HealthcareBLS OES

Medical Lab Scientist Salary in Baltimore

2026 · Official labour data · 8 comparison cities

$78,432/yr

Last updated: September 2026 · Source: BLS OEWS · modeled estimate, not a published figure for this area

Typical range: $65,382 $94,086

Very High Confidence · 97/100

How much does a Medical Lab Scientist make in Baltimore, MD?

A Medical Lab Scientist in Baltimore earns a median of $78,432/year (about $38/hour). Most earn between $65,382 (25th percentile) and $94,086 (75th percentile); top earners (90th percentile) make $110,872 or more — 12% above the US average. Figures are from BLS employer payroll data, not self-reports.

$55,484
Entry (P10)
$78,432
Median (P50)
$94,086
Top 25% (P75)
$110,872
Top 10% (P90)

Understanding these Medical Lab Scientist salary numbers

We report percentiles, not a single average, because pay isn't evenly spread — a handful of very high earners would drag an average upward and mislead you. Here's exactly what each figure means.

Median (P50) — $78,432

Half of Medical Lab Scientists in Baltimore earn more than this and half earn less. It's the most honest "typical" salary — better than an average, which gets skewed by a few top earners.

25th percentile (P25) — $65,382

The lower end of the typical range: 75% of Medical Lab Scientists earn more than this. It's common for early-career roles or lower-cost employers. Earning below it is grounds to negotiate.

75th percentile (P75) — $94,086

Your negotiation target: only 25% of Medical Lab Scientists earn above it. Reaching P75 usually means seniority, in-demand specialisations, or simply negotiating from data. See how to negotiate.

90th percentile (P90) — $110,872

Top earners: only 10% of Medical Lab Scientists make this or more — typically senior, highly specialised, or at the best-paying employers.

Gross vs after-tax pay

These figures are gross (before tax). What actually reaches your account depends on your country, state, and deductions. Estimate your net with the take-home calculator.

National vs Baltimore pay

City figures apply the local market premium to BLS data, so Baltimore differs from the US average by +12%. A higher number isn't always better once cost of living is counted.

Hourly rate — $38/hr

The hourly figure is the annual median divided by 2,080 (40 hours × 52 weeks). If you regularly work more than 40 hours, your real hourly rate is lower than this. Convert any salary with the salary calculator.

Why this differs from Glassdoor or Payscale

Those sites publish what people say they earn (self-reports), which skew high because higher earners report more often. Our figures come from mandatory employer payroll records (BLS OEWS), so they reflect the whole market — not just a vocal subset.

How current and reliable is this number?

This page carries a confidence score of 97/100, based on the data source and coverage. US figures track the latest BLS release and refresh automatically; international figures use OECD/ILO data. See the changelog for live data freshness.

What counts as a "good" Medical Lab Scientist salary in Baltimore?

Around the median ($78,432) is solid and $94,086+ is strong — but "good" really depends on local costs. Check what the number is actually worth with the good-salary breakdown for Baltimore.

Still curious how we get these numbers? Every figure is traceable to a primary source — see the full methodology and data sources.

Cite or reuse this data

Medical Lab Scientist salary in Baltimore, MD: median $78,432 (P75 $94,086), per BLS OEWS via Official Salary, 2026.

Free JSON: /api/salary?job=medical-laboratory-scientist&city=baltimore — no key. API & widgets →

Key insights for Medical Lab Scientists in Baltimore

✓ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated September 2026Source: BLS OES 2026Confidence: Very HighMethodology
  • Medical Lab Scientists in Baltimore earn about 12% more than the national median for the role ($78K vs $70K).
  • Cost of living in Baltimore runs about 10% above the US average, so $78K is worth roughly $71K at national prices.
  • After a simplified take-home estimate, $78K nets about $61K/yr — roughly $24K/yr left after typical single-person living costs here.
  • Pay climbs with seniority: a senior/staff Medical Lab Scientist reaches about $100K — a +28% step from mid-level.
Official Salary Verdict™
Typical Range

Medical Lab Scientists in Baltimore typically earn $65K–$94K a year.

Market Median

The market median is $78K — half earn above, half earn below.

Top Earners

Top earners (top 10%) make $111K or more.

Above Average

Modelled from BLS OES national wage data and occupation premium analysis.

Official government labour statistics (BLS OEWS)Updated monthly via BLS APIHuman-reviewed methodologyConfidence Score: 97/100Editorial policy →

Medical Lab Scientist Salary Analysis — Baltimore

Medical Lab Scientists in Baltimore earn a median salary of $78K, which is 12% above the national median of $70K. Strong regional demand for medical lab scientists contributes to above-average wages here.

Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and employer payroll records. Figures represent the median (P50) across all experience levels in Baltimore.

Cost of Living Adjustment

Baltimore's cost of living is 10% above the US average. Your $78K salary has the equivalent purchasing power of approximately $71K in a city with average US living costs.

$78K
Nominal salary
+10%
CoL vs US avg
$71K
Real value

Salary Distribution — Baltimore

5-band distribution from employer payroll records

P10Entry Level
$55,484

New graduates, 0–1 yr exp

P2525th Percentile
$65,382

1–3 years experience

P50Median
$78,432

3–7 years, typical professional

P7575th Percentile
$94,086

Senior / high-performer — target

P90Top 10%
$110,872

Staff / principal / lead

Medical Lab Scientist salary chart for Baltimore, MD, 2026: median $78K, top 25% earn $94K+, from BLS employer payroll data
Medical Lab Scientist pay in Baltimore — free to share with attributionDownload chart
+12%
vs US avg
+7%
demand growth
Med
AI risk
Data Confidence
97/100A+
BLS.OEWS.2026.v2Updated Sep 2, 2026

Are You Being Underpaid?

Enter your current salary to see your exact market percentile in Baltimore

Am I Underpaid?

Enter your current salary to see where you stand

$

Your salary is never stored or transmitted. Calculation runs locally in your browser.

Official Salary Fair Pay Score™

Is $78K a good salary for Medical Lab Scientist in Baltimore?

Benchmarked against the official BLS wage distribution for Medical Lab Scientists in Baltimore

50
$78K sits exactly at the market median

Half of Medical Lab Scientists in Baltimore earn more, half earn less. Enter your own salary in the checker above to see your exact percentile against this distribution.

Bottom 10%: $55K·Median: $78K·Top 10%: $111K
Underpaid← MedianTop earner
Adjusted · 89% confidenceSource reliability: 40/40 (BLS)

Why This Salary?

How we arrived at $78K for Medical Lab Scientists in Baltimore

+12%
MD market level
MD pays 12% above the global baseline for this profession.
+10%
Baltimore metro premium
Major metro areas command higher salaries to offset cost of living.
-2%
Automation risk headwind
55% automation risk. Employers factor displacement potential into wage offers.

Source: BLS OES. All figures reflect 2026 market conditions.

Medical Lab Scientist Salary by Experience Level in Baltimore

How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead

Experience LevelYearsPercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourly
Entry00 yrs$54,902$4,575$26
Junior22 yrs$67,452$5,621$32
Mid-LevelTypical44 yrs$74,772$6,231$36
Senior66 yrs$82,824$6,902$40
Staff1010 yrs$100,393$8,366$48
Principal1414 yrs$115,452$9,621$56
Distinguished1818 yrs$119,217$9,935$57

Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.

Skills That Earn More — Medical Lab Scientist

Estimated premium above the Baltimore median based on market demand

Clinical Chemistry+4% ≈ +$3K/yr
Haematology+4% ≈ +$3K/yr
Microbiology+4% ≈ +$3K/yr
PCR+4% ≈ +$3K/yr
Lab Equipment+4% ≈ +$3K/yr

Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.

Medical Lab Scientist Intelligence Report

Career metrics and full compensation breakdown — from BLS demand data

Career Opportunity Score

Composite: demand growth × 1.4 + (100 − AI risk) × 0.4

F28/100
High RiskModerateExceptional
Demand Growth+7%/yr
AI Displacement Risk55% — Moderate
Risk-Adj. Salary Growth+1.5%/yr
High Risk: High automation exposure and slow demand growth. Significant pivot risk by 2030.
$81K
In 2 yrs
$84K
In 5 yrs
$91K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation — Medical Lab Scientist

Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and benefits

Total Comp Range
$100K$107K
per year
Base (76%)Bonus (6%)Equity (2%)Benefits (17%)
Base Salary
Median market rate
$78,432
Annual Bonus
Typical: 3–12% of base
$5,883
Equity (annualised)
~3% of base — RSUs/options
$1,961
Benefits Value
~22% — healthcare, 401k, PTO
$17,255
Total Comp (mid)
$103,531

Bonus, equity, and benefits are modelled estimates from category norms (not scraped from any single employer); base is BLS. Actual total comp varies by employer, level, and negotiation.

Typical Benefits for Medical Lab Scientists

— show

Often adds 20–35% to your effective pay

Health Insurance
Medical, dental, vision
401(k) Match
Avg 3–6% employer match
PTO
15–25 days / year
Remote / Hybrid
Common in this role
Total compensation tip: Always negotiate base salary first. Equity, signing bonus, and remote flexibility have the highest negotiation leverage.

Compare Medical Lab Scientist Salaries by City

How Baltimore, MD stacks up against other major markets

CityMedianP75vs US avg
Baltimore, MD (current)$78,432$94,086++12%
New York, NY$87,047$104,421++24%
San Francisco, CA$103,069$123,641++47%
Seattle, WA$102,380$122,814++46%
Austin, TX$79,439$95,294++13%
Boston, MA$90,176$108,174++29%
Chicago, IL$75,418$90,471++7%
Los Angeles, CA$75,833$90,969++8%
Denver, CO$88,013$105,580++25%

Official Salary Career GPS™

What should I do next as a Medical Lab Scientist?

O*NET · US Dept of Labor

Higher-paying roles in the same field

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Medical Lab Scientist salary in Baltimore, MD?

The estimated median Medical Lab Scientist salary in Baltimore, MD is $78K per year (2026). This is a modeled estimate derived from national wage data adjusted for local cost levels, not a published government figure for this area.

What is a good Medical Lab Scientist salary in Baltimore, MD?

The 75th percentile ($94K/yr) is the professional benchmark — what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($78K) is above-average for this role in Baltimore, MD.

How much does a Medical Lab Scientist earn per hour in Baltimore, MD?

Based on the median annual salary of $78K, a Medical Lab Scientist in Baltimore, MD earns approximately $38/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$45/hr.

Is Baltimore, MD a good market for Medical Lab Scientists?

Baltimore, MD pays 12% above the US national average for this role. BLS projects 7% employment growth for Medical Lab Scientists over 2022–2032, and AI automation risk is rated moderate for this occupation.

How do I negotiate a higher Medical Lab Scientist salary in Baltimore, MD?

Cite the BLS P75 figure ($94K) — it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.

What is the entry-level Medical Lab Scientist salary in Baltimore, MD?

Entry-level Medical Lab Scientists in Baltimore, MD (10th–25th percentile) earn roughly $55K–$65K per year, rising toward the $78K median with experience and in-demand skills.

What does a senior Medical Lab Scientist earn in Baltimore, MD?

Senior Medical Lab Scientists in Baltimore, MD — the top quartile up to the 90th percentile — earn about $94K–$111K per year, with the top 10% making $111K+.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology — no estimates, no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

US metro figures are published estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, which covers roughly 1.1 million employer establishments. Where BLS does not publish a figure for an occupation and area, this site shows a modeled estimate and labels it as one.

How is the Baltimore figure calculated?

The BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ US metropolitan areas. For Baltimore, Official Salary uses the BLS metro premium ratio (metro median ÷ national median) and applies it to the national baseline.

What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?

These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less. P75 means 75% earn less — this is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% respectively.

How is take-home pay estimated?

Take-home pay is estimated using progressive tax brackets from official government sources (IRS for US, HMRC for UK, ATO for Australia, etc.). Social contributions (National Insurance, FICA, etc.) are added. These are estimates — actual take-home depends on deductions, filing status, and location.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours.

Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.

What a Medical Lab Scientist salary really means in Baltimore

Take-home pay, rent affordability, and remote benchmarking — on the $78,432 median.

Estimated take-home

$63,336/yr

$5,278/month net

Gross median
$78,432
Income tax
$9,096
Social / FICA
$6,000
Effective rate
19%

Federal income tax only (FICA included). State income tax varies. Single-filer estimate — not tax advice.

Rent affordability

25%

of take-home on a typical 1-bed (~$1,294/mo)

The 30% rule says housing should stay under 30% of take-home. Here it's comfortably within that line. After all living costs (~$3,080/mo), roughly $2,198/mo is left to save or invest.

Cost-of-living estimate for Baltimore; rent ≈ 42% of budget.

Remote vs onsite

$70,157$78,432

typical fully-remote benchmark range

Onsite Medical Lab Scientists in Baltimore earn the local median of $78,432. Fully-remote roles are usually benchmarked between the US median ($70,157) and the local rate — employers increasingly set remote pay by national or regional bands, not your city.

Compare all Medical Lab Scientist markets →
✓ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated September 2026Source: BLS OES 2026Confidence: Very HighMethodology

How to reach the top 25% as a Medical Lab Scientist in Baltimore

The gap between a typical Medical Lab Scientist and the top quartile in Baltimore is $15,654/year — about $1,305/month more than the median. Reaching the 75th percentile ($94,086) usually comes down to seniority, in-demand specialisations, and negotiating from real data instead of hoping for a raise.

Salary trend data not available for this occupation.

Education Premium — Medical Lab Scientist

How degree level affects salary · ACS Census data

High School / GED
-45%
~$43K
Associate's Degree
-18%
~$64K
Bachelor's DegreeBASELINE
~$78K
Master's Degree
+20%
~$94K
Doctoral (PhD)
+18%
~$93K
Professional (MBA/JD/MD)
+130%
~$180K

Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS · BLS OES wage data.

Negotiation Deep-Dive

Get your data-backed negotiation opening ask and walking-away floor.

📊Your exact market percentile based on BLS distribution
🎯P75 target + 10% stretch as your opening ask price
🚪Walking-away floor so you know when to move on
Baltimore benchmarks
$78K
Market median
$94K
P75 target
$111K
Top 10%

Negotiation Calculator

Enter your current salary to see your market position and opening ask

$
Medical Lab Scientist in Baltimore — Distribution
P10
$55K
P25
$65K
P50
$78K
P75
$94K
P90
$111K
Enter your salary above to see your negotiation position

Data Source & Attribution

This page’s figures are a modeled estimate: a national occupation wage adjusted for local cost levels. BLS does not publish a figure for this occupation and area, so these numbers are not a government measurement and should not be cited as one. International figures draw on OECD Average Wages, Eurostat SES, and ILO ILOSTAT.

BLS.OEWS.2026.v2

Sep 2, 2026

Full methodology →
Check If You're Underpaid →