The career possibilities for the pharmaceutical industry are
broad and many of the jobs that are available in the industry don’t get much
press. Certainly, most people who are interested in securing jobs in this field
know about positions like pharmacist or sales rep, though there are many, many
more jobs than that. It’s common for people to approach companies like Vilvet Pharmaceutical in order to learn more about the different careers that are
available in the industry.
While there are too many different types of pharmaceutical industry jobs to
cover in a short article, it is possible to give readers a sample of the types
of jobs they may find in the industry. With that in mind, here are five
promising pharmaceutical industry careers. They were chosen from a broad range
of job types within the industry in order to demonstrate the different career
possibilities.
1. Biochemist
According to GetReSkilled.com, the biochemist is the scientist who helps to the develop the medicines that are sold by pharmaceutical companies. These professionals spend many years in school to learn their trade, and most people who work in biochemistry careers hold Ph.Ds..
Their studies teach them about the physical and chemical principles of living organisms and their biological processes. A biochemist working at a pharmaceutical company conduct research in the lab, develop medicines, manage the lab(s) and prepare technical reports about their findings. The average pay for a biochemist is around $93,000 a year.
2. Sales Rep
A career in pharmaceutical sales is a lucrative one, according to Monster.com. Pharmaceutical reps earn almost $70,000 a year on average, with the highest paid reps earning nearly $112,000 a year. Sales professionals who approach pharmaceutical companies like Vilvet Pharmaceutical looking for a career in the industry will build relationships with company clients.
To that end, pharmaceutical sales reps will learn about company products in detail and keep detailed client records. The pharmaceutical sales representative is often the “face” of the industry. That is to say that when people think of careers in the pharmaceutical industry, they often think of a career in sales first.
3. Documentation Coordinator or Specialist
The pharmaceutical industry is highly regulated. As such, people who work as documentation specialists must keep track of these regulations and at the same time, write up, distribute, store and collect the company’s documents. These professionals are responsible for keeping both digital and paper records and revising documents that are out-of-date.
They also provide a point of contact to pharmaceutical professionals who need access to company documents. Finally, they must keep up with the industry’s regulatory requirements. These pharmaceutical industry professionals average about $47,000 a year.
4. IT Roles
The advances in technology have affected every industry, including the pharmaceutical industry. As such, IT professionals play a big role in the work that Vilvet Pharmaceuticals does as well as in the industry at large. As with all jobs in the industry, this aspect of the industry is also highly regulated.
As such, a big part of the computer systems validation (CSV) job is to ensure that the systems are in compliance with government regulations. Job titles in this area include CSV Engineer or CSV Specialist. The salary for this job ranges between $45,000 and $85,000 a year.
5. Quality Manager
The quality manager pays attention to how the final product turns out. Given how tied the quality of the final product is to the public’s health and well-being, this job counts as one of the most important in the industry. The quality manager ensures that a company’s products meet industry standards. He/she is additionally responsible for resolving issues, carrying out procedures and managing records related to his/her job. The salary one can expect for this job is about $83,000 a year on average with the highest salaries coming in at over $125,000 a year.
Final Thoughts on Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Careers in the pharmaceutical industry are among the most financially lucrative around with minimum salaries starting in the mid-40s and high salaries coming in at over 100 grand a year. Preparation for each career type varies.
Some jobs require advanced degrees in the sciences and many years of schooling. Others require educational training in technology or marketing and sales. Additionally, there are many career paths for the would-be pharmaceutical industry professional.
Job outlook is promising and is expected to grow at least until the year 2021. It also tends to be an industry that sees fewer up and down cycles, making it a very stable career choice.
Finally, it’s possible to enter the field from another industry, provided that the person has performed a similar job in his/her previous industry. This means that those who aren’t working the industry now can start building a career in the industry even if they don’t have pharmaceutical industry experience.
