Medical Scientists build judgment and decision making, complex problem solving and systems analysis skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary (76%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary | 76% | $93,250 | −10% | None |
| 2 | Biostatisticians | 75% | $105,650Pay for the broader BLS group “Statisticians” | Not compared | None |
| 3 | Medical Dosimetrists | 74% | $147,470 | +43% | None |
| 4 | Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 74% | $94,980 | −8% | None |
| 5 | Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | 72% | $109,370 | +6% | None |
| 6 | Astronomers | 72% | $128,820 | +25% | None |
| 7 | Health Informatics Specialists | 71% | $105,850Pay for the broader BLS group “Computer Systems Analysts” | Not compared | None |
| 8 | Statisticians | 71% | $105,650 | +2% | None |
| 9 | Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 71% | $84,620 | −18% | None |
| 10 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 70% | $101,920 | −1% | None |
Compared with Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists, median $103,410. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as medical scientists (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
76% skill match · $93,250 · −10% pay
Instructing · Management of Financial Resources · Troubleshooting
75% skill match · $105,650 (broader BLS group)
Programming
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
74% skill match · $147,470 · +43% pay
Time Management · Social Perceptiveness · Quality Control Analysis
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary (76% skill match, median $93,250), Biostatisticians (75% skill match, median $105,650) and Medical Dosimetrists (74% skill match, median $147,470), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 11 pay more than medical scientists at the median. The biggest increases: Nurse Anesthetists (+129%, $236,590), Physicists (+67%, $172,250) and Natural Sciences Managers (+62%, $167,220).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.