Pharmaceutical Industry Channel

Jobs and Job Growth

What Kind of Jobs Exist?

About 29% of all jobs in the pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industry are in professional and related occupations.  These consist of computer specialists, biological, chemical and engineering technicians, biological and medical scientists, chemical and material scientists.  There is a great deal of overlap in these occupations in the biotechnology industry as well – to include environmental, industrial and food biotechnology.  Many clinical medical professionals (medical doctors, registered nurses, public health specialists, epidemiologists, and physiologists) also work in private industry, universities, hospitals and government laboratories working in applied research or product development directly related to both industries.

In addition, sales and marketing representatives as well as technical sales support workers often work with the customer, production, engineering and R&D departments in these industries to determine how products and services could be designed or modified to best suit the consumer’s needs.

Which Jobs Represent the Fastest Growing Sector?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall growth in the pharmaceutical industry is predicted to grow 26.1% between 2004-2014 -- well above the 14% growth anticipated for all industries combined.  Strong demand is anticipated for professional occupations – especially for the biological and medical scientists engaged in R&D, and computer specialists such as systems analysts and computer support specialists.

An array of life scientists make up the largest block of professionals in the industry. Just some of those in demand include biologists and bacteriologists, physiologists, pharmacologists, zoologists, virologists, microbiologists and toxicologists.  Additionally, the work of chemists in a wide range of subspecialities is key to drug development, as the role of technicians and engineers with specialized knowledge required to set up and maintain laboratory equipment used in testing, and to monitor and analyze results.

In an effort to curb research and technological development costs, many companies have merged.  As processes are consolidated and become more efficient, growth in some industry positions such as a number of office support positions has been slowed.  Competitive pressures and advancing technology will pressure companies to improve and update product designs more frequently and to optimize sales processes.  As companies consolidate and grow in size, so do their marketing and sales departments.  Despite substantial increases over the past decade, sales forces at pharmaceutical firms should continue to experience growth.  Particularly strong growth is expected for business operations specialists positions. Prospects will be best for those with the appropriate knowledge or technical expertise.

The biotechnology sector experienced an upsurge in growth in 2003 – a marked turn from market hits during 2000 through 2002. Considered by the Department of Labor to be among the nation's "economically critical, high-growth industries," biotechnology employers are expected to similarly see faster-than-average growth in some of the same scientific, technical and sales occupations as in the pharmaceutical industry, according to the DoL's Career Voyages web site.  Specifically, the fastest-growing biotechnology occupations are projected to include: Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians, Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists, Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists, Biochemists and Biophysicists, and Biomedical Engineers.

For additional details on projected growth, earnings and education requirements, see Occupational Outlook for Selected Pharmaceutical Careers, on following page of this channel.

What are the Professional Growth Opportunities?

Training requirements for jobs in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry are similar and range from a few hours of on-the-job training to years of formal education plus job experience, depending on the job. However, pharmaceutical workers are generally highly trained and educated, with more than 60% of all workers holding a bachelor’s, master’s, professional or Ph.D. degree – more than twice the proportion for all industries combined.

Specifically in science, research and clinical medicine related fields, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies prefer to hire college graduates, particularly those with strong scientific backgrounds.  Individuals with advanced degrees and several years of experience may eventually advance to a managerial position.  Publication of scientific papers is also strongly encouraged.

As the Bureau of Labor Statistics observes, these industries places a "heavy emphasis" on continuing education for employees, and many firms provide classroom training in safety, environmental and quality control, and technological advances. Even those workers who are not directly involved in advanced scientific research should expect to undertake ongoing training or refresher study of some kind, in order to keep abreast of the latest technologies and drug developments.  In these industries, for example, sales and marketing represents 3% of all related occupations. Earnings of sales representatives usually are based on a combination of salary and commission.  Most sales and marketing workers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have previous work experience in a related specialty, and prospects are better for those with appropriate knowledge and/or technical expertise. It is important for sales and marketing professionals to continue their education throughout their careers, as their value to their employers is directly related to their knowledge of the latest technology.

Earnings

Median annual earnings in the pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing industry are generally higher than the average for all manufacturing industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In May 2004, for example, production or nonsupervisory workers in the industry averaged $892 a week, while those in all manufacturing industries averaged $659 a week. The following hourly earnings for select occupations reflect averages, and vary substantially based on specific field, educational background, years of experience, and work location.

• NEXT: Occupational Outlook for Selected Pharmaceutical Careers

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