Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists · SOC 19-1042
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologistss
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas
Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for medical scientists, except epidemiologists. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked (5 such areas are excluded here). Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Top 25 of 178 metro areas
| # | Metro area | Median annual | Employment | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vallejo, CA | $168,860 | 130 | 0.9 |
| 2 | Topeka, KS | $162,810 | 80 | 0.7 |
| 3 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $162,230 | 200 | 0.5 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $160,180 | 7,310 | 3.1 |
| 5 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $159,300 | 2,150 | 1.9 |
| 6 | Chico, CA | $155,470 | 70 | 0.9 |
| 7 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $145,340 | 150 | 0.7 |
| 8 | Modesto, CA | $143,760 | 160 | 0.8 |
| 9 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $140,300 | 810 | 2.0 |
| 10 | Syracuse, NY | $138,940 | 160 | 0.5 |
| 11 | Salinas, CA | $138,590 | 100 | 0.5 |
| 12 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $138,390 | 1,150 | 0.7 |
| 13 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $138,090 | 480 | 3.8 |
| 14 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $138,050 | 140 | 0.5 |
| 15 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $137,640 | 1,120 | 1.0 |
| 16 | Fresno, CA | $137,080 | 360 | 0.8 |
| 17 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $134,890 | 8,520 | 1.4 |
| 18 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $134,060 | 150 | 1.6 |
| 19 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $133,870 | 700 | 2.9 |
| 20 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $132,110 | 190 | 0.6 |
| 21 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $130,980 | 4,960 | 3.2 |
| 22 | Boulder, CO | $130,310 | Not published | Not published |
| 23 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $129,910 | 250 | 0.8 |
| 24 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $129,500 | 16,060 | 5.9 |
| 25 | Visalia, CA | $129,480 | 100 | 0.6 |
Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.