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DATA PROFILE · 2025

Medical Scientists salary in District of Columbia

Activemarket
+63%offers
+6.9%wages
heat71/100

Median, range, employment, and 10-year outlook from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, with skills and task data from O*NET. Cost-of-living adjustment from BEA Regional Price Parities.

Adrian Serafin, founder and editor of RateOrchardBy Adrian SerafinFounderUpdated June 12, 2026
Last refreshed: Jun 12, 2026

Medical Scientists in District of Columbia. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →

Median annual$101,940
Mean annual$119,310
Range (10th to 90th)$66,100 to $195,190
District of Columbia employment670
State vs national-3.4% vs national

Salary distribution

Where District of Columbia medical scientists fall on the wage curve.

Annual wage distribution

Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)

10TH$66,10025TH$78,160MEDIAN$101,94075TH$131,81090TH$195,190

The middle 50% of workers earn between $78,160 and $131,810, with a median of $101,940.

Real disclosed salaries

Medical Scientists in District of Columbia: actual employer-disclosed pay

Public records from 35 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $74,360. 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.

LevelFilingsMedian offer
Level I — entry24$70,766
Level II — qualified5$102,740
Level III — experienced1$125,000
Level IV — fully competent2$167,765

Top employers filing for this role

Companies with the most certified filings for Medical Scientists in District of Columbia. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.

EmployerMost-filed titleFilingsMedian
Children's National Medical CenterStaff Scientist I11$69,659
Georgetown UniversityPostdoctoral Associate7$73,000
The George Washington UniversityResearch Scientist4$69,356
Washington Hospital Center CorporationMedical Lab Scientist III4$82,660
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State UniversityPostdoctoral Associate3$74,360
Duke UniversityPrincipal, Area Lead1$174,530
MedStar Health Research InstituteResearch Fellow MD1$68,536
MedStar Health Research Institute, Inc.Research Fellow1$91,927
Oracle America, Inc.Staff Research Consultant1$132,967
Sentinel Bio Inc.Senior Research Associate1$125,000

Recent sample filings

A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.

  • Postdoctoral Associate at Georgetown University
    $73,000
    WashingtonWage Level IDecided Mar 13, 2026I-200-26065-685184
  • Research Faculty at Children's National Medical Center
    $145,000
    WashingtonWage Level IIDecided Mar 10, 2026I-200-26062-676954
  • Postdoctoral Associate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
    $74,360
    WashingtonDecided Feb 17, 2026I-200-26040-628214
  • Staff Research Consultant at Oracle America, Inc.
    $132,967
    WashingtonDecided Jan 29, 2026I-200-26022-582761
  • Research Scientist at The George Washington University
    $70,000
    WashingtonWage Level IDecided Jan 13, 2026I-200-26006-538243
  • Postdoctoral Associate at Georgetown University
    $73,000
    WashingtonWage Level IDecided Dec 17, 2025I-200-25344-471206
  • Medical Health Physicist at Washington Hospital Center Corporation
    $161,000
    WashingtonWage Level IVDecided Dec 4, 2025I-200-25330-440392
  • Postdoctoral Associate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
    $74,360
    WashingtonDecided Nov 18, 2025I-200-25314-392644

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.

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By seniority

Medical Scientists pay by experience level in District of Columbia

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.

Specialties

Medical Scientists specialties in District of Columbia

Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 22 certified offers. The most common variant is Staff Scientist at a median of $69,657.

SpecialtyTop employerFilingsMedian offer
Staff ScientistChildren's National Medical Center8$69,657
Postdoctoral AssociateGeorgetown University7$73,000
Research ScientistThe George Washington University4$76,760
Medical Lab ScientistWashington Hospital Center Corporation3$82,578

Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.

Pay by industry

Medical Scientists in District of Columbia, by industry

Median offered wage across 35 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Education leads with a median of $74,088.

IndustryLargest employerFilingsMedian offer
EducationGeorgetown University15$74,088
HealthcareChildren's National Medical Center15$73,486
Professional servicesMedStar Health Research Institute4$108,463
Technology and softwareOracle America, Inc.1$132,967

Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.

Wage trend

Median annual wage in District of Columbia over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 dollars.

Median annual wage, District of Columbia2023 to 2025
$114,2602023$110,8302024$101,9402025

Typical entry

  • Education

    Doctoral or professional degree

  • Experience

    None

  • On-the-job training

    None

Top skills (O*NET)

  • Biology

    Knowledge

    4.7 / 5
  • Writing

    Basic skill

    4.3 / 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

    4.1 / 5

Common tasks (O*NET)

  1. 01

    Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.

  2. 02

    Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.

  3. 03

    Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.

  4. 04

    Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.

  5. 05

    Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.

  6. 06

    Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.

  7. 07

    Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.

  8. 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, 20242034 cycle.

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Top metros in District of Columbia

Metro-level salary data for medical scientists in major District of Columbia metropolitan areas.

Compare Medical Scientists pay across nearby states

Side-by-side

Considering a move? Compare District of Columbia with another state

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for Medical Scientists in District of Columbia?
According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Medical Scientists in District of Columbia is $101,940.
How does District of Columbia compare to the national median for Medical Scientists?
The District of Columbia median is -3.4% versus the BLS national figure of $105,577.
What is the salary range for Medical Scientists in District of Columbia?
BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $66,100 and the 90th-percentile at $195,190, 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.
Disclaimer

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.