Senior Medical Scientists salary in California
Roles that require seasoned judgement and the ability to lead projects without supervision. Typically five to ten years of experience and a track record of complete ownership.
Senior Medical Scientists in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 44 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $140,462. 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 III — experienced | 44 | $140,462 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Senior Medical Scientists in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. | Sr. Scientist, Drug Metabolism | 10 | $140,462 |
| Amgen Inc. | Process Development Sr Scientist | 3 | $133,048 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | Instructor | 2 | $115,448 |
| AbbVie Inc. | Sr Scientist, I Parenteral & Eyecare Product Development | 2 | $140,688 |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | Scientist II, Translational Pharmacology | 2 | $146,727 |
| ABBVIE INC. | PRINCIPAL RESEARCH SCIENTIST I | 1 | $161,000 |
| Yemaya, Inc. | Principal Scientist | 1 | $190,000 |
| Kivu Bioscience Inc | Associate Director, R&D | 1 | $185,000 |
| Science Corporation | Stem Cell Scientist | 1 | $148,678 |
| ABBVIE BIOTHERAPEUTICS INC. | PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST I, IN VIVO PHARMACOLOGY | 1 | $177,000 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- PRINCIPAL RESEARCH SCIENTIST I at ABBVIE INC.$161,000IRVINEWage Level IIIDecided Sep 30, 2025I-200-25266-329028
- Instructor at The Leland Stanford, Jr University$116,000StanfordWage Level IIIDecided Sep 16, 2025I-200-25253-298121
- Principal Scientist, Drug Metabolism at Gilead Sciences, Inc.$148,678Foster CityWage Level IIIDecided Sep 8, 2025I-200-25241-277024
- Principal Scientist at Yemaya, Inc.$190,000Palo AltoWage Level IIIDecided Aug 29, 2025I-200-25234-261439
- Sr Scientist, I Parenteral & Eyecare Product Development at AbbVie Inc.$145,000IrvineWage Level IIIDecided Aug 25, 2025I-200-25230-247593
- Senior Research Scientist-Basic Life at The Leland Stanford, Jr University$114,895StanfordWage Level IIIDecided Aug 14, 2025I-203-25220-229625
- Associate Director, R&D at Kivu Bioscience Inc$185,000San FranciscoWage Level IIIDecided Aug 11, 2025I-200-25216-220128
- Stem Cell Scientist at Science Corporation$148,678AlamedaWage Level IIIDecided Aug 5, 2025I-203-25210-205910
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.