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Best states for a medical scientist
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Erin Grinshteyn Ph.D.
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Do you want to become a medical scientist at Cleveland Clinic, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for medical scientists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of medical scientists in America is $133,000.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for medical scientists.We found that California is the best state for medical scientist jobs, whereas Louisiana is the worst.
10 best states for medical scientists in 2026
1. California
Total medical scientist jobs: 6,536 Average annual salary: $111,837 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 1.82
2. Nevada
Total medical scientist jobs: 416 Average annual salary: $96,650 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.62
3. New Jersey
Total medical scientist jobs: 1,235 Average annual salary: $108,014 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
4. Massachusetts
Total medical scientist jobs: 1,991 Average annual salary: $94,717 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.76
5. Delaware
Total medical scientist jobs: 272 Average annual salary: $86,538 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.76
6. Rhode Island
Total medical scientist jobs: 97 Average annual salary: $104,774 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
7. Connecticut
Total medical scientist jobs: 296 Average annual salary: $100,812 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
8. Minnesota
Total medical scientist jobs: 1,277 Average annual salary: $84,927 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
9. Maryland
Total medical scientist jobs: 961 Average annual salary: $91,726 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
10. Maine
Total medical scientist jobs: 106 Average annual salary: $94,701 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
Medical scientist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a medical scientist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a medical scientist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $111,837 | $71,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,536 |
| 2 | Nevada | $96,650 | $60,000 | 2,998,039 | 416 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $108,014 | $72,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,235 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $94,717 | $65,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,991 |
| 5 | Delaware | $86,538 | $57,000 | 961,939 | 272 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $104,774 | $72,000 | 1,059,639 | 97 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $100,812 | $68,000 | 3,588,184 | 296 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $84,927 | $55,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,277 |
| 9 | Maryland | $91,726 | $60,000 | 6,052,177 | 961 |
| 10 | Maine | $94,701 | $66,000 | 1,335,907 | 106 |
| 11 | Indiana | $95,167 | $61,000 | 6,666,818 | 308 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $81,527 | $54,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,128 |
| 13 | Virginia | $78,361 | $51,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,757 |
| 14 | Alaska | $83,104 | $50,000 | 739,795 | 77 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $87,403 | $56,000 | 6,715,984 | 309 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $72,000 | $46,000 | 1,815,857 | 275 |
| 17 | Vermont | $79,270 | $54,000 | 623,657 | 82 |
| 18 | Oregon | $83,039 | $50,000 | 4,142,776 | 361 |
| 19 | Montana | $81,291 | $49,000 | 1,050,493 | 99 |
| 20 | Idaho | $68,920 | $41,000 | 1,716,943 | 342 |
| 21 | New York | $78,250 | $52,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,685 |
| 22 | Washington | $75,247 | $45,000 | 7,405,743 | 861 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $75,986 | $52,000 | 1,342,795 | 152 |
| 24 | Arizona | $79,474 | $50,000 | 7,016,270 | 314 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $82,443 | $59,000 | 1,427,538 | 73 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $64,758 | $40,000 | 2,088,070 | 475 |
| 27 | Michigan | $76,387 | $50,000 | 9,962,311 | 366 |
| 28 | Illinois | $66,413 | $43,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,547 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $64,819 | $41,000 | 3,004,279 | 380 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $66,646 | $42,000 | 10,273,419 | 965 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $70,117 | $46,000 | 693,972 | 272 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $62,979 | $40,000 | 4,454,189 | 642 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $65,104 | $40,000 | 579,315 | 56 |
| 34 | Ohio | $68,319 | $44,000 | 11,658,609 | 573 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $66,716 | $43,000 | 5,795,483 | 376 |
| 36 | Georgia | $58,901 | $37,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,700 |
| 37 | Alabama | $57,266 | $36,000 | 4,874,747 | 604 |
| 38 | Colorado | $64,717 | $40,000 | 5,607,154 | 454 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $56,675 | $36,000 | 869,666 | 124 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $57,011 | $35,000 | 2,984,100 | 276 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $65,247 | $41,000 | 3,930,864 | 74 |
| 42 | Missouri | $48,194 | $31,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,161 |
| 43 | Kansas | $57,136 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 171 |
| 44 | Utah | $57,560 | $35,000 | 3,101,833 | 212 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $54,693 | $35,000 | 755,393 | 90 |
| 46 | Florida | $58,846 | $36,000 | 20,984,400 | 826 |
| 47 | Iowa | $55,979 | $36,000 | 3,145,711 | 197 |
| 48 | Texas | $55,963 | $34,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,119 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $54,879 | $34,000 | 5,024,369 | 264 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $56,116 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 105 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $50,307 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 131 |
Highest paying states for medical scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. Medical Scientist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $111,837 |
| 2 | Nevada | $96,650 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $108,014 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $94,717 |
| 5 | Delaware | $86,538 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $104,774 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $100,812 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $84,927 |
| 9 | Maryland | $91,726 |
| 10 | Maine | $94,701 |
| 11 | Indiana | $95,167 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $81,527 |
| 13 | Virginia | $78,361 |
| 14 | Alaska | $83,104 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $87,403 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $72,000 |
| 17 | Vermont | $79,270 |
| 18 | Oregon | $83,039 |
| 19 | Montana | $81,291 |
| 20 | Idaho | $68,920 |
| 21 | New York | $78,250 |
| 22 | Washington | $75,247 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $75,986 |
| 24 | Arizona | $79,474 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $82,443 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $64,758 |
| 27 | Michigan | $76,387 |
| 28 | Illinois | $66,413 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $64,819 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $66,646 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $70,117 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $62,979 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $65,104 |
| 34 | Ohio | $68,319 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $66,716 |
| 36 | Georgia | $58,901 |
| 37 | Alabama | $57,266 |
| 38 | Colorado | $64,717 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $56,675 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $57,011 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $65,247 |
| 42 | Missouri | $48,194 |
| 43 | Kansas | $57,136 |
| 44 | Utah | $57,560 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $54,693 |
| 46 | Florida | $58,846 |
| 47 | Iowa | $55,979 |
| 48 | Texas | $55,963 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $54,879 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $56,116 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $50,307 |
Expert opinions on the best states for medical scientists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for medical scientists to find work opportunities?
Erin Grinshteyn Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco
Focusing on a career in aging is always going to be beneficial and rewarding. As a society, we are aging, and it is something that all humans are doing throughout their lives. Focusing your career on aging will provide opportunities to address the needs of all people - including older adults - especially during a time when there is unique need.
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Updated January 8, 2025