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Medical researcher salary
Average medical researcher salary
$61,177
Understanding Medical Researcher Salaries
The average salary for a medical researcher as of October 2025 is approximately $61,177 per year, equating to around $29 per hour. Salaries can vary based on factors such as location, experience, and the specific field of research. For example, medical researchers in states like California and Massachusetts often report higher salaries due to the demand for skilled professionals in these areas.
Highest-Paying States
States that typically offer the highest salaries for medical researchers include:
- California
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Texas
- Florida
In addition to geographical influences, the industry also plays a significant role in salary variations. Industries such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and academic research institutions tend to offer higher compensation compared to others. Furthermore, researchers with advanced degrees and extensive experience generally command higher salaries, reflecting their specialized skills and contributions to medical advancements.
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Where can a Medical Researcher earn more?
Medical researcher salary estimates from across the web
Average medical researcher salary by state
The average medical researcher salary in New Jersey, California, and Massachusetts are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average medical researcher salary states are Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for medical researchers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $96,312 | $46.30 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $95,385 | $45.86 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $98,796 | $47.50 |
| 4 | Delaware | $81,804 | $39.33 |
| 5 | Nevada | $73,603 | $35.39 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $93,498 | $44.95 |
| 7 | Maryland | $81,778 | $39.32 |
| 8 | Maine | $90,470 | $43.50 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $67,174 | $32.30 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $77,562 | $37.29 |
| 11 | New York | $79,858 | $38.39 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $78,692 | $37.83 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $75,748 | $36.42 |
| 14 | Vermont | $76,375 | $36.72 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $61,794 | $29.71 |
| 16 | Arizona | $73,793 | $35.48 |
| 17 | Virginia | $69,834 | $33.57 |
| 18 | Alaska | $69,154 | $33.25 |
| 19 | Oregon | $66,681 | $32.06 |
| 20 | Indiana | $70,819 | $34.05 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $73,336 | $35.26 |
| 22 | Washington | $63,373 | $30.47 |
| 23 | Montana | $62,783 | $30.18 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $64,925 | $31.21 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $52,037 | $25.02 |
| 26 | Illinois | $53,305 | $25.63 |
| 27 | Colorado | $58,700 | $28.22 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $52,300 | $25.14 |
| 29 | Utah | $50,456 | $24.26 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $63,781 | $30.66 |
| 31 | Michigan | $56,949 | $27.38 |
| 32 | Ohio | $58,195 | $27.98 |
| 33 | Missouri | $49,687 | $23.89 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $48,473 | $23.30 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $52,464 | $25.22 |
| 36 | Alabama | $49,503 | $23.80 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $52,268 | $25.13 |
| 38 | Idaho | $46,454 | $22.33 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $51,968 | $24.98 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $53,396 | $25.67 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $58,789 | $28.26 |
| 42 | Florida | $55,756 | $26.81 |
| 43 | Georgia | $44,338 | $21.32 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $45,671 | $21.96 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $43,037 | $20.69 |
| 46 | Kansas | $47,638 | $22.90 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $47,657 | $22.91 |
| 48 | Texas | $45,401 | $21.83 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $41,381 | $19.89 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $42,150 | $20.26 |
| 51 | Iowa | $37,100 | $17.84 |
Highest paying cities for medical researchers
The highest-paying cities for medical researchers are San Francisco, CA, Edison, NJ, and Newburgh, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $105,668 | $50.80 |
| 2 | Edison, NJ | $99,207 | $47.70 |
| 3 | Newburgh, NY | $80,972 | $38.93 |
| 4 | Las Vegas, NV | $72,722 | $34.96 |
| 5 | Saint Paul, MN | $67,332 | $32.37 |
| 6 | Germantown, TN | $64,609 | $31.06 |
| 7 | Cleveland, OH | $62,854 | $30.22 |
| 8 | Madison, WI | $62,064 | $29.84 |
| 9 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $58,842 | $28.29 |
| 10 | Miami, FL | $56,471 | $27.15 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $53,646 | $25.79 |
| 12 | Albuquerque, NM | $52,329 | $25.16 |
| 13 | Midland, TX | $46,810 | $22.50 |
| 14 | Meridian, MS | $45,281 | $21.77 |
Medical researcher salary details
A medical researcher's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $106,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a medical researcher's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $106,000 | $8,833 | $51 |
| 75th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| Average | $61,177 | $5,098 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying medical researcher jobs
The highest paying types of medical researchers are medical science liaison, principal scientist, and senior scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fellow | $66,364 | $5,530 | $31.91 | 7,459 |
| Staff Scientist | $93,941 | $7,828 | $45.16 | 121,054 |
| Scientist | $97,344 | $8,112 | $46.80 | 62,467 |
| Doctoral Fellow | $53,366 | $4,447 | $25.66 | 22,661 |
| Research And Development Scientist | $90,278 | $7,523 | $43.40 | 129,803 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | $57,587 | $4,799 | $27.69 | 18,983 |
Top companies hiring medical researchers now:
Which companies pay medical researchers the most?
Medical researcher salaries at Rose Medical Center and Baptist Health South Florida are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average medical researcher salary at companies like UCSF Health and Cleveland Clinic are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rose Medical Center | $86,432 | $41.55 |
| 2 | Baptist Health Home Care | $84,851 | $40.79 |
| 3 | UCSF Health | $84,285 | $40.52 |
| 4 | Cleveland Clinic | $83,538 | $40.16 |
| 5 | Mount Sinai Health System | $78,117 | $37.56 |
| 6 | UT Health East Texas | $74,306 | $35.72 |
| 7 | Morgridge Institute for Research | $74,203 | $35.67 |
| 8 | Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates | $69,253 | $33.29 |
| 9 | Stemcells, Inc. | $68,938 | $33.14 |
| 10 | Lenox Hill Neighborhood House | $66,144 | $31.80 |
| 11 | Chemtex | $65,538 | $31.51 |
| 12 | Sanofi US | $62,621 | $30.11 |
| 13 | State University of New York College at Cortland | $60,386 | $29.03 |
| 14 | The Workmen's Circle | $60,305 | $28.99 |
| 15 | Case Western Reserve University | $57,518 | $27.65 |
| 16 | The University of New Mexico | $49,729 | $23.91 |
| 17 | PK Management | $42,830 | $20.59 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Medical Researcher salary by industry
The average medical researcher salary varies across industries:
- The average medical researcher salary in the health care industry is $84,403, the highest of any industry.
- The average medical researcher salary in the finance industry is $80,639.
- Medical researchers in the technology industry earn an average salary of $57,431, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for medical researchers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $84,403 | $40.58 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $80,639 | $38.77 |
| 3 | Professional | $67,939 | $32.66 |
| 4 | Pharmaceutical | $65,170 | $31.33 |
| 5 | Education | $62,926 | $30.25 |
| 6 | Technology | $57,431 | $27.61 |
High paying medical researcher jobs
Medical researcher salary trends
The average medical researcher salary has risen by $10,282 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average medical researcher earned $50,895 annually, but today, they earn $61,177 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for medical researchers over the last decade.
Compare medical researcher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average medical researcher salary over time
Compare medical researcher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Medical researcher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $61,200 | $29.41 | +3.0% |
| 2024 | $59,400 | $28.54 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $56,700 | $27.26 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $54,900 | $26.38 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $53,800 | $25.88 | -2.1% |
Recently added medical researcher salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Sinai Medical Center | Associate Researcher I-Hematology and Medical Oncology | New York, NY | 05/22/2025 | $58,661 |
| Stony Brook University | Medical Monitoring for Research Studies | Stony Brook, NY | 04/15/2025 | $86,000 |
| Sbhu | Medical Monitoring for Research Studies | Stony Brook, NY | 03/28/2025 | $83,480 |
| Stonybrooku | Medical Monitoring for Research Studies | Stony Brook, NY | 03/28/2025 | $83,480 |
| The New York Times Company | Medical Monitoring for Research Studies | Stony Brook, NY | 03/27/2025 | $83,480 |
| Stony Brook | Medical Monitoring for Research Studies | Stony Brook, NY | 02/18/2025 | $83,480 |
| Global Medical Response | Medical Billing Revenue Cycle MVC Research and Claim Filing | West Plains, MO | 01/23/2025 | $33,392 |
| Mount Sinai Medical Center | Associate Researcher I-Hematology & Medical Oncology | New York, NY | 12/11/2024 | $58,661 |
| Stony Brook | Medical Monitoring for Research Studies | Stony Brook, NY | 11/27/2024 | $83,480 |
| HR Staffing LLC. | Medical Researcher | Phoenix, AZ | 11/25/2024 | $72,530 |
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