staff scientist at NIH - pay scale?

[Anonymous]

DH has an offer to work at NIH. Not as a federal employee, but for one of the contractors at NIH. The responsibilities would be equivalent to a staff scientist (federal employee position).
Can anyone tell me what the average salary is? Just making sure the offer is with the normal range.
Thank you.

[Anonymous]

pretty variable

[Anonymous]

Does he have a PhD?

[Anonymous]

OP here.

DH has an MD/PhD - I don't think there are any staff scientists without at least one or the other at NIH.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

in the institute that i was in, the only staff scientists who were GS were hired years ago. but the pay scale is truly all over the map. the position is variable in skill required, responsibilities, and tasks performed. that said, the gs 12/13 scale is a pretty comparison (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/16Tables/html/DCB.aspx)

[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

[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?

They do when they're Title 5, but not sure about Title 42. The pay would be highly dependent on whether they're doing clinical work or not. If so, then GS12/13 would be low. If not, it's probably pretty accurate.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

MDs are typically hired as staff clinicians, not staff scientist. Staff scientist pay is definitely not $180k starting. A staff scientist running a facility would typically be recruited at a higher salary than a staff scientist within a lab, but again it depends on the field of expertise.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

The pay ranges for the PhD staff scientists I know at NIH range from $90k(starting) to $126k (senior). They are not on GS, but on the AD scale. I don't know if your husband will get extra for being an MD/PhD if he is going to only be in a scientific role.