Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
Conduct research dealing with the understanding of human diseases and the improvement of human health. Engage in clinical investigation, research and development, or other related activities.
Sample of reported job titles:
Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Clinical Lab Scientist), Clinical Pharmacologist, Clinical Research Scientist, Medical Researcher, Physician Scientist, Research Scientist, Researcher, Scientist, Study Director, Toxicologist
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Tasks
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Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
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Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.
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Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
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Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.
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Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
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Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
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Write and publish articles in scientific journals.
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Write applications for research grants.
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Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.
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Study animal and human health and physiological processes.
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Investigate cause, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission of diseases or parasites.
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Use equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, electron microscopes, flow cytometers, or chromatography systems.
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Confer with health departments, industry personnel, physicians, and others to develop health safety standards and public health improvement programs.
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Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, and others regarding medical applications of physics, biology, and chemistry.
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Technology Skills
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Analytical or scientific software — BioArray Software Environment BASE; IBM SPSS Statistics
![Hot technology](/https/www.onetonline.org/shared/image/logos/hot_tech.svg)
; Minitab; SAS
; 11 more
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Data base user interface and query software — Database software; FileMaker Pro; Waters eLab Notebook; Waters Empower 2
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Desktop publishing software — Microsoft Publisher
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Development environment software — Integrated development environment IDE software; Microsoft Visual Basic
![Hot technology](/https/www.onetonline.org/shared/image/logos/hot_tech.svg)
; National Instruments LabVIEW
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Electronic mail software — IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange
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Enterprise resource planning ERP software — Microsoft Dynamics
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Geographic information system — ESRI ArcGIS software
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Graphics or photo imaging software — Adobe Photoshop
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Information retrieval or search software — LexisNexis
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Object or component oriented development software — Python
![Hot technology](/https/www.onetonline.org/shared/image/logos/hot_tech.svg)
; R
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Office suite software — Microsoft Office software
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Operating system software — Linux
![Hot technology](/https/www.onetonline.org/shared/image/logos/hot_tech.svg)
; UNIX
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Presentation software — Microsoft PowerPoint
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Project management software — Microsoft Project
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Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
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Word processing software — Microsoft Word
Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.
In Demand skills are frequently included in employer job postings for this occupation.
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Work Activities
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Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
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Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
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Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
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Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
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Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
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Working with Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
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Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
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Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
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Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
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Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
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Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
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Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
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Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
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Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
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Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
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Providing Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
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Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
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Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
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Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
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Detailed Work Activities
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Monitor operational procedures in technical environments to ensure conformance to standards.
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Research diseases or parasites.
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Analyze biological samples.
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Direct medical science or healthcare programs.
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Plan biological research.
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Establish standards for medical care.
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Instruct college students in physical or life sciences.
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Prepare proposals or grant applications to obtain project funding.
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Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
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Operate laboratory or field equipment.
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Establish standards for products, processes, or procedures.
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Advise others on healthcare matters.
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Work Context
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Electronic Mail — 94% responded “Every day.”
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Face-to-Face Discussions — 84% responded “Every day.”
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Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 94% responded “Every day.”
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Work With Work Group or Team — 89% responded “Extremely important.”
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Contact With Others — 78% responded “Constant contact with others.”
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Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 57% responded “Extremely important.”
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Freedom to Make Decisions — 59% responded “Some freedom.”
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Structured versus Unstructured Work — 49% responded “Some freedom.”
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Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — 64% responded “Every day.”
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Level of Competition — 39% responded “Extremely competitive.”
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Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 40% responded “Very important.”
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Telephone — 51% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
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Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 60% responded “Important results.”
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Coordinate or Lead Others — 40% responded “Very important.”
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Duration of Typical Work Week — 48% responded “More than 40 hours.”
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Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — 52% responded “High responsibility.”
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Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 43% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
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Time Pressure — 47% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
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Exposed to Hazardous Conditions — 36% responded “Every day.”
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Consequence of Error — 43% responded “Serious.”
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Frequency of Decision Making — 38% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
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Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 50% responded “Moderate responsibility.”
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Spend Time Sitting — 66% responded “About half the time.”
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Physical Proximity — 64% responded “Slightly close (e.g., shared office).”
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Letters and Memos — 34% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
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Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 52% responded “More than half the time.”
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Job Zone
- Title
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Related Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Job Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
- Job Zone Examples
- These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, physician assistants, and veterinarians.
- SVP Range
- (8.0 and above)
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Training & Credentials
- State training
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- Local training
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- Certifications
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- State licenses
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Apprenticeship Opportunities
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Skills
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Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
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Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
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Science — Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
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Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
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Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
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Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
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Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
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Systems Analysis — Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
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Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.
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Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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Learning Strategies — Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
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Instructing — Teaching others how to do something.
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Systems Evaluation — Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
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Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.
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Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
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Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
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Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
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Knowledge
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Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
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English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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Medicine and Dentistry — Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
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Chemistry — Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
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Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
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Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
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responded:
Doctoral degree required
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responded:
Master’s degree required
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responded:
Post-doctoral training required
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Abilities
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Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
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Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
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Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
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Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
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Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
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Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
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Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
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Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
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Mathematical Reasoning — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
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Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
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Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
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Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
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Number Facility — The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
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Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
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Memorization — The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
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Perceptual Speed — The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
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Speed of Closure — The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
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Interests
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Investigative — Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
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Realistic — Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
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Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
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Work Values
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Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
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Recognition — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
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Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
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Work Styles
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Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
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Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
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Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
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Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
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Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
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Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
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Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
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Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
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Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
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Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
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Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
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Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
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Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
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Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
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Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
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Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
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Wages & Employment Trends
- Median wages (2023)
- $48.50 hourly, $100,890 annual
- State wages
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- Local wages
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- Employment (2022)
- 119,000 employees
- Projected growth (2022-2032)
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Much faster than average (9% or higher)
- Projected job openings (2022-2032)
- 7,500
- State trends
-
- Top industries (2022)
-
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 wage data
external site and 2022-2032 employment projections
external site.
“Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2022-2032). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.
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Job Openings on the Web
- State job openings
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- Local job openings
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Professional Associations
Disclaimer:
Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries.
Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
Actively assisted with the O*NET data collection, helping to identify occupational experts who can be surveyed about their work in the occupation.
View the list of Allies
National Associations
Accreditation, Certification, & Unions
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