Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists vs Physicists: $103K vs $172K Median Pay

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists vs Physicists: what changes?

Consider Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists if you want to conduct research dealing with the understanding of human diseases and the improvement of human health. Consider Physicists if you would rather conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories. Both list doctoral or professional degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists and Physicists. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

National median pay (2025): $103,410
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 10,500

Know before you choose

The helping mission includes documentation, direct care, and safety-critical routines where a missed detail can affect a patient.

See the full Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists brief

Physicists

National median pay (2025): $172,250
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,300

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (23,200 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Physicists brief

How the national numbers differ

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists has the edge on annual openings

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists is at 10,500 annual openings, compared with 1,300 annual openings for Physicists.

Physicists has the edge on median pay

Physicists is at $172,250, compared with $103,410 for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists.

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists has the edge on projected growth

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists is at 12.6% projected growth, compared with 7.2% projected growth for Physicists.

70.2/ 100

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

58.4/ 100

Physicists

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists vs Physicists

Dimension	Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	Physicists
Median pay (2025)	$103,410	$172,250
Pay percentile	85.1 percentile	96.7 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	12.6%	7.2%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	10,500	1,300
2025 employment	181,000	23,200
How you qualify	Doctoral or professional degree	Doctoral or professional degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists brief Read Physicists brief

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists vs Physicists: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

Physicists

How the national numbers differ

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists has the edge on annual openings

Physicists has the edge on median pay

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists has the edge on projected growth

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists vs Physicists

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