Salary and Outlook
According to the US Department of Labor, there are 119,200 people employed as medical scientists, except epidemiologists in
the United States.
The median annual salary is $95,310.
Entry level employees earn approximately $50,100 per year and senior employees earn approximately $166,980
per year.
Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.
Job Duties
- Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
- Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.
- Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
- Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
- Write and publish articles in scientific journals.
- Write applications for research grants.
- Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.
- Study animal and human health and physiological processes.
- Investigate cause, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission of diseases or parasites.
- Use equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, electron microscopes, flow cytometers, or chromatography systems.
- Confer with health departments, industry personnel, physicians, and others to develop health safety standards and public health improvement programs.
- Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, and others regarding medical applications of physics, biology, and chemistry.