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Clinical scientist salary
Average clinical scientist salary
$122,388
Average Clinical Scientist Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Clinical Scientist is estimated at $122,388 per year. The hourly wage averages around $59. Salaries can vary based on factors such as location, years of experience, and specific fields within the clinical sciences.
Highest Paying States for Clinical Scientists
Clinical Scientists in states like California, Massachusetts, and New York tend to earn higher salaries compared to the national average. For instance, California ranks as one of the top-paying states, reflecting its demand for skilled professionals.
Job Opportunities and Growth
Career prospects for Clinical Scientists are promising, with opportunities in research facilities, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. As healthcare continues to evolve, the demand for professionals adept in clinical research and data analysis is likely to increase. This growth underlines the importance of staying updated on industry trends and salary benchmarks.
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Where can a Clinical Scientist earn more?
Clinical scientist salary estimates from across the web
Average clinical scientist salary by state
The highest-paying states for clinical scientists are Alaska, Indiana, and Montana. The lowest average clinical scientist salary states are Texas, Idaho, and Missouri.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for clinical scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $136,631 | $65.69 |
| 2 | Montana | $148,560 | $71.42 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $134,823 | $64.82 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $135,953 | $65.36 |
| 5 | California | $139,882 | $67.25 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $139,591 | $67.11 |
| 7 | Indiana | $154,406 | $74.23 |
| 8 | Alaska | $156,142 | $75.07 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $130,714 | $62.84 |
| 10 | Delaware | $128,536 | $61.80 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $126,486 | $60.81 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $122,803 | $59.04 |
| 13 | Oregon | $127,351 | $61.23 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $125,109 | $60.15 |
| 15 | Virginia | $128,945 | $61.99 |
| 16 | Nevada | $132,059 | $63.49 |
| 17 | Illinois | $125,534 | $60.35 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $129,777 | $62.39 |
| 19 | Colorado | $125,876 | $60.52 |
| 20 | Arizona | $121,440 | $58.38 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $121,659 | $58.49 |
| 22 | Washington | $118,545 | $56.99 |
| 23 | Florida | $119,251 | $57.33 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $115,645 | $55.60 |
| 25 | Maryland | $117,721 | $56.60 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $112,800 | $54.23 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $108,519 | $52.17 |
| 28 | Vermont | $114,313 | $54.96 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $112,286 | $53.98 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $120,580 | $57.97 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $112,094 | $53.89 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $111,739 | $53.72 |
| 33 | New York | $105,963 | $50.94 |
| 34 | Iowa | $108,744 | $52.28 |
| 35 | Utah | $106,052 | $50.99 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $106,760 | $51.33 |
| 37 | Georgia | $109,318 | $52.56 |
| 38 | Michigan | $106,408 | $51.16 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $97,460 | $46.86 |
| 40 | Ohio | $104,467 | $50.22 |
| 41 | Alabama | $106,431 | $51.17 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $100,622 | $48.38 |
| 43 | Kansas | $102,466 | $49.26 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | $105,854 | $50.89 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $103,598 | $49.81 |
| 46 | Texas | $100,458 | $48.30 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $101,797 | $48.94 |
| 48 | Missouri | $99,481 | $47.83 |
| 49 | Idaho | $100,247 | $48.20 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $92,163 | $44.31 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $96,684 | $46.48 |
Highest paying cities for clinical scientists
The highest-paying cities for clinical scientists are Indianapolis, IN, San Francisco, CA, and Memphis, TN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indianapolis, IN | $154,350 | $74.21 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $145,936 | $70.16 |
| 3 | Memphis, TN | $139,424 | $67.03 |
| 4 | Jersey City, NJ | $135,012 | $64.91 |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV | $131,242 | $63.10 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $126,641 | $60.89 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $125,830 | $60.50 |
| 8 | Durham, NC | $122,961 | $59.12 |
| 9 | Phoenix, AZ | $121,757 | $58.54 |
| 10 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $120,739 | $58.05 |
| 11 | Seattle, WA | $119,263 | $57.34 |
| 12 | Miami, FL | $118,934 | $57.18 |
| 13 | Baltimore, MD | $117,804 | $56.64 |
| 14 | Charleston, WV | $112,106 | $53.90 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $109,331 | $52.56 |
| 16 | New Orleans, LA | $106,850 | $51.37 |
| 17 | Birmingham, AL | $106,237 | $51.08 |
| 18 | New York, NY | $106,022 | $50.97 |
| 19 | Salt Lake City, UT | $106,021 | $50.97 |
| 20 | Concord, NH | $105,840 | $50.88 |
Clinical scientist salary details
A clinical scientist's salary ranges from $94,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $157,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a clinical scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $157,000 | $13,083 | $75 |
| 75th Percentile | $139,000 | $11,583 | $67 |
| Average | $122,388 | $10,199 | $59 |
| 25th Percentile | $107,000 | $8,917 | $51 |
| 10th Percentile | $94,000 | $7,833 | $45 |
Highest paying clinical scientist jobs
The highest paying types of clinical scientists are medical science liaison, senior scientist, and scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Fellow | $53,823 | $4,485 | $25.88 | 59,746 |
| Researcher | $67,145 | $5,595 | $32.28 | 30,498 |
| Fellow | $66,364 | $5,530 | $31.91 | 7,459 |
| Microbiologist | $54,620 | $4,552 | $26.26 | 11,444 |
| Research And Development Scientist | $90,278 | $7,523 | $43.40 | 129,803 |
| Clinical Research Coordinator | $52,459 | $4,372 | $25.22 | 102,960 |
Top companies hiring clinical scientists now:
Which companies pay clinical scientists the most?
Clinical scientist salaries at Reata Pharmaceuticals and Foundation Medicine are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average clinical scientist salary at companies like PTC Therapeutics and Agenus are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reata Pharmaceuticals | $153,582 | $73.84 |
| 2 | Foundation Medicine | $153,317 | $73.71 |
| 3 | PTC Therapeutics | $150,602 | $72.40 |
| 4 | Agenus | $146,966 | $70.66 |
| 5 | Intellia Therapeutics | $142,702 | $68.61 |
| 6 | Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute | $140,438 | $67.52 |
| 7 | CyberCoders | $139,770 | $67.20 |
| 8 | Genentech | $139,234 | $66.94 |
| 9 | Amgen | $134,971 | $64.89 |
| 10 | Novavax | $134,015 | $64.43 |
| 11 | Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc | $133,978 | $64.41 |
| 12 | Forest Laboratories | $133,866 | $64.36 |
| 13 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $133,278 | $64.08 |
| 14 | Biogen | $133,055 | $63.97 |
| 15 | Stanford University | $130,884 | $62.92 |
| 16 | Jounce Therapeutics | $129,780 | $62.39 |
| 17 | Merck | $129,705 | $62.36 |
| 18 | Psg | $129,679 | $62.35 |
| 19 | Daiichi Sankyo | $129,012 | $62.02 |
| 20 | Planet Pharma | $128,849 | $61.95 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Clinical scientist salary trends
The average clinical scientist salary has risen by $20,569 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average clinical scientist earned $101,819 annually, but today, they earn $122,388 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for clinical scientists over the last decade.
Compare clinical scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average clinical scientist salary over time
Compare clinical scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Clinical scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $122,000 | $58.84 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | $119,000 | $57.09 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $113,000 | $54.53 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $110,000 | $52.78 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $108,000 | $51.78 | -2.1% |
Recently added clinical scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genentech | Lead Clinical Scientist, Hematology/Oncology | South San Francisco, CA | 06/20/2025 | $141,000 |
| Pfizer | Late Stage Oncology Clinical Scientist | Peapack and Gladstone, NJ | 06/18/2025 | $169,700 |
| Pfizer | Late Stage Oncology Clinical Scientist--Thoracic (Director) | Groton, CT | 06/16/2025 | $169,700 |
| Abbott Laboratories | Principal Clinical Scientist | Santa Clara, CA | 06/13/2025 | $112,000 |
| Ambry Genetics | Clinical Genomics Scientist-Clinical Summaries (Remote, USA) | Aliso Viejo, CA | 06/13/2025 | $90,000 |
| University of Colorado | Clinical Sciences Professional (Entry-Intermediate Level) | Aurora, CO | 06/13/2025 | $52,721 |
| Global Channel Management | Clinical Scientist | Pearl River, NY | 06/10/2025 | $60,523 |
| Open | Global Clinical Scientist, PAH Clinical Development | San Diego, CA | 06/09/2025 | $183,000 |
| Irvine Clinical Research | Clinical Scientist (Neuropsychological Rater) | Riverside, CA | 06/09/2025 | $85,000 |
| Volastra Therapeutics | Clinical Scientist (Manager/Senior Manager), Oncology | New York, NY | 06/09/2025 | $115,000 |
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