The median annual wage of medical scientists was $76,700 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $41,560, and the top 10 percent earned more than $142,800.
Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of medical scientists in May 2010 were as follows:
| Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing | $95,530 |
| Drugs and druggists' sundries merchant wholesalers | 89,730 |
| Scientific research and development services | 82,140 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals; state, local, and private | 74,570 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | 53,470 |
Most medical scientists work full time.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition