How to hire a pharmaceutical scientist

How to hire a pharmaceutical scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step pharmaceutical scientist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a pharmaceutical scientist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new pharmaceutical scientist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a pharmaceutical scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a pharmaceutical scientist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A pharmaceutical scientist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, pharmaceutical scientists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of pharmaceutical scientists.

   Type of Pharmaceutical Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Pharmaceutical Scientist	Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. They often use clinical trials and other investigative methods to reach their findings.	$26-55
   Fellow	A fellow's responsibility will depend on the organization or industry where one belongs. However, most of the time, a fellow's duty will revolve around conducting research and analysis, presiding discussions and attending dialogues, handle lectures while complying with the guidelines or tasks set by supervisors, and assist in various projects and activities... Show more	$22-44
   Researcher	A researcher is responsible for collating, organizing, and verifying necessary information for a specific subject. Researchers' duties include analyzing data, gathering and comparing resources, ensuring facts, sharing findings with the whole research team, adhering to required methodologies, performing fieldwork as needed, and keeping critical information confidential... Show more	$17-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Dosage Forms
   • Pharmaceutical Sciences
   • Formulation Development
   • HPLC
   • DSC
   • FTIR
   • FDA
   • Method Development
   • GMP
   • CMC
   • USP
   • R
   • Drug Development
   • QC

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage collaborations with external CROs.
   • Perform testing of raw materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug products for release and stability in compliance with GMP.
   • Validate new methods to quantify chemical composition to support the stability programs associate with new drug products submit to the FDA.
   • Review CMC and regulatory filings.
   • Optimize the manufacturing process on NDA product.
   • Coordinate the maintenance and calibration of HPLC systems.

   More pharmaceutical scientist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the pharmaceutical scientist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A pharmaceutical scientist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a pharmaceutical scientist in Mississippi may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level pharmaceutical scientist. Additionally, a pharmaceutical scientist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average pharmaceutical scientist salary

   $79,535yearly

   $38.24 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level pharmaceutical scientist salary

   $55,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average pharmaceutical scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$117,802	$57
   2	Maryland	$92,115	$44
   3	Illinois	$90,848	$44
   4	Massachusetts	$86,444	$42
   5	Indiana	$85,380	$41
   6	New Jersey	$84,990	$41
   7	Delaware	$80,928	$39
   8	Pennsylvania	$76,829	$37
   9	Oklahoma	$67,835	$33
   10	Florida	$66,896	$32
   11	North Carolina	$66,325	$32
   12	Nebraska	$59,784	$29
   13	West Virginia	$59,240	$28

   Average pharmaceutical scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BASi	$101,255	$48.68
   2	Ashland	$100,005	$48.08	8
   3	Amgen	$97,623	$46.93	35
   4	AbbVie	$97,530	$46.89	72
   5	BASF	$95,455	$45.89	1
   6	Vertex Pharmaceuticals	$92,366	$44.41	7
   7	Acorda Therapeutics	$91,718	$44.10
   8	Abbott	$87,778	$42.20	19
   9	Teva Pharmaceuticals	$86,983	$41.82
   10	Koniag	$78,987	$37.97
   11	Novartis Consumer Health Inc	$78,145	$37.57
   12	Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine	$76,419	$36.74
   13	Tergus Pharma	$74,659	$35.89	2
   14	Global Blood Therapeutics	$73,282	$35.23
   15	Eurofins	$73,020	$35.11	84
   16	Johnson & Johnson	$72,889	$35.04	83
   17	Novel Laboratories	$71,652	$34.45
   18	Cherokee Pharmaceuticals	$71,618	$34.43
   19	Ad Astra	$71,610	$34.43
   20	Watson Laboratories	$71,250	$34.25

4. Writing a pharmaceutical scientist job description

   A pharmaceutical scientist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a pharmaceutical scientist job description:

   Pharmaceutical scientist job description example

   • \t
   • Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.
   • \t
   • Must be willing to take a drug test and post-offer physical (if required).
   • \t
   • Must be 18 years of age or older.
   • \t
   • This position will require individuals to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved medical or religious accommodation. Click here for more information on the vaccine mandate and COVID-19.

   Who We Are\:

   At Boehringer Ingelheim we create value through innovation with one clear goal\: to improve the lives of patients. We develop breakthrough therapies and innovative healthcare solutions in areas of unmet medical need for both humans and animals. As a family owned company we focus on long term performance. We are powered by 50.000 employees globally who nurture a diverse, collaborative and inclusive culture. Learning and development for all employees is key because your growth is our growth.

   Want to learn more? Visit boehringer-ingelheim.com and join us in our effort to make more health.

   Boehringer Ingelheim is an equal opportunity global employer who takes pride in maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture. We embrace diversity of perspectives and strive for an inclusive environment, which benefits our employees, patients and communities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to a person’s actual or perceived race, including natural hairstyles, hair texture and protective hairstyles; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; citizenship status, marital status; gender, gender identity or expression; sexual orientation, mental, physical or intellectual disability, veteran status; pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other class or characteristic protected by applicable law.

   #LI-JB1

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find pharmaceutical scientists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your pharmaceutical scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit pharmaceutical scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit pharmaceutical scientists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new pharmaceutical scientist

   Once you've found the pharmaceutical scientist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new pharmaceutical scientist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a pharmaceutical scientist?