Researchers will continue to look for and find newer and more effective drugs, as the nation's population ages. This also will mean an increased demand for production of many of the drugs the older population needs. This field is expected to experience job growth over the next few decades.
When it comes to jobs in the pharmaceutical industry, the major drug companies are not the only source of this increased job growth. There will be an increased need for registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the retail sector with a median salary of $106,000 and clinical pharmacists will be in demand. The median salary is over $96,000 for a clinical pharmacist according to Certified Compensation Professional's analysis of salary survey data. This gives you some idea of the range that is paid on a national basis.
Of course, when you get into the biologists and scientists involved in the field, these pay scales can vary on experience and education, but offer some top paying positions, depending on the situation. Median salaries start at $50,000 for beginning Level 1, and work their way up.
Online pharmacists are a new classification that has developed over the past few years, as more people use the Internet for their prescription drugs. The median pay on these positions is $99,800, so it is as lucrative as pharmacists in the retail sector.
Pharmaceutical sales representatives can expect anywhere from a base salary of $58,000 to $80,000 plus commissions and bonuses, according to the salary survey.
You can see that the pharmaceutical industry offers decent jobs that have growth potential. As the healthcare field is expected to experience up to 10% growth in the next ten years, some analysts see it increasing more than that with the national movement towards health insurance incentives by the government.
Other occupations that are specialized pharmaceutical positions might include anesthesiologists and toxicologists, for example. Even Pharmacy IT specialists will become a growing occupation in this industry. In fact, when you think of all the possibilities for jobs from production to a pharmaceutical scientist in development, you can imagine the varied experience necessary and the areas of job growth that are linked to the pharmaceutical industry.
For example, you can get pharmaceutical training in as little as two years to prepare for your certification as a pharmacy technician. A bachelor's degree in sales and marketing might be required for pharmaceutical sales representatives. A degree in engineering may be necessary for mechanical engineers, manufacturing engineers and technical engineers. A master's degree in clinical research, a master's degree in biology, biotechnology or health services might ensure a position in the pharmaceutical industry.
The key to landing a position is to take the proper training courses, with a program that is right for the area of expertise you want to get into. If you can get valuable hands-on experience while training, your chances are increased of landing a top paying job.
