Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industry

Career Paths in Biotech & Pharma

Are you curious about the myriad of career paths available in the bioscience industry? Check out the various opportunities and resources below curated specifically for STEM PhDs.

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Assessment Resources

BioMed X Institute: Working at the interface between academia and industryShare This: Share BioMed X Institute: Working at the interface between academia and industry on FacebookShare BioMed X Institute: Working at the interface between academia and industry on LinkedInShare BioMed X Institute: Working at the interface between academia and industry on X
BioMed X is an independent research institute with sites in Heidelberg, Germany, New Haven, Connecticut, XSeed Labs in Ridgefield, Connecticut, …

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Vault Career Guide to Pharmaceuticals and BiotechnologyShare This: Share Vault Career Guide to Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology on FacebookShare Vault Career Guide to Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology on LinkedInShare Vault Career Guide to Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology on X
The Vault Guides to Jobs series provides essential information about key careers and industries, with an emphasis on preparing for …

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The Antidote by Barry WerthShare This: Share The Antidote by Barry Werth on FacebookShare The Antidote by Barry Werth on LinkedInShare The Antidote by Barry Werth on X
In this timely and much praised book, Barry Werth draws upon inside reporting that spans more than two decades. He …

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Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech by Sally Smith HughesShare This: Share Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech by Sally Smith Hughes on FacebookShare Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech by Sally Smith Hughes on LinkedInShare Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech by Sally Smith Hughes on X
Drawing from an unparalleled collection of interviews with early biotech players, Sally Smith Hughes offers the first book-length history of …

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How to Turn Your PhD into a Career in BiotechShare This: Share How to Turn Your PhD into a Career in Biotech on FacebookShare How to Turn Your PhD into a Career in Biotech on LinkedInShare How to Turn Your PhD into a Career in Biotech on X
For those with scientific training, there are a diverse array of exciting and rewarding career paths outside of academia. In …

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Hopkins Biotech PodcastShare This: Share Hopkins Biotech Podcast on FacebookShare Hopkins Biotech Podcast on LinkedInShare Hopkins Biotech Podcast on X
Hopkins Biotech Podcast democratizes conversations that add value to students who study the life sciences and are interested in non-academic …

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News from OCS

Yale PhDs and Postdocs Visit Johnson & Johnson Headquarters in New Brunswick, NJ

STEM PhD Pathways: Career Paths in Early‑Stage Biotech

Yale Graduate Students and Postdocs Explore Career Horizons at Jackson Laboratories

From Yale To Pharma – And Everywhere In Between with Arjel Bautista PhD ’10

Resource: Science Careers How-To Series

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Explore Job Market InsightsIn partnership with

Search continually updated U.S. market trends to learn about job types (job functions), growth trends, and desired skills. The results will include general information about each job (functional area), employment trends from the past two years and projections for the next 10 years, employers that have that role, desired education level, skills for the position, and more!

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Occupation Description
Employment Trends
Top Employers
Education Levels
Annual Earnings
Technical Skills
Core Competencies
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Occupation Description

Employment Trends

The number of jobs in the career for the past two years, the current year, and projections for the next 10 years. Job counts include both employed and self-employed persons, and do not distinguish between full- and part-time jobs. Sources include Emsi industry data, staffing patterns, and OES data.

Top Employers

These companies are currently hiring for .

Education Levels

The educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold Bachelor’s Degrees vs. Associate Degrees). Educational attainment levels are provided by O*NET.

Annual Earnings

Earnings figures are based on OES data from the BLS and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.

Technical Skills

A list of hard skills associated with a given career ordered by the number of unique job postings which ask for those skills.

Core Competencies

The skills for the career. The "importance" is how relevant the ability is to the occupation: scale of 1-5. The "level" is the proficiency required by the occupation: scale of 0-100. Results are sorted by importance first, then level.

Job Titles

A list of job titles for all unique postings in a given career, sorted by frequency.

Alumni Spotlights

Tayah Turocy (Ph.D. ’24, Chemical Biology)

PhD, STEM

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Consultant Bain & Company

Meet Tayah

Ashley Schloss (Ph.D. ’17, MB&B)

PhD, STEM

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Senior Manager for McKinsey Global Assessment McKinsey

Meet Ashley

Yannan Liu (’22 PhD Chemistry)

PhD, STEM

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Senior Scientist Bristol Myers Squibb

Meet Yannan

Ben Akhuetie-Oni (’19 PhD MCDB)

PhD, STEM

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Director of Business Assessment, Oncology Pfizer

Meet Ben

Hao Xu (’22 PhD Immunology)

PhD, STEM

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Scientist 3 Genentech

Meet Hao

Yichen Wang (MS’23, Biostatistics)

Masters, PhD, STEM

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Statistical Consultant Moderna

Meet Yichen

Arjel Bautista (PhD ’10 Chemistry)

PhD, STEM

Senior Director, ESG Performance and Reporting Bristol Myers Squibb

Meet Arjel

Jeff Chen (PhD ’20, Immunobiology)

PhD, STEM

Director BridgeBio

Meet Jeff

Timothy Zheng (PhD ’99, Immunobiology)

PhD, STEM

Chief Scientific Officer Siduma Therapeutics

Meet Timothy

Elenoe Crew Smith (PhD ’12, Cell Biology)

PhD, STEM

Director Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Meet Elenoe Crew

Keerthi Shetty (PhD ’15, Immunobiology)

PhD, STEM

Associate Director Intellia Therapeutics, Inc.

Meet Keerthi

Peng Zhong (PhD ’13, Microbiology)

International Alumnus, PhD, STEM

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Associate Director, Senior Program Lead Bayer

Meet Peng

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Past Events & Webinars

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Books, Podcasts & More

The Antidote by Barry WerthShare This: Share The Antidote by Barry Werth on FacebookShare The Antidote by Barry Werth on LinkedInShare The Antidote by Barry Werth on X
In this timely and much praised book, Barry Werth draws upon inside reporting that spans more than two decades. He …

                        Read More
                        
Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech by Sally Smith HughesShare This: Share Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech by Sally Smith Hughes on FacebookShare Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech by Sally Smith Hughes on LinkedInShare Genentech: The Beginnings of Biotech by Sally Smith Hughes on X
Drawing from an unparalleled collection of interviews with early biotech players, Sally Smith Hughes offers the first book-length history of …

                        Read More
                        
How to Turn Your PhD into a Career in BiotechShare This: Share How to Turn Your PhD into a Career in Biotech on FacebookShare How to Turn Your PhD into a Career in Biotech on LinkedInShare How to Turn Your PhD into a Career in Biotech on X
For those with scientific training, there are a diverse array of exciting and rewarding career paths outside of academia. In …

                        Read More
                        
Hopkins Biotech PodcastShare This: Share Hopkins Biotech Podcast on FacebookShare Hopkins Biotech Podcast on LinkedInShare Hopkins Biotech Podcast on X
Hopkins Biotech Podcast democratizes conversations that add value to students who study the life sciences and are interested in non-academic …

                        Read More
                        
NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education YouTube ChannelShare This: Share NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education YouTube Channel on FacebookShare NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education YouTube Channel on LinkedInShare NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education YouTube Channel on X

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The Billion Dollar Molecule: One Company’s Quest for the Perfect DrugShare This: Share The Billion Dollar Molecule: One Company’s Quest for the Perfect Drug on FacebookShare The Billion Dollar Molecule: One Company’s Quest for the Perfect Drug on LinkedInShare The Billion Dollar Molecule: One Company’s Quest for the Perfect Drug on X
Join journalist Barry Werth as he pulls back the curtain on Vertex, a start-up pharmaceutical company, and witness firsthand the …

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Featured Organizations

                        
                                Yale Biotech Club                                                            
                    
                                National Institutes of Health (NIH)                                                            
                    
                                American Association for the Advancement of Science                                                            
                    
                                MassBio                                                            
                    
                                BioCT                                                            
                    
                                Yale Center for Biotechnology Innovation and Technology (CBIT)

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Experiential Learning Opportunities

InterSect Job Simulations – Science Sims

Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking (Tsai CITY) Programs

View All Experiences

SERVICE HOURS

Day of the week	Academic Year	Summer Hours
Monday	8:30am - 5pm	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5pm	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5pm	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5pm	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 5pm	8:30am - 4:30pm

The office is closed weekends, holidays, and recess days.

Career Paths in Biotech & Pharma

Sidebar

Explore STEM PhD Pathways

Assessment Resources

News from OCS

Yale PhDs and Postdocs Visit Johnson & Johnson Headquarters in New Brunswick, NJ

STEM PhD Pathways: Career Paths in Early‑Stage Biotech

Yale Graduate Students and Postdocs Explore Career Horizons at Jackson Laboratories

From Yale To Pharma – And Everywhere In Between with Arjel Bautista PhD ’10

Resource: Science Careers How-To Series

Explore Job Market InsightsIn partnership with

Occupation Description

Employment Trends

Top Employers

Education Levels

Annual Earnings

Technical Skills

Core Competencies

Job Titles

Alumni Spotlights

Past Events & Webinars

Career Diversity in Biotech & Pharma

Exploring Postdocs in Industry

Exploring Approaches to Developing Pharmaceuticals

Finding Your Fit in the Bioscience Industry

Books, Podcasts & More

Featured Organizations

Yale Biotech Club

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

American Association for the Advancement of Science

MassBio

BioCT

Yale Center for Biotechnology Innovation and Technology (CBIT)

Experiential Learning Opportunities

InterSect Job Simulations – Science Sims

Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking (Tsai CITY) Programs

SERVICE HOURS

STEM PhD Pathways: Career Paths in Early‑Stage Biotech