staff scientist at NIH - pay scale?

[Anonymous]

OP here.

Thank you for posting. 07:51 is definitely overestimating
My husband will be working as a research scientist in a lab.

[Anonymous]

7:51 here, yes i misunderstood. I figured because your husband was an MD/PHD he'd be a medical officer and you were using "staff scientist" in the general sense. I didn't realize he wasn't a practicing physician.

But NIH does pay their physicians very well, there are over 800 employees (mostly physicians) making over $200k. I was looking for jobs there few years ago and got an offer for $180k for a non-leadership position (I'm an MD).

[Anonymous]

Spouse works there. For PhD staff scientist, low 100s to mid 150s for title 42.
MDs may be higher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL at the idea of a starting staff scientist making $180K. I don't think any of them make that. And Fauci is an IC director, FFS, of course he makes a lot more!

Starting for a staff scientist would be somewhere around $90K, maybe a little more. And PP above is right, MDs are typically staff clinicians, unless their MD doesn't qualify them to practice in the US and they can't get an exception.

I just accepted an offer as a contract (govt contractor) scientist at the NIH and I starting at 126K. The job is long term and technically a permanent job. So it looks like it all depends upon your expertise and how much the NIH values it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of the few that I know, they start at the gs12/13 level (although not exactly the same as they're generally Title 42).

Np- I thought they (dr) have their own scale... Much higher than GS scale, no?

No, lots of fed MDs are paid on GS scale.

I was doing some research into FDA salaries and was surprised by how often MDs make less than JDs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL at the idea of a starting staff scientist making $180K. I don't think any of them make that. And Fauci is an IC director, FFS, of course he makes a lot more!

Starting for a staff scientist would be somewhere around $90K, maybe a little more. And PP above is right, MDs are typically staff clinicians, unless their MD doesn't qualify them to practice in the US and they can't get an exception.

I just accepted an offer as a contract (govt contractor) scientist at the NIH and I starting at 126K. The job is long term and technically a permanent job. So it looks like it all depends upon your expertise and how much the NIH values it.

Contractors typically get paid more than permanent employees but the latter have better benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For an MD (and some PHDs) you're typically on the GP scale. Salaries are pretty varied and can be anywhere from $150- $350k. The upper tier would be reserved for really senior (Anthony fauci or very distinguished folk). If your husband is just out of fellowship and not in a leadership position I would estimate about $180k starting.

But you said he's going to be a contractor so I have no idea about those ranges

I would think this is an overestimate. Newly hired investigators (those who run their own lab) typically start around $115. I can't see a staff scientist getting more that than. That said, contractors do often get paid more than Feds due to differences in benefits.

Very few physicians will work for $115k.

It really depends on if her husband is doing clinical work or research. An MD/PhD doesn't necessarily mean that he's a board certified physician. The fact that the position is a staff scientist makes me think this is more research-based, which would put him on a typical PhD scale.

Normally, MD's who work for the Federal government get extra pay just for being MD"s, (even if they are doing the same work as a PhD).

BUT, be sure to ask about vacation time. My friend's senior MD husband took a job there, from the private sector, and only got two weeks vacation to start. The wife had much more vacation time at her job, so often had to go on vacation with the kids alone.

[Anonymous]

AFAIK, staff scientists are Title 42 and have two pay bands. The first is roughly GS13 pay ($90 - $110), the second closer to GS15 ($130 - $150). Staff scientists don’t make $350K; anyone who thinks that knows nothing about the system. At NIH, MDs don’t necessarily get paid more for just having an MD, especially if they’re not board certified to practice and credentialed at the Clinical Center (a separate process).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of the few that I know, they start at the gs12/13 level (although not exactly the same as they're generally Title 42).

Np- I thought they (dr) have their own scale... Much higher than GS scale, no?

No, lots of fed MDs are paid on GS scale.

I was doing some research into FDA salaries and was surprised by how often MDs make less than JDs.

In general, the highest salary a JD can make is GS 15 step 10 at 170K unless you are in a financial regulatory (but FDA is not a financial regulator). I cannot believe MDs making less than that. Can anyone confirm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of the few that I know, they start at the gs12/13 level (although not exactly the same as they're generally Title 42).

Np- I thought they (dr) have their own scale... Much higher than GS scale, no?

No, lots of fed MDs are paid on GS scale.

I was doing some research into FDA salaries and was surprised by how often MDs make less than JDs.

In general, the highest salary a JD can make is GS 15 step 10 at 170K unless you are in a financial regulatory (but FDA is not a financial regulator). I cannot believe MDs making less than that. Can anyone confirm?

As a PP mentioned, MDs at NIH are often paid under Title 42 which offers higher pay than the GS pay scale. However there are federal agencies which employ MDs on the GS pay scale and they can be 14s if non-supervisory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of the few that I know, they start at the gs12/13 level (although not exactly the same as they're generally Title 42).

Np- I thought they (dr) have their own scale... Much higher than GS scale, no?

No, lots of fed MDs are paid on GS scale.

I was doing some research into FDA salaries and was surprised by how often MDs make less than JDs.

In general, the highest salary a JD can make is GS 15 step 10 at 170K unless you are in a financial regulatory (but FDA is not a financial regulator). I cannot believe MDs making less than that. Can anyone confirm?

MDs in a clinical position make that or more. Then they can rig the system to be head of so and so center and get even more. My boss was a dumba$$ and didn't have a PhD or a MD and made over 200K. I knew someone else that had a similar story and same. Also worked less than 40 hours per week.

[Anonymous]

FYI all federal salaries are reported publicly on the internet. Search the website and find a few people who would be on the same level and look up their salaries. Contractors may vary from federal, but at least that's a ballpark. I agree with the people saying that low-mid $100s seems right for a research staff scientist and that it can vary widely within that range.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of the few that I know, they start at the gs12/13 level (although not exactly the same as they're generally Title 42).

Np- I thought they (dr) have their own scale... Much higher than GS scale, no?

No, lots of fed MDs are paid on GS scale.

I was doing some research into FDA salaries and was surprised by how often MDs make less than JDs.

In general, the highest salary a JD can make is GS 15 step 10 at 170K unless you are in a financial regulatory (but FDA is not a financial regulator). I cannot believe MDs making less than that. Can anyone confirm?

I’m sorry, what? You’re quoting my post, where I confirmed MDs are making less than GS15, and you ask for someone to confirm it? ...I just did? Or get on USAjobs.gov and poke around for yourself.

[Anonymous]

MDs at NIH are considerably underpaid compared with their colleagues at medical schools (and elsewhere) but also have far less clinical responsibility and no requirement to support themselves with grants/RVU goals etc. NIH loses the better ones mid-career when the pay disparity becomes greatest (2-3x more at medical schools for example) - just lost the heads of multiple myeloma, the oncology fellowship, a cancer cell immunotherapy expert and a cancer neurosurgeon that way in past 6 months....

The physicians they get at NIH are those right out of fellowship building their research credentials, those totally committed to research that they feel they can only do there - or the 65-80 year olds who either do little clinically (often with administrative or leadership titles) or are now so specialized in just one thing that they are unemployable elsewhere.

PhDs in staff scientist roles are however paid well compared with other options - in many ways this is the best job at NiH.

[Anonymous]

For an MD (and some PHDs) you're typically on the GP scale. Salaries are pretty varied and can be anywhere from $150- $350k. The upper tier would be reserved for really senior (Anthony fauci or very distinguished folk). If your husband is just out of fellowship and not in a leadership position I would estimate about $180k starting.

But you said he's going to be a contractor so I have no idea about those ranges

This seems really high to me. DH was making $100k-ish when first hired as staff scientist after his post-doc. Now in a tenure-track faculty position and still not making $150k.