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Job outlook for medical health researchers in the United States
Are medical health researcher jobs in demand?
Medical health researcher job and salary trends over time
Medical health researcher jobs over time
Medical health researcher job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 49 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 57 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 58 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 54 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 51 | 0.00% |
Average medical health researcher salary over time
Medical health researcher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $60,819 | $29.24 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $59,012 | $28.37 | +4.7% |
| 2023 | $56,366 | $27.10 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $54,559 | $26.23 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $53,522 | $25.73 | --2.1% |
Medical health researcher jobs by state
Most common states for medical health researchers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 296 | 43% |
| 2 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,828 | 33% |
| 3 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 450 | 26% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 236 | 25% |
| 5 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,441 | 24% |
| 6 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 616 | 21% |
| 7 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 903 | 20% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,573 | 19% |
| 9 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 921 | 19% |
| 10 | Vermont | 623,657 | 109 | 17% |
| 11 | California | 39,536,653 | 6,408 | 16% |
| 12 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 474 | 16% |
| 13 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 324 | 16% |
| 14 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,615 | 14% |
| 15 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 960 | 14% |
| 16 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 415 | 14% |
| 17 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,696 | 13% |
| 18 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,324 | 13% |
| 19 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,215 | 12% |
| 20 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,158 | 12% |
Most common cities for medical health researchers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hartford | 1 | 1% | $75,354 |
| 2 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $79,985 |
| 3 | Detroit | 1 | 0% | $51,870 |
Medical Health Researcher job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of medical health researcher experts
Ohio State University
Duquesne University
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
DePauw University
University of Minnesota Duluth
Christian Brothers University
West Virginia State University
Mercyhurst University
Western Illinois University
Chestnut Hill College
La Sierra University
Dr. Judson Jeffries
ProfessorOhio State University
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What will help Medical Health 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.
Jan Levine
Professor of Law and Director, Legal Research & Writing ProgramDuquesne University
School of Law
What hard/technical skills are most important for Medical Health Researchers?
Jan Levine: Understanding how to plan a research effort, knowing how to update research, so it is timely, finding materials online and in print (which is often ignored or downplayed), demonstrating a critical examination of sources (i.e., reading them closely and coming up with an independent professional assessment of the reliability and validity of the materials), and knowing to find and use non-legal sources of information to apply to a legal problem (including talking with experts, going beyond online and print research). Plus, good researchers know how to use librarians and secondary sources of the law to expand the scope of their work and to be more efficient in their research (both in time and cost). Finally, the ability to organize material is crucial to a well-conducted search for material.
Mario Jimenez Chacon
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Humanities Department
What soft skills should all Medical Health Researchers possess?
Mario Jimenez Chacon: Interpersonal skills, work ethic, the ability to work in teams, flexibility, and communication skills are all fundamental soft skills. Researchers are also humans and work with humans, so it's essential to have these soft skills to create a welcoming research community.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Medical Health Researchers?
Mario Jimenez Chacon: Of course, a researcher needs to have the ability to perform high-level, intense research; therefore, a qualified researcher needs to have the hard skills associated with their field, for example, the appropriate certification/ degrees or the ability to use technology effectively. Moreover, nowadays, a researcher needs to dominate more than one language; being multilingual is a skill that makes the candidate really stand out.
What skills will help Medical Health Researchers earn the most?
Mario Jimenez Chacon: The skills that will make you earn the most depend very much on their field of research. However, doing the best research possible all the time, having great interpersonal skills, and understanding that one must never stop learning will make you an outstanding candidate in any field.
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.
Director, Center for STEM Research, Education, and Outreach, Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, ISSP Sustainability Excellence AssociateSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville
Department of Environmental Sciences
What soft skills should all Medical Health Researchers possess?
Dr. Sharon Locke Ph.D.: -Strong written and oral communication are most important. If you cannot write well, you cannot be a successful scientist. Period.
-Evidence of skills in working as part of a team of diverse people and ability to understand the culture and language across scientific/technical disciplines--for example, an environmental chemist who understands something about policy or an environmental health specialist that would be able to collect and interpret data collected from community members.
-Willingness to be a lifelong learner.
-Something that helps an applicant stand out, such as experience with project management software or a foreign language.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Medical Health Researcher job market given the pandemic?
Pedar Foss Ph.D.: The short term is uncertain and depends on the pandemic. Long term, I'm betting on clean energy tech, health tech, and innovative delivery technology.
What general advice would you give to a Medical Health Researcher?
Pedar Foss Ph.D.: The advice to students who are graduating is that college prepares them not just for their first job but for a lifetime of adapting to the changing labor landscape. What matters is not what one is doing at age 25, but at age 40. Flexibility, adaptability, and nimbleness, combined with an open mind and exposure to multiple points of view and numerous disciplinary approaches to problems, will ensure that a student can surf their career and not get swamped by a wave of change that overcomes someone who has learned/done only one thing and is therefore stuck in that job.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Medical Health Researchers?
David Woodward: I believe that the pandemic will have lasting impacts on a lot of different industries, including History/Heritage employment. The most immediate effect will be a contraction of entry-level positions as museums and heritage organizations are in crisis. It is estimated that up to 40% of museums won't survive the pandemic. This is likely a short-term problem as the economy and tourist economy rebounds; new opportunities will develop.
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 Medical Health 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.
Dr. Michael Workman
Associate ProfessorWest Virginia State University
Department of History & Political Science
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Medical Health Researchers?
Dr. Michael Workman: I'm afraid that the Covid-19 pandemic already has affected our History graduates here at WVSU in a big way. Some have delayed plans for grad school; others are hunkering-down and delaying job searches. Those who have taken teaching positions face hurdles reaching students remotely. And those who are engaged in research and writing find themselves unable to travel to perform research at various archives. But I seriously doubt that these impacts will be enduring. This storm cloud may have a silver lining of sorts because many have further developed their computer skills and learned how to access information remotely.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Medical Health Researchers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Michael Workman: A History Degree at WVSU equips students for a variety of work opportunities-not just in the field of history. Graduates learn about U.S. & world history, but they also develop skills in research and analysis, writing and argument, as well as presentations that are valuable in many fields, including government and politics, education, and even business. Teaching and working for local, state, and federal government agencies will remain the main fields for our history graduates. With the American public's growing appreciation for history, our graduates will find jobs in historic preservation and interpretation.
Living in a mostly rural state does limit the number of new jobs available, so some graduates will find their way to more urbanized areas, where salaries are usually higher as well. We've also found that some of our graduates truly love our state and are willing to stay and work here, albeit at lower salaries, because of the high
quality of life and family-like relations.
How do you envision technology impacting Medical Health Researchers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Michael Workman: Information technology will continue to have a major impact on history. What has happened in the last thirty years or so with the digitization of information has changed the whole landscape of history. We can now do research on national and international subjects through the internet, which was not available when I matriculated back in the Stone Age.
One of our students is studying various aspects of the Protestant Reformation by accessing records in Scotland from a PC in his basement! Storage of digital information has enabled some of us to clear the paper-clutter in our offices. This trend will no doubt continue, though I fear that accessing digital information will become more difficult as providers erect barriers and monetize access.
How do you envision technology impacting Medical Health Researchers in the next 5 years?
Benjamin Scharff Ph.D.: Technology evolves so quickly that it is difficult to imagine exactly how it will impact the field. However, the general trend has been an increasing emphasis on digital humanities. Graduates will therefore be more digitally literate than in the past.
Dr. Timothy Roberts
Professor and Director of Graduate StudiesWestern Illinois University
Department of History
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Medical Health Researchers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Timothy Roberts: Job-rich areas in history traditionally have been in cities, like other jobs. But again, as distance learning and jobs-from-home become more common, cities may not be as attractive. Some American cities are already seeing a "brain drain." In the last few decades, high school teaching jobs have ebbed and flowed; currently, there is a shortage of qualified teachers, not only in STEM but also in history, in some parts of the country, believe it or not. Reforms are being discussed in some states that that raise high school teachers' salaries, which will create opportunities for qualified new graduates.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Medical Health Researchers?
Lorraine Coons Ph.D.: Yes, I think this virus has changed us all forever, not just our history graduates. Seniors always feel anxiety as they near the end of their college career because of their fear of the unknown. COVID19 magnified that uncertainty tenfold. I think the memory of this period of their lives will be with them forever, as with us all.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Medical Health Researchers to find work opportunities?
Lorraine Coons Ph.D.: I'm happy to see that three of our five seniors have found employment since graduation. Two are teachers working in a high school in North Jersey and a middle school in suburban Philadelphia. Another is working as a paralegal in a law firm in New York as she contemplates applying to grad school next year for museum studies. I have not heard back from the other two. Students generally choose to remain in the general vicinity of where they were raised or went to college. However, one of my former majors is interested in pursuing a graduate degree in museum studies in the UK and would like to live abroad.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Medical Health Researchers?
Friedbert Ninow Ph.D.: The pandemic will force us to recognize our vulnerabilities - issues like mental health, coping with physical distancing, acknowledging our fears and worries.
Maintaining social closeness in physical distancing will require us to focus on skill sets we have not emphasized that much before.