SOC 19-1042 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists — Philadelphia
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · 8 metro areas compared
At $102,950, median pay for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in Philadelphia, PA tracks the national median of $103,410 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +8.7%
- Openings per year
- 9,600
- Typical entry-level education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $102,950, median pay for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in Philadelphia, PA tracks the national median of $103,410 closely. Pay ranges from under $63,230 at the tenth percentile to more than $210,130 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $81,200 to $162,730.
Employment stands at 8,020, or 2.8 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Reading records the highest median at $87,280. Of the 713 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 115th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $63,230 | −38.9% |
| 25th | $81,200 | −21.5% |
| Median (50th) | $102,950 | −0.4% |
| 75th | $162,730 | +57.4% |
| 90th | $210,130 | +103.2% |
| Mean | $122,780 | +18.7% |
Other metro areas in Pennsylvania
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Philadelphia run 2.6% above the national average, so the median of $102,950 buys what $100,341 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 3.0% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$102,950as reported by BLSLocal price level
102.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$100,341US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $102,950 a year, 0.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $63,230 to $210,130 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 8,020 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Reading, at $87,280.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists in Philadelphia, PA?
The median annual wage is $102,950, or $49.49 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $103,410, so pay in Philadelphia, PA is 0.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Philadelphia, PA earns more than $210,130 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $63,230 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Reading, at $87,280 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 8,020 jobs in this occupation in Philadelphia, PA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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