Salaries in the Life Sciences: the Chemical Industry Pays Best    By Heike Friedrichsen

As they start their careers, graduates of the life or bio sciences are faced with the same question as other young scientists: academia or industry? For those basing their decision mainly on financial factors, it's an easy choice: industry generally pays far higher salaries than those offered by research or higher education institutions.

According to an analysis by salary consultants PersonalMarkt, entry-level employees in industry can expect an annual salary of almost 51,000 euros, whereas at research institutes they earn on average just 40,000 euros a year, and at higher education institutions only 38,000 euros.

Salary levels are determined by the industry and the job: biotechnology and the chemical industry lead the field

Those who choose the right industry in their search for a job may be able to negotiate an even higher salary. Bio scientists at chemical companies for example earn average starting salaries of almost 59,000 euros a year; the highest earners may even reach incomes of over 65,000 euros.

Biotechnology is the economically most important branch of the life sciences. No wonder, then, that it's also where the highest salaries are paid: biotechnologists earn an average of 60,700 euros a year. However, the spread is wide: while a quarter of all biotechnologists whose data were analysed earned less than 49,500 euros a year, top earners may make over 70,000 euros.

The job itself also plays a part in determining salaries: the highest starting salaries are paid in the field of quality assurance, where graduates earn an average of 50,200 euros a year. By comparison, in research and development departments their average pay is just under 47,000 euros a year. A wide range of jobs, usually requiring no PhD, are available in sales, marketing and at management consultancies. There is good money to be made here too: in sales, for example, entry-level salaries are approximately 48,000 euros.

Professional experience and postgraduate degrees pay off

Age and experience are further factors in determining salary levels. At three to six years of professional experience, average annual income rises to 52,300 euros, and more than ten years of experience are remunerated with an average salary of 70,300 euros.

The differences in salary between industry and research, however, change little with increasing professional experience: while the salaries of top earners in businesses in the chemical industry or medical engineering may reach an average of 100,000 euros or more, a quarter of all employees at research institutes and higher education institutions earn less than 40,000 euros a year.

And then there's the PhD: a successful post-doctoral qualification gives access not only to better career opportunities, but also to significantly more money. PhDs are rewarded with an annual salary of on average almost 70,000 euros.

Supervisory responsibility pays off

Salaries are also positively affected by taking on managerial responsibility. While employees who do not manage others earn on average 51,500 euros a year, at approximately 82,600 euros the salaries of managers with supervisory responsibilities are around 30,000 euros higher. The salaries of top earners in the industry are higher still: according to PersonalMarkt's data analysis, a quarter of all managers in the life sciences earn over 100,000 euros a year.

Size matters

The size of a company, in terms of its staff numbers, also affects salary. The rule of thumb is: corporations and large companies pay higher salaries than mid-market businesses, and these in turn pay better than small companies or startups. Career starters at companies with over 1,000 employees earn on average almost 50,000 euros, while at companies with fewer than 100 employees this figure is nearly 10,000 euros lower, at around 40,000 euros.

academics :: June 2010