Toxicologist Salary

The average toxicologist salary in the United States is $77,216 annually, while in Canada, most toxicologists make less at around $74,850 US dollars. Similarly, in Switzerland, the average annual salary is $73,314. Toxicologists make still less in the UK, where the average salary is $39,613. In Australia, the annual salary is greater than that in the US at $103,197. The average toxicologist salary in Norway is much greater at $542,661. However, other factors in addition to geography contribute to salary. Learn how location, experience, industry, and degree influence your starting salary and job prospects in the toxicology field.

Toxicologist Salary Influencers

Salary values reported by Salary Expert, Salary.com, and Payscale vary depending on state; however, the major influencing factors on salary remain the same regardless of location. Below, we will describe how each factor may affect salary values.

1. Industry

Toxicologists work in a wide variety of industries such as healthcare, forensic science, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food. Toxicologist salary is usually influenced by industry. Generally, a toxicologist employed in the private sector will earn a higher salary than a toxicologist employed in the public sector.

In the US, descriptive, regulatory, and environmental and occupational toxicologists make approximately $31/hr, or $63,500 yearly. Staff toxicologists make only slightly less at $30/hr, or approximately $63,400 yearly, while environmental toxicologists make much less at $17/hr or $34,818 yearly on average. The highest average salary goes to veterinary toxicologists at $39/hr of $81,678 yearly.

Bonuses also depend on industry, with those toxicologists with the highest average salary also earning the highest bonus. These salary and bonus trends based on industry remain the same for toxicologists in all countries previously mentioned.

2. Geographical Area

Toxicologist Salary	Hourly Wage	Annual Wage
US	$37	$77,216
Canada	$36	$74,850
UK	$19	$39,613
Australia	$50	$103,197
Switzerland	$35	$73,314
Norway	$261	$542,661

Toxicologist Salary in the US

The average salary of a toxicologist in the US is $77,216 with a $1,730 bonus. However, the income of a toxicologist generally starts out low and then increases with experience. An experienced toxicologist can eventually earn an annual salary of nearly $138,000 and a bonus pay of nearly $17,500.

Toxicologist Salary in Canada

Both the annual salary and bonus in Canada remain only slightly higher than US salaries at $74,850 and $1,677 respectively. Like in the US, salary varies with increasing experience. The upper 75% of toxicologists in Canada earn approximately $62,070 annually. However, there are few toxicologists with greater than nine years of experience in this field.

Toxicologist Salary in the UK

The average annual salary in the UK is $39,613 with an average bonus of $887. Those toxicologists that are more experienced, however, can make almost $97,073 per year and an additional $6,471 in bonus pay. Many toxicologists in the UK are greatly experienced, as 23% have been employed as toxicologists for 10-19 years, and 15% have been toxicologists for 20 or more years.

Toxicologist Salary in Australia

In Australia, toxicologists earn $103,197 annually with a $2,312 average bonus. The best employers in Australia with current openings include federal or state agencies and regional healthcare districts. The vast majority of toxicologist job openings available in Australia are located in Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, as well as New South Wales.

Toxicologist Salary in Switzerland

An average toxicologist in Switzerland makes $73,314 annually with a $1,642 average bonus. Salary varies greatly with experience, and therefore an entry level toxicologist makes around $51,320. A senior level toxicologist can make up to $89,401 due to their increased experience.

Toxicologist Salary in Norway

Toxicologists in Norway have a higher salary than in any country examined above with an average annual salary of $542,661 and an average bonus of $12,156. There is a very large salary range of $282,655 based on experience. Bonuses earned also vary based on amount of experience.

3. Experience

In every country examined, the more experience a toxicologist has, the greater his or her average salary will become. Entry level toxicologists make approximately $54,201 in the US, $52,541 in Canada, $27,806 in the UK, $72,557 in Australia, $51,320 in Switzerland, and $380,922 in Norway. This salary increases to an average senior level income of $94,421 in the US, $91,529 in Canada, $48,439 in the UK, $126,396 in Australia, $89,401 in Switzerland, and $663,577 in Norway. Typically, a minimum of 8 years of experience is required for a toxicologist to reach a senior level. However, many senior level toxicologists have greater than 10 or even more than 20 years of experience.

Working Hours

The average toxicologist will work weekdays during regular office hours. However, sometimes weekend or evening hours are required. This typically depends on the employer’s individual requirements. A full-time job for a toxicologist may therefore range from 37.5 to 40 hours. The opportunity for overtime pay and the flexibility of scheduling depends on the employer.

Bonuses & Benefit Packages

In every country listed, a bonus is provided for the majority of toxicologists based on geographical location and experience. Opportunities for bonuses are more frequent in the private division of the economy than in the public division. Most toxicologists around the world are granted complete healthcare benefits including medical, life, and dental insurance. However, about 25% of toxicologists in the UK and 20% in Canada indicate that they are not granted any healthcare coverage.

Job Outlook

Many toxicologists report steady incomes and great satisfaction with their jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, opportunities for medical scientists will likely show average growth of approximately 8% until 2024. They also report that positions for forensic science technicians will likely see growth of 19% through 2020. This is faster than the growth rate for all US occupations. There are ample job opportunities available for toxicologists in the other countries examined as well. A job as a toxicologist is typically rather stable in terms of hours and salary, and therefore toxicologists typically experience a positive work-life balance.

Conclusion

Although entry level salaries in toxicology are not always very large, salary and annual bonus amounts typically increase with experience. The job is likely to ensure stability in income and employment, and typically leads to career satisfaction and low levels of stress.