical scientists in major California metropolitan areas.
- San Jose$155,990
- San Francisco$142,540
- Sacramento$131,390
- Riverside$128,890
- Los Angeles$128,470
- San Diego$128,270
Compare Medical Scientists pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Medical Scientists in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Medical Scientists in California is $131,430.
- How does California compare to the national median for Medical Scientists?
- The California median is +29.6% versus the BLS national figure of $101,397.
- What is the salary range for Medical Scientists in California?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $80,480 and the 90th-percentile at $169,080, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Medical Scientists a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 8.7% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Medical Scientists?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Doctoral or professional degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.