Lead / Director Medical Scientists salary in California
Roles that direct strategy, lead teams, or hold full functional ownership. Typically ten or more years of experience or a Director-class title with budget responsibility.
Lead / Director Medical Scientists in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 39 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $178,400. 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 IV — fully competent | 39 | $178,400 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Lead / Director Medical Scientists in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. | Associate Clinical Pharmacology Director | 5 | $160,826 |
| Eli Lilly and Company | Executive Director “ Novel Platforms | 3 | $260,000 |
| Genentech, Inc. | Medical Scientist, Safety | 3 | $213,400 |
| Bayshore Global Management LLC | Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences | 2 | $1,000,480 |
| Amgen Inc. | Process Development Scientific Associate Director | 2 | $179,534 |
| ABBVIE INC. | SENIOR SCIENTIST, II | 2 | $161,500 |
| Blueprint Medicines Corporation | Associate Director, Clinical Operations | 1 | $200,790 |
| Exelixis, Inc. | Senior Scientist II | 1 | $184,062 |
| Janssen Research & Development, LLC | Principal Scientist, Neuropsychiatry | 1 | $193,400 |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | Senior Director, Molecular & Cell Biology | 1 | $212,500 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Executive Director Drug Safety Physician at Eli Lilly and Company$298,264San FranciscoWage Level IVDecided Sep 11, 2025I-200-25247-287269
- Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Bayshore Global Management LLC$1,000,480Palo AltoWage Level IVDecided Aug 29, 2025I-202-25234-261902
- Associate Clinical Pharmacology Director at Gilead Sciences, Inc.$172,099Foster CityWage Level IVDecided Aug 4, 2025I-200-25209-204373
- Associate Director, Clinical Operations at Blueprint Medicines Corporation$200,790San DiegoWage Level IVDecided Jul 16, 2025I-200-25190-163231
- Senior Scientist II at Exelixis, Inc.$184,062AlamedaWage Level IVDecided Jul 9, 2025I-200-25182-145858
- Medical Scientist, Safety at Genentech, Inc.$213,400South San FranciscoWage Level IVDecided Jul 7, 2025I-200-25178-137219
- Executive Director “ Novel Platforms at Eli Lilly and Company$260,000San DiegoWage Level IVDecided Jun 13, 2025I-200-25157-062849
- Executive Director “ Novel Platforms at Eli Lilly and Company$260,000San DiegoWage Level IVDecided Jun 13, 2025I-200-25157-062858
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.