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Yes, major pharmaceuticals is an excellent career path. Careers in pharmaceuticals are in demand, well paid, and respected. Due to the complex nature of the subject, it’s unlikely that you’ll have a difficult time finding a job in the field or will struggle to find other opportunities if one doesn’t work for you.
Many of the careers in this field also have the added benefit of being able to help people. It’s not immediate, but new drugs and treatments can have a hugely positive effect on people’s quality of life, as well as their lifespan.
If the above careers sound interesting to you and the requirements to break into the field don’t seem daunting, then you should definitely consider a career in the field.
Here are 17 great jobs in Major Pharmaceuticals:
10 of the Best Paying Jobs in Pharmaceuticals
The majority of careers in the pharmaceutical industry are quite well paid, as the field is extremely complicated and precise. Mistakes can also have life-altering consequences. Many of the skills required for these careers move you into a niche, and a career in this field is likely to involve continued specialization.
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Average Annual Salary: $82,000
Pharmacologists create new medicines. A high-level degree is required, either in pharmacology or medicine. Sometimes they’re involved in the running of clinical trials if they have the right qualifications.
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Average Annual Salary: $90,000
Clinical Research Managers are in charge of the clinical trials. They make sure that everything is done properly and that they have the right people for the project. This job is going to require knowledge of the research being done and often a degree in pharmacology if that’s what’s being researched.
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Average Annual Salary: $94,000
The pay and duties of this job are going to vary depending on what college or university you work for and how long you’ve been there. It requires a high level of education – unusually, a doctoral degree. Duties will include teaching classes, doing research, and getting research papers published.
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Average Annual Salary: $104,000
Medical writers require a strong understanding of medicine and its subject. So, in this case, you could be a medical writer about pharmaceuticals. People in this career are well paid because they require high levels of knowledge about their subject as well as the writing practices in the field.
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Pharmacoepidemiologist
Average Annual Salary: N/A
This role is focused on after the drug has been released rather than creating new medicine. Pharmacoepidemiogists study the effects of drugs on populations. It’s so named because it mixes the study of clinical pharmacology with epidemiology, or how illness or other adverse health conditions affect a population.
Researchers in this field ask: does this drug help? And if so, does it help enough to counteract the side effects?
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Pharmacometrician
Average Annual Salary: N/A
A pharmacometrician is a cross between a pharmacologist and a mathematician, hence the name. Someone in this position is in charge of all of the mathematical metrics of a study. Because of that, they also need to be well versed in pharmacology or medicine.
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Average Annual Salary: $52,000
This job is more of a managerial role than a research one. However, in order to effectively manage a research project, you have to have an understanding of what it is you’re researching.
A clinical research coordinator would be in charge of making sure that all the different parts of a study come together and that the different departments are able to work with one another.
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Average Annual Salary: $101,000
A person in this position is tasked with making sure that the drug in question is safe and is used safely. They’re aware of different medications that can have synergistic or other adverse effects with the drug. They are also responsible for the studies involving drugs’ negative side effects and help with proper labeling and warnings on medications.
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Average Annual Salary: $83,000
Formulation scientists aren’t exclusive to pharmaceuticals, but that is where the majority of them are employed. This job requires in-depth knowledge of chemistry, as their job is to create chemical formulas for products. Mostly this is for various pharmaceuticals, but it can also be for other industries, creating formulas for fertilizer, dye, and fuel.
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Average Annual Salary: $84,000
This career is not unique to the pharmaceutical industry, but a lot of research goes into the creation, development, and safety testing of drugs. Research scientists are higher-level researchers spending their workday in a research environment. A good memory, precision, and attention to detail are necessary qualities for this job.
The careers listed here are very well compensated because they require high levels of education and experience. A lot of them require doctoral degrees in complex subjects. If you haven’t gotten your doctorate yet or are just looking to get started in the field, the following list is a good place to start.
10 Entry-Level Jobs in Pharmaceuticals
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Average Annual Salary: $125,000
This job is generally more customer-facing and can range from working in a national chain, such as CVS, to a local pharmacy, to a dispensary in a hospital. A degree in pharmacology or pharmacy is required, but it doesn’t need as high a level of education as someone who fabricates new drugs.
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Average Annual Salary: $62,000
If you’re interested in research, this is a way to get started in it. This is a low-level research position where you’d be aiding the more experienced researchers. Many people in this role have a bachelor’s degree, making it easier to get into. As it’s a clinical research position, you will be tasked with being part of clinical trials.
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Average Annual Salary: $56,000
This job relates less directly to pharmaceuticals, as it doesn’t require pharmacology or a medical degree. However, many drugs (antibiotics) are created expressly to deal with bacteria. And bacteria are a microbiologist’s specialty.
Knowledge of new types of bacteria and how bacteria become resistant to medications are important in the development of new drugs.
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Average Annual Salary: $41,000
This is a less specialized type of researcher than a clinical research assistant, and it’s not specific to pharmaceuticals. However, if you’re aiming to become a pharmacologist, researcher, or research coordinator, this is the place to start that career path.
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Average Annual Salary: $37,000
Quality assurance technicians make sure that ingredients and the manufacturing process are up to par. As the standards in pharmaceuticals are exacting, they’re utterly necessary to the industry. This career has a good amount of room for advancement and growth as well.
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Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
Average Annual Salary: $103,000
If you’re interested in pharmacology but don’t want to be a researcher, this is a job to look at.
Salespeople for pharmaceutical companies need to have an understanding of the product they’re selling, so a degree in the field is highly recommended, especially as most of the people and companies you’d be selling to would have a strong understanding of the drugs as well.
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Average Annual Salary: $74,000
While not directly involved in the creation or study of drugs, a strong understanding of pharmacology is helpful in this position. Toxicologists study tissue samples to look for signs of drugs, chemicals, or poisons.
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Average Annual Salary: $32,000
This position doesn’t even require a pharmacology degree – or college degree at all – though a bachelor’s is preferred. A pharmacist clerk is entirely on the customer-facing side of a pharmacy. They’re responsible for dealing with payments, appointments, and communicating about the drugs to the customers.
They’re sort of the pharmacist’s assistant. It’s a perfectly valid career in and of itself, but it’s also a good way to learn more about pharmacology and pharmacists while pursuing a degree.
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Assistant Pharmacology Professor
Average Annual Salary: N/A
Getting a professorship is extremely difficult, so if it’s a career path that interests you, starting as an assistant is a good idea. This allows you to learn about teaching and research, as well as get contacts in the university system.
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Average Annual Salary: $66,000
Nursing is known for having a brutal schedule. However, a staff nurse works a much more reasonable set of hours – more along the lines of the typical forty-hour week.
While again not directly related to pharmaceuticals, nurses and other medical professionals are necessary for the trials. They’re involved with talking to the participants in the trial and monitoring their health.
Due to the nature of this field, almost all of these starter careers require at least a bachelor’s degree and potentially some certifications. However, once you’ve met the requirements, it shouldn’t be too difficult to break in.
Why Choose a Career in Pharmaceuticals?
Working with pharmaceuticals is precise and exacting. But because of that, there are myriad benefits to go along with a career in this field. While it isn’t recommended for everyone, it’s something to strongly consider if the below qualities describe you.
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You’re very detail-oriented. Pharmaceuticals are very precise chemistry. Too much, and you could poison someone. Too little, and the drug won’t have any effect. Being willing to keep refining is a must for this career field.
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Being well paid is important to you. While not every career in this field is highly salaried, pharmacology is important and requires high levels of education. Most people in the field do difficult work and are well compensated for it in return.
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Patience is one of your virtues. If you work in pharmacology or research, you have to be willing to wait for your work to have an effect. Checking, double-checking, and then having someone else check the results are required for careers like this. It often takes years for a new drug to go to market.
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You don’t mind working for a big company. Most pharmaceutical companies are very large. That isn’t inherently bad, but there is definitely a different culture in a large company than in a smaller one. Most of the careers listed here would either be in a pharmaceutical company, a large university, or a major hospital.
There are many things to recommend for a job in pharmaceuticals. You’d be well paid for your expertise, and because of the level of it, it’s unlikely you’d struggle to find a job.
The likelihood that you’d be replaced by lower-skilled workers or machines is also essentially nonexistent. It does require a great deal of schooling and attention to detail, but if that isn’t daunting to you, then looking at a career in pharmaceuticals is an excellent idea.
Education and Certification Requirements for a Career in Pharmaceuticals.
Higher levels of education are strongly recommended for a career in this field. It, of course, depends on what you’re aiming for, but here are some suggestions.
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Pharmacology. This one is likely to open the most doors and have the most uses in the pharmaceutical industry, especially if you have a higher-level degree, such as a master’s or doctorate.
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Pharmacy. This is for if you want to be a pharmacist or manage a pharmacy.
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Medicine. Of course, this is a higher-level degree with lots of options. However, those with medical degrees and certifications are sought after in pharmaceuticals, either for research or helping in trials.
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Chemistry. Pharmaceuticals all boil down to chemistry. A chemistry degree can get you into the pharmaceutical industry, especially if it’s a higher-level degree. It’s also an excellent bachelor’s that you can then transition into pharmacology.
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Biology. Medicine affects biology in different ways. This is best if you’re interested in being a microbiologist, or it’s an excellent bachelor’s to segue into pharmacology.
There are myriad certificates you can get or are required. This is just a brief list of ones to be aware of.
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Pharmacists must be licensed. This varies from state to state, but all pharmacists must have the required level of education and complete a training program. Then you have to get licensed by your state’s board.
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Nurses have to be registered. Of course, this isn’t just for nurses. Any medical professional has to have the right level of education and training before they can legally practice.
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Certified Pharamceducatal Industry Professional (CPIP). This is a professional certification program for the industry. It’s a broad certification that covers knowledge of the whole process – development through manufacturing. It’s controlled by the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology.
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Certified Sales Professional (CSP). This is a certification if you’re interested in going in the sales direction. The Manufacturer’s Representatives Education Research Foundation (MRERF) certifies you.
There are certifications for the various aspects of pharmacology as well, which you should select based on what you choose to specialize in. However, unless you’re choosing to go into sales or work as a pharmacy clerk, the best thing you can do is further your education.
What Do People Working In Pharmaceuticals Do?
The pharmaceutical industry is far-reaching, leading to a lot of opportunities for careers and advancement in the sector. However, it’s a very complicated and strictly regulated field, which does limit its reach.
The vast majority of jobs in the industry are going to be tied to the research and development of new drugs and treatments. There are some other options as well, such as sales, quality control, and studying the effectiveness of drugs.
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Author
Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.
