Toxicologist Salary: Your 2026 Guide

Key takeaways

The earning potential for toxicologists in the United States is notably high. Below are some important facts to know:

• The median total pay for a toxicologist is $185,000 per year [1].

• Most toxicologists possess a PhD.

• You can earn significantly more by working in metropolitan areas. 

Explore the salary ranges that you can expect to earn as a toxicologist, including how common factors like years of experience, education level, and geographic location impact your earning potential. Afterward, enroll in Medical Terminology Specialization to familiarize yourself with common prefixes, suffixes, and abbreviations used by medical professionals today. 

What is the average salary for a toxicologist?

According to various pay aggregation websites, toxicologists earn an average salary of $75,601 to $185,000 a year. Here’s the average salary a toxicologist in the United States earns, according to five popular sites [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:

*Glassdoor salary information represents the median total pay. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

The exact amount that you can expect to earn will likely depend on several factors, including your work experience, education level, geographic location, and the industry in which you work. Below, we break down each factor to give you a better idea of what you will earn. 

Toxicologist salary by experience 

The exact amount that you can expect to earn as a toxicologist varies by experience. Here’s the estimated total pay, including base salary and additional compensation, you can expect to earn as a toxicologist based on your work experience, according to Glassdoor [1]. Additional pay can include cash bonuses, commissions, tips, or profit sharing. 

• 0–1 years: $79,000–$148,000

• 1–3 years: $86,000–$160,000

• 4–6 years: $94,000–$176,000

• 7–9 years: $108,000–$202,000

• 10–14 years: $126,000–$235,000

• 15+ years: $142,000–$265,000

Note: Total pay is the combined amount of Glassdoor users’ reported average salary and additional pay, which could include profit sharing, commissions, cash bonuses, or tips. 

What does a toxicologist do? 

As a toxicologist, you will research the effects of chemical compounds and substances on the human body. You will provide evidence through research that informs policymakers and public health officials to guide regulation and outreach efforts about the harmful effects or best uses of chemicals. In this role, you will help write guidelines for how people can safely use chemicals and substances.

Read more: What Is Public Health? Areas and Importance 

Toxicologist salary by education level

Education is extremely important in the field of toxicology. According to the American College of Toxicology’s 12th Triennial Toxicology Salary Survey, for example, 75.93 percent of respondents possessed a PhD, while only 12.49 percent possessed a master’s degree, and 2.97 percent had a bachelor’s degree [6]. Along with earning a postgraduate degree, improving certain skills can increase your pay as a toxicologist by the following percentages [3]:

• Project management: 9 percent

• Regulatory compliance: 3 percent

• Subject matter expertise: 1 percent

A higher level of education will likely improve your chances of obtaining more senior roles in the field that pay even higher salaries. In some cases, employers may only consider applicants with a doctorate or a master’s degree for specific roles. 

Toxicologist salary by location 

One of the biggest factors impacting the pay you will receive as a toxicologist is the location in which you work. 

While larger cities tend to pay more due to a high cost of living and local market factors, smaller cities and more rural areas tend to pay a bit less due to their lower living costs. Wherever you live, though, you can expect to make a higher-than-average salary as a toxicologist. 

Here are the total pay toxicologists make annually in different cities in the United States, according to Glassdoor: 

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of October 2025. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Top toxicologists industries 

Toxicologists are employed by a wide number of industries and organizations. According to the Society of Toxicology’s Job Market Survey, 53 percent of recent PhD graduates in toxicology were employed by industries like pharmaceuticals and chemicals, while 34 percent were hired by academic institutions, and 12 percent found jobs in the government [8]. If you’re a recent toxicology graduate, then you may consider looking for employment in one of the above sectors.

Toxicologist job outlook 

There are no official statistics on the job outlook for toxicologists. Nonetheless, the job data for related positions suggests a positive trajectory for the profession in the coming years. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), for example, job openings for medical scientists are expected to increase by 9 percent between 2024 and 2034, with about 9,600 job openings each year throughout the decade [9]. Job openings for forensic science technicians, meanwhile, are projected to grow by 13 percent during the same period, resulting in about 2,900 job openings each year [10]. 

Explore our free resources for toxicologists

Join Career Chat, Coursera’s LinkedIn newsletter, for weekly updates on in-demand skills and certifications in health care. Check out these other helpful resources:

• Take a quiz: Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz?

• Discover trends: AI in Health Care: Uses, Benefits, and Concerns

• Get expert tips: Reimagining Work and Learning with AI: Expert Insights from Dr. Jules White

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