What is a Cancer Researcher?

Though the elusive cure for cancer is still out of reach, there are different treatment options for those suffering from various kinds of cancer.

A cancer researcher is primarily involved in seeking options for cancer treatment and prevention. They must have an in-depth knowledge of their field and be well-versed in conducting scientific laboratory experiments. They also have to know all laboratory tools and equipment by heart and be able to follow health and safety protocols when doing research and experiments.

To qualify for the job, a cancer researcher is required to have a PhD or an MD, plus proven work experience in the medical and healthcare field. A natural love for learning, especially in disciplines like chemistry and biology, will be helpful in this job.

What Does a Cancer Researcher Do

When it comes to the most important skills required to be a cancer researcher, we found that a lot of resumes listed 18.6% of cancer researchers included patients, while 9.1% of resumes included clinical research, and 8.3% of resumes included clinical trials. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.

Learn more about what a Cancer Researcher does

How To Become a Cancer Researcher

If you're interested in becoming a cancer researcher, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 62.6% of cancer researchers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 12.6% of cancer researchers have master's degrees. Even though most cancer researchers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Cancer Researcher

Top Cancer Researcher Jobs Near You

Cancer Researcher Career Paths

As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a cancer researcher can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as scientist, progress to a title such as senior scientist and then eventually end up with the title principal scientist.

Cancer Researcher

Scientist Senior Scientist

Principal Scientist

12 Years

Scientist Consultant Project Manager

Project Director

8 Years

Scientist Senior Scientist Director

Medical Director

9 Years

Senior Scientist Director

Top Careers Before Cancer Researcher

Research Assistant (51,080 Jobs)

12.5 %

Volunteer (9,583 Jobs)

11.4 %

Internship (51,064 Jobs)

9.6 %

Top Careers After Cancer Researcher

Research Fellow (59,746 Jobs)

10.5 %

Volunteer (9,583 Jobs)

9.7 %

Teaching Assistant (59,465 Jobs)

6.9 %

Average Salary for a Cancer Researcher

Cancer Researchers in America make an average salary of $73,896 per year or $36 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $117,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $46,000 per year.

Average Cancer Researcher Salary

$73,896 Yearly

$35.53 hourly

$46,00010%

$73,000Median

$117,00090%

See More Salary Information

What Am I Worth?

Roles and Types of Cancer Researcher

The role of a cancer researcher includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general cancer researcher responsibilities:

Mayo clinic is seeking an established clinical trials investigator to join our nationally recognized cancer center ideal candidates will be nationally/internationally recognized clinical, translational oncology researchers with experience directing research projects, collaborating with others in a multidisciplinary setting, securing extramural funding (r01 or equivalent)
Postdoctoral fellow positions are available immediately at city of hope, one of a prestigious group of nci-designated comprehensive cancer centers. The successful applicant will join a highly competitive
Responsibilities oversees clinical research (cra) performance. Researches all cost related to assigned studies, completes the billing analysis form prior to steering committee meetings

There are several types of cancer researcher, including:

Researcher

Role:

A researcher is someone who studies how to apply the scientific method within their chosen field.

Their primary responsibilities can be performing systemic investigations, overseeing internal research, or serving as the lead author on reports or articles. They are often tasked with things like collecting data (either quantitative or qualitative) and using that data to solve problems.

They can work in academic settings or in areas like the industrial, government, or private sectors. They need to have exceptional attention to detail and be both accurate and specific in their findings. They also need to ensure that their research is complete and thorough.

It is also important for a researcher to have a curious mind and to question why things are the way they are. Soft skills that can be important for a researcher include communication, leadership, and moderation. They must be able to lead project teams, moderate discussions, and communicate their knowledge clearly and persuasively.

To become a researcher, you will typically need to have a Ph.D. or similar degree. Researchers can work in a wide array of areas including sociology, medicine, and psychology. There are also researchers who work in the sciences like biology, chemistry, and physics.

Average Salary: $67,145
Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Fellow

Role:

A fellow's duties will be based on the organization or company they are engaged in. However, several times, your job will center around carrying out research and examination, leading discussions, turning up for negotiations, and taking care of lectures while regarding the principle or effort laid by supervisors. You are also to aid in different projects and events. As a fellow, you are required to stick to the company or organization rules and regulations every time, satisfy all the conditions and output involved, and cooperate with every person in the labor force.

Additionally, you are expected to take part in analyzing the standard of learning made available by the program. You must exhibit excellent observation, communication, and interpersonal skills to suit the role of a fellow. Also, you must have studied political science, law, or psychology and hold a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in them. With this, you will be able to earn a decent average salary of $66,381 per year or $31.91 per hour.

Average Salary: $66,364
Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Research Fellow

Role:

As the name implies, as a Research Fellow, you will be conducting research and analysis of comprehensive results, literature, and data. You will be supervising research assistants and recruiting study participants for specific studies.

For the educational requirement, a Research Fellow needs to have a doctorate relevant to the discipline and should have published papers that are peer-reviewed. As a Research Fellow, you can be supervised or independent.

The top skills Research Fellow applicants include in their resumes include Molecular Biology, Data Analysis, Cell Culture, Research Projects, and Ph.D. You might want to brush up your knowledge on these things and make sure you are knowledgeable in the field you will be applying to.

You can earn an average annual salary of $49,120 with a job growth rate of 8%. You can also explore other careers like being a Research Scientist, a Scientist, and a Senior Scientist.

Average Salary: $53,823
Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Cancer Researcher Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active cancer researcher jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where cancer researchers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Cancer Researcher Jobs By State

Rank	State	Number of Jobs	Average Salary
1	California	1,319	$110,813
2	Massachusetts	838	$81,317
3	New York	609	$67,234
4	Washington	358	$79,359
5	Pennsylvania	298	$64,229
6	Texas	267	$51,808
7	Michigan	252	$51,777
8	Florida	251	$58,237
9	Georgia	240	$49,266
10	Virginia	228	$62,819
11	New Jersey	225	$83,729
12	Minnesota	220	$74,557
13	Colorado	220	$70,007
14	Illinois	220	$56,940
15	Maryland	201	$70,255
16	Ohio	201	$55,257
17	North Carolina	139	$53,830
18	Oregon	129	$80,431
19	Utah	91	$62,407
20	Arizona	85	$85,486
21	Louisiana	85	$58,356
22	Connecticut	79	$79,085
23	Missouri	61	$56,961
24	Indiana	52	$74,765
25	Wisconsin	51	$66,329
26	Tennessee	50	$73,388
27	Kansas	44	$55,478
28	Iowa	39	$41,980
29	Rhode Island	36	$65,936
30	Oklahoma	35	$62,303
31	New Mexico	35	$60,187
32	Alabama	34	$56,000
33	South Carolina	34	$46,045
34	Montana	33	$78,586
35	New Hampshire	31	$61,386
36	Nebraska	29	$48,738
37	Arkansas	26	$61,377
38	West Virginia	26	$58,202
39	Kentucky	21	$52,238
40	Nevada	20	$83,905
41	Vermont	19	$63,802
42	Delaware	17	$69,516
43	Mississippi	17	$52,152
44	Idaho	15	$58,976
45	Alaska	11	$83,529
46	Maine	9	$76,216
47	South Dakota	9	$55,600
48	North Dakota	9	$48,292
49	Hawaii	5	$93,662
50	Wyoming	4	$62,870

Cancer Researcher Education

Cancer Researcher Majors

Biology

26.2 %

Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology

11.3 %

Chemistry

7.7 %

Cancer Researcher Degrees

Admissions

Most Popular Majors

Biology

Business

Nursing

Chemistry

Biomedical Engineering

Top Skills For a Cancer Researcher

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 18.6% of cancer researchers listed patients on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and observation skills are important as well.

Patients, 18.6%

Clinical Research, 9.1%

Clinical Trials, 8.3%

Data Collection, 5.8%

Patient Care, 5.2%

Other Skills, 53.0%

Choose From 10+ Customizable Cancer Researcher Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Cancer Researcher templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Cancer Researcher resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Cancer Researcher Demographics

Cancer Researcher Gender Distribution

Female

63%

Male

37%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

Among cancer researchers, 63.1% of them are women, while 36.9% are men.

The most common race/ethnicity among cancer researchers is White, which makes up 53.4% of all cancer researchers.

The most common foreign language among cancer researchers is Spanish at 37.8%.

Online Courses For Cancer Researcher That You May Like

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Part Time

Internship

Temporary

Best States For a Cancer Researcher

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a cancer researcher. The best states for people in this position are California, Hawaii, Arizona, and Nevada. Cancer researchers make the most in California with an average salary of $110,813. Whereas in Hawaii and Arizona, they would average $93,662 and $85,486, respectively. While cancer researchers would only make an average of $83,905 in Nevada, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. California

Total Cancer Researcher Jobs: 1,319

Highest 10% Earn:

$174,000

Location Quotient:

1.73

$110,813

Avg. Salary

View 1,319 Cancer Researcher Jobs In CA

2. Massachusetts

Total Cancer Researcher Jobs: 838

Highest 10% Earn:

$133,000

Location Quotient:

3.5

$81,317

Avg. Salary

View 838 Cancer Researcher Jobs In MA

3. Oregon

Total Cancer Researcher Jobs: 129

Highest 10% Earn:

$129,000

Location Quotient:

1.2

$80,431

Avg. Salary

View 129 Cancer Researcher Jobs In OR

Full List Of Best States For Cancer Researchers

How Do Cancer Researcher Rate Their Jobs?

Top Cancer Researcher Employers

Most Common Employers For Cancer Researcher

Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
1	Pfizer	$70,463	$33.88	3
2	National Institutes of Health	$67,661	$32.53	18
3	Mayo Clinic	$65,936	$31.70	4
4	The Family Health Centers of Asheville	$64,200	$30.87	2
5	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$62,585	$30.09	3
6	Virginia Mason Medical Center	$60,519	$29.10	4
7	University of Michigan	$60,175	$28.93	3
8	Providence Health & Services	$58,986	$28.36	3
9	Orlando Health	$58,783	$28.26	3
10	The University of Alabama	$57,945	$27.86	3

Updated February 6, 2023

What is a Cancer Researcher?

What Does a Cancer Researcher Do

How To Become a Cancer Researcher

Cancer Researcher Career Paths

Top Careers Before Cancer Researcher

Top Careers After Cancer Researcher

Recent Job Searches

Average Salary for a Cancer Researcher

Roles and Types of Cancer Researcher

Researcher

Fellow

Research Fellow

States With The Most Cancer Researcher Jobs

Number Of Cancer Researcher Jobs By State

Cancer Researcher Education

Cancer Researcher Majors

Cancer Researcher Degrees

Top Colleges for Cancer Researchers

1. University of Southern California

2. Duke University

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

5. Harvard University

6. Johns Hopkins University

7. Vanderbilt University

8. University of California - Los Angeles

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

10. University of Pennsylvania

Top Skills For a Cancer Researcher

Choose From 10+ Customizable Cancer Researcher Resume templates

Cancer Researcher Demographics

Cancer Researcher Gender Distribution

Online Courses For Cancer Researcher That You May Like

Best States For a Cancer Researcher

How Do Cancer Researcher Rate Their Jobs?

Top Cancer Researcher Employers

Most Common Employers For Cancer Researcher

Cancer Researcher Related Careers

Cancer Researcher Related Jobs

What Similar Roles Do

Resume For Related Jobs