Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for cancer researchers in the United States
Cancer researcher job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected cancer researcher job growth rate is 17% from 2018-2028.
About 20,800 new jobs for cancer researchers are projected over the next decade.
Cancer researcher salaries have increased 14% for cancer researchers in the last 5 years.
There are over 23,819 cancer researchers currently employed in the United States.
There are 24,199 active cancer researcher job openings in the US.
The average cancer researcher salary is $73,896.
Are cancer researcher jobs in demand?
Cancer researcher job and salary trends over time
Cancer researcher jobs over time
Cancer researcher job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 23,819 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 27,672 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 27,907 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 26,402 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 24,508 | 0.01% |
Average cancer researcher salary over time
Cancer researcher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $73,896 | $35.53 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $71,700 | $34.47 | +4.7% |
| 2023 | $68,486 | $32.93 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $66,289 | $31.87 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $65,030 | $31.26 | --2.1% |
Cancer researcher jobs by state
Most common states for cancer researchers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 116 | 17% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 838 | 12% |
| 3 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 358 | 5% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 220 | 4% |
| 5 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 220 | 4% |
| 6 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,319 | 3% |
| 7 | New York | 19,849,399 | 609 | 3% |
| 8 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 252 | 3% |
| 9 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 228 | 3% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 201 | 3% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 129 | 3% |
| 12 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 91 | 3% |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 36 | 3% |
| 14 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 33 | 3% |
| 15 | Vermont | 623,657 | 19 | 3% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 298 | 2% |
| 17 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 225 | 2% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 79 | 2% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 31 | 2% |
| 20 | Delaware | 961,939 | 17 | 2% |
Most common cities for cancer researchers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Fernando | 2 | 8% | $108,694 |
| 2 | Lawndale | 2 | 6% | $108,388 |
| 3 | Alhambra | 2 | 2% | $108,125 |
| 4 | Redwood City | 1 | 1% | $119,249 |
| 5 | Los Angeles | 3 | 0% | $108,530 |
| 6 | Arlington | 1 | 0% | $50,996 |
| 7 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $70,695 |
| 8 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $81,570 |
| 9 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $56,842 |
| 10 | Detroit | 1 | 0% | $51,884 |
| 11 | Fresno | 1 | 0% | $113,472 |
| 12 | Modesto | 1 | 0% | $116,777 |
| 13 | Sacramento | 1 | 0% | $117,683 |
| 14 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $106,450 |
| 15 | Washington | 1 | 0% | $68,152 |
Cancer Researcher job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of cancer researcher experts
Earlham College
SUNY Stony Brook
Washburn University of Topeka
Pepperdine University
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Dallas
University of San Diego
Northwestern University
Washington State University
University of Pittsburgh
University of Nebraska - Omaha
Ohio State University
Seattle University
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
The University of New Mexico
Christian Brothers University
Elmira College
Mr. Brian Zimmerman III
Assistant Vice President of Strategic CommunicationsEarlham College
Drama/Theatre Arts And Stagecraft
What Cancer Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mr. Brian Zimmerman III: An emerging trend in my particular field is deep-sequencing or "big data" analysis. Many techniques that investigate the identities, regulation, and networks of biological molecules are high-throughput, meaning they generate huge quantities of data that require specialized programs and training to analyze. Developing a background in bioinformatics, data literacy, programming, or computer science will definitely make a student highly marketable and sought after when on the job market. There are several online and in-person courses, workshops, and webinars to learn about these techniques and the accompanying data analysis; I encourage recent graduates or soon-to-be graduates to explore these opportunities as these skills are transferrable to several disciplines and career paths.
What will help Cancer Researchers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Vitaly Citovsky: Multi-prong advice: try to get a higher degree, look for jobs that you enjoy (e.g., research, patient care) rather than chase the money.
Susan Bjerke
Associate Professor of BiologyWashburn University of Topeka
Biological And Physical Sciences
What Cancer Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Susan Bjerke: Maximizing your salary is important, but don’t forget that jobs can come with other benefits that may compensate for a lower starting salary. For instance, maybe you get to work out in the field instead of being tied to a desk all day. Maybe you have the opportunity to work from home some of the time. Some employers offer matches for retirement plans or discounted health insurance for spouses. Negotiating for the best salary you can makes sense, but also look into those intangibles!
What will help Cancer Researchers increase their earning potential?
Susan Bjerke: Some of the skills that will be important in the next 3-5 years will be general critical thinking skills and the ability to adapt to changing technology. Almost all science fields are increasingly dependent on technology, so being able to learn new skills and change the way you do things in your job will be important. Being an effective communicator, both in writing and orally, is an overlooked skill in the sciences and is always an important asset.
What general advice would you give to a Cancer Researcher?
Rachel Tan Ph.D.: I do not have an answer for this. My response would be to be proactive during undergraduate studies, to discern where you find joy and curiosity. Pursue that topic. I do not think that the salary should be the priority when considering careers.
What Cancer Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Rachel Tan Ph.D.: The scientific method: to be able to find, read, interpret, understand, and implement research. Not only would this enhance personal skills and critical thinking, it could contribute to techniques and methods that could be performed; it could foster questions that would be important in advancing the field; and could set apart an individual.
What will help Cancer Researchers increase their earning potential?
Rachel Tan Ph.D.: Listen and be curious: ask questions (the why and how?), ask for opportunities, do extra readings outside of work. Aim for excellence: treat each assigned task as priority–go above and beyond. Connect: talk to colleagues, your boss, staff–be excited to learn from others. Be grateful: constantly reflect on the small details that led you to this point, for gratitude gives you foundation for joy during your career.
What Cancer Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Qing Li: AI will become more important and prevalent in the field in the next 3-5 years but laboratory experiments will continue to make new discoveries.
What Cancer Researcher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Prajay Patel Ph.D.: As high throughput instruments and supercomputers continue to generate massive amounts of data, learn how to do tasks with programming languages like Python for larger scale data analysis and visualization. However, communicating effectively, working well in team-based environments, one’s writing ability, and the ability to handle multiple projects/experiments at the same time are all valuable soft skills that one should build regardless of any new trends in a particular field.
What general advice would you give to a Cancer Researcher?
Nicole Danos PhD: Include your non-lab based skills in your resume!
What will help Cancer Researchers increase their earning potential?
Nicole Danos PhD: In addition to many sought after hard skills that our Biology program graduate have been trained in (cell and microbial culture, DNA sequencing and bioinformatics, antibody staining, data analysis and biostatistics), graduates should remember to leverage the other scientific skills they learned. This includes things like researching and summarizing the state of knowledge in a field, distilling relevant information for peers and supervisors, presenting experimental designs and results and all around thinking about problems from start to finish. All of our graduates should be able to leverage these soft science skills, since they all had to do an independent research project.
What general advice would you give to a Cancer Researcher?
Nathaniel Stern: To answer this question we need to be clear what field the graduate intends to continue in. If they want to continue in Physics as a “field”, then they will most likely need to go to graduate school in Physics, Astronomy, or a related field. There are many opportunities for graduates with majors in Physics, but many of these are in different fields. Physics majors excel in these other opportunities, but in order to do “physics”, meaning studying the science of matter and energy, one generally goes to graduate school. If this is the graduate’s plan, then the advice is to be passionate about the research topic that you choose. One does not need to know ahead of time that a particular direction of research is the best possible direction for them, but they should have interest in it. Research often involves small academic questions, and if one doesn’t find these interesting then it can be a bit of a slog. More generally, advice matches other career paths, however: do something that you love, and also choose impactful problems. Even if your own work is a small part of the whole, if you can see the impact of the field it can be exciting all the time. If the graduate is not going to graduate school in Physics or a related subject, then they are likely entering a technical career such as engineering, finance, education, data science, or consulting. Physics is a great basic training for whatever direction someone takes since it trains you to think and problem solve, especially in reducing a problem to its core questions (as opposed to building encyclopedic knowledge of relevant facts). But, whatever specific career path a graduate takes will likely bring more specialized methods, knowledge, and applications. Physics is a great starting point, but future endeavors will broaden thinking to new challenges outside of the rigid rules of physical laws. So, graduates should be willing to, and excited to, adapt to new cultures.
What general advice would you give to a Cancer Researcher?
Meghan McGee-Lawrence Ph.D.: Take full advantage of the education and training opportunities offered to you either while you are completing your degree or when you start your first post-degree position. Academic institutions and employers are invested in the success of their recruits and regularly provide professional development opportunities to help folks build up skillsets – so make time to seek out and capitalize on those opportunities when they are offered, and document them on your CV (curriculum vitae) / resumes.
What will help Cancer Researchers increase their earning potential?
Lindsey du Toit: Take every opportunity you can to learn, network, and build an effective team of people that bring a greater breadth and depth of skills and expertise to the work on which you will be focusing. Cultivate a life-long sense of intellectual curiosity and learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Treat ignorance as an opportunity to learn. Questions demonstrate you want to understand the situation/problem effectively and that you are paying attention. Always demonstrate integrity in your work. It is one of the most valuable traits you can bring to your career. Be kind and supportive of your colleagues.
What will help Cancer Researchers increase their earning potential?
Arjumand Ghazi Ph. D: Having an advanced degree such as a PhD and even a few years postdoc is a good way to start at a higher level. It often allows one to make up for the reduced earnings during the training periods while increasing long-term earnings.
Andrew Riquier Ph.D.
InstructorUniversity of Nebraska - Omaha
Neurobiology And Neurosciences
What general advice would you give to a Cancer Researcher?
Andrew Riquier Ph.D.: Apply for the positions you want, even if you feel underqualified. I know plenty of people who have applied for jobs they didn't quite meet the requirements for, and got hired for other reasons. In my experience, many recent graduates choose to take time to strengthen their resumes by retaking classes, working jobs they don't particularly want to get experience, etc. There is some value in that, particularly if you have been unsuccessful attaining the position you want, or if you want to see if you even enjoy that type of work. But if you are confident in what you want to do, go for it; in the worst-case scenario, you are in the same position you would be if you hadn't applied, but now you have experience applying and have potentially gained a contact in the field.
Dr. Judson Jeffries
ProfessorOhio State University
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to a Cancer Researcher?
Dr. Judson Jeffries: Introduce yourself to some of the more noteworthy people in the field at conferences. Establish a relationship with those folks. I am not saying that your circle should include only the most celebrated academics in your field, but you want to get to know maybe 3 to 4 such persons for the following reasons: 1) to position oneself to get sage, counsel and advice from seasoned academics 2) to learn about various opportunities that may not be publicly advertised and 3) at some point the person 's department will need people to evaluate that person for tenure and promotion. Some departments will ask the junior professor for a list of names. At that point the junior professor will be equipped to provide that list. Finally, go into those fields understanding that you have a responsibility to advocate on behalf of those historically marginalized groups that you're studying. What's more, that person needs to understand that what comes with that is doing research that addresses some of the challenges those groups face.
What will help Cancer Researchers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Judson Jeffries: Grant writing ability. Scholars will become increasingly reliant on securing grants as universities and colleges continue to tighten their belts. This is especially true for state schools where some state legislatures are not as generous with funding as they once were. The state supported The Ohio State University is one such example. There are many more.
Harriet Phinney Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorSeattle University
Department of Anthropology and Sociology
What soft skills should all Cancer Researchers possess?
Harriet Phinney Ph.D.: Understanding human diversity, effective communication (speaking and writing: the ability to convey complex ideas respectfully to a diverse audience) across differences, adept at working in groups, yet also independent thinkers.
What technical skills for a Cancer Researcher stand out to employers?
Shelly Lesher: Employers value our graduates for their ability to independently solve complex problems, whether in or out of the lab. This skill has not and will not change regardless of instructional mode.
What skills stand out on Cancer Researcher resumes?
Emma Trentman Ph.D.: Communication (especially in multilingual settings), innovation, and flexibility--these are often hard to commodify as skills, so it is important for employers and prospective employees to understand the many ways in which they can be demonstrated.
Dr. Neal Palmer Ph.D.
Chair, Associate ProfessorChristian Brothers University
Department of History and Political Science
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Cancer Researchers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Neal Palmer Ph.D.: The answer to that question likely won't change from pre- to post-pandemic. Southern cities such as Nashville and Memphis were booming before the pandemic, and that will likely continue. These are good places to find jobs because the cost of living is relatively low, there are vibrant culture and entertainment, and there is not as much college-educated competition for jobs as in larger cities.
What general advice would you give to a Cancer Researcher?
Dr. Neal Palmer Ph.D.: I think the pandemic will affect history graduates in many of the same ways it will affect graduates in any major. I hope they will be struck, hopefully, humbled by the power of the natural environment to dictate the terms on which humanity can function. I also hope that it teaches the importance of group cohesion and cooperation in confronting problems. If this happens, I think it could have long-range effects on the personal and political behavior of these graduates as they confront future environmental and social challenges. If you are asking about the more mundane question of jobs, I think history majors should fair well in the post-pandemic world. History majors leave college with communication and thinking skills that will help them adapt and succeed in a fast-changing and unpredictable world.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Cancer Researchers?
Dr. Betsy Smith: I am sure the pandemic is going to have lasting effects on everything, chemistry included. I think all industries are going to continue allowing more working from home, when it's appropriate. For bench chemists, that will rarely mean fully at-home because of lab work, but it might mean going in, setting up an automated reactor, and monitoring it from home while analyzing data. There will be a lot more research into coronaviruses and how to treat coronavirus infections. That seems like it would be more biological or medical, but there's a lot of chemistry involved in drugs and drug design, and a lot of overlap between chemistry and biology.