Pharmaceutical manufacturing is the process of manufacturing medicines on an industrial scale. Medicine goes to the manufacturing stage when it’s been thoroughly tested and approved for use. The manufacturing stage is all about repeating the same recipe to make the medicine again and again. Therefore, the process of manufacturing medicine is all about systems and not science.
When it comes to pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, individuals are simply required to follow processes and check quality. This is to verify if all products are of the same quality each and every time they are manufactured so that people can rely on the medicine and not worry about anything.
There are several careers in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, these include manufacturing and quality managers, project managers, research and development managers, laboratory analysts, sales representatives, and many more. Let’s take a look at these in detail below.
Most Common Careers in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
1. Manufacturing and quality managers
The salary for manufacturing and quality managers in the pharmaceutical industry ranges from $58, 000 to $126, 800. Manufacturing managers are in the production department while quality managers are there to ensure the safety and quality of products that are to be used by the public.
These quality managers are responsible for investigating and ensuring all standards are met when manufacturing the products.
They are also responsible for delivering reports, implementing safety procedures for testing, managing records of the products, etc. They make sure all products are of the right quality before they go to the distribution stage.
2. Project managers and research & development managers
The salary for project managers arranges from $54, 600 to $138, 400, while for research and development managers it ranges from $61,165 to $156,551.
Project managers are responsible for overseeing novel medicines, medical equipment, and other healthcare product development. The project manager is also working closely with doctors and clinical researchers to ensure timelines and budgets are met.
Research and development managers, on the other hand, get involved in research, project, and personnel management.
3. Pharmaceutical manufacturing associates
The pharmaceutical manufacturing associate’s roles include manufacturing pharmaceutical batches by setting up, cleaning, operating, and maintaining equipment.
The average pay for a pharmaceutical manufacturing career is $50, 039 in the United States of America as of this year. In case you need a breakdown, the pay is approximately $24. 00 an hour, about $962 per week, and $4, 169 per month.
4. Laboratory analysts
The salary of Laboratory analysts ranges from $29,945 to $56,868. Their responsibilities involve testing the physical, chemical, or biological makeup of new products and samples. They as well analyze the results to see if they are accurate and free of errors.
5. Sales representatives
The average salary of sales representatives ranges from $50,463 to $111,499; their responsibilities involve having in-depth knowledge of the products that are manufactured, and they are responsible for the sale of the products and maintaining as well as building relationships with clients.
6 Great Reasons to Choose a Pharmaceutical Career
There are many reasons why many individuals are choosing pharmaceutical careers nowadays. These reasons include the fact that the pharmaceutical industry is growing massively. We will take a look at this in detail below and many others as well:
The continuous growth of the pharmaceutical industry
The pharmaceutical industry is growing massively. With revenue increasing from $390bn in 2001 to a project of $1.4tn in 2022, the industry is estimated to grow at an annual pace of 5% per year. The pharmaceutical industry has been resilient even during difficult financial times for other industries.
The growth of the pharmaceutical industry has led to well-paying jobs
According to studies, industry employment grew from 3.64 million in 2006 to 5.5 million in 2017, worldwide. The employment rate continues to grow massively, and more importantly, these pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs pay very well. In Europe, individuals who work in the pharmaceutical industry earn 30% more than the national average salary. This makes it one of the most well-paying careers in the world.
The industry does not suffer from cyclical ups and downs
As mentioned above, the pharmaceutical industry has maintained success even in the most difficult financial times when other industries are in financial crisis. The industry invests a lot of money in research and development when compared to other industries and this shows how stable it is.
The industry doesn’t suffer from cyclical ups and downs
As previously mentioned, even in the most difficult of financial times, the pharmaceutical industry has maintained success. A good measure of this success is seen by the money invested in research and development.
The industry offers great opportunities for career growth
Many companies work hand in hand with the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, which means there are a lot of job opportunities, and you can as well progress in your career. These companies also tend to be found in clusters. Some of the biggest pharmaceutical industry clusters include the Netherlands, Ireland, the United Kingdom, etc.
The industry allows you to leverage your previous work experience
There are usually a lot of misunderstandings when it comes to the skills and qualifications needed to have a career in the pharmaceutical industry. Many think that to qualify you need to have a degree in science, multiple years of pharmaceutical industry experience, or some experience in the lab. However, that is not true; these qualifications are great but they are not necessarily needed to have a career in the career. Having engineering or manufacturing experience from another industry, or experience in maintenance and certain demonstrated technical skills can lend you a career in the pharmaceutical industry.
Last Words
Having a career in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is considered to be great nowadays because of how the industry continues to grow massively. To apply for a job, you may need a degree in science, life sciences, pharmacy, etc.
Check out this blog post: 15 BEST PAYING JOBS IN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS
Michael C Vang is a passionate blogger. He has been blogging since 2013 on a variety of topics. He is committed to creating informative and engaging content that helps readers learn more about everything.
