Medical Science Liaison
What this job does:
A field-based medical affairs scientist who meets with clinicians and key opinion leaders to exchange scientific information, gather insights, and support internal teams with medically accurate interpretation of evidence.
This job is similar to these lab/research tasks:
Translating primary data and literature into concise audience-specific explanations, leading scientific discussions and handling tough Q&A, presenting research findings to mixed audiences
Typical starting salary range
$140,000 to $200,000
Salary estimate represented as 25th to 75th percentile. Gathered from recent job postings, Glassdoor.com, and Salary.com
Daily task breakdown
- Scientific exchange with KOLs/HCPs: 35%
- Internal cross-functional support and education: 25%
- Insights gathering and reporting: 15%
- Medical education events and congress support: 15%
- Admin, compliance, and other: 10%
Skills you'll use in this job:
Deep domain mastery; rapid literature synthesis; presentation skills; relationship building with KOLs/HCPs; qualitative insight extraction; compliance and documentation discipline; cross-functional collaboration
Talk about these PhD skills in your resume and interview:
Translate primary data and literature into concise, audience-specific explanations; lead scientific discussions and handle tough Q&A; synthesize field insights into clear internal recommendations; run disciplined follow-up and documentation.
Alternative job titles to search:
Field Medical Scientist; Scientific Liaison; Medical Affairs Scientist; Regional Medical Affairs Manager; Field Medical Director
*Note:
-Job titles are inconsistent between companies. Try various keywords.
-PhDs tend to undershoot seniority level. Target higher than you think.
