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Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists pay in Arizona and California
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median for Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists is $116,820 per year in Arizona. It is $136,990 per year in California. Arizona is 14.7% below California on the published median.
Both rows use SOC 19-1042 and the same annual wage metric. Median means the middle of each area's published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. The larger median is not proof that one place gives a better job or a better result. It is one wage fact from one source period.
BLS lists 2,190 wage and salary jobs in Arizona and 29,830 in California. Those are survey job counts, not open posts. Read pay, job scale, local share, and price level as separate facts before you make a choice.
Evidence: bls-oews-may-2025 · Rule: same-soc-same-metric-pair · nominal-median-gap · employment-not-openings