How To Become A Production Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a production scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Bryan Spiegelberg Ph.D.

Production scientists research new production processes to improve manufacturing systems to make them more time- and cost-efficient and, as a consequence, more profitable. As a production scientist, you may find work in myriad industries that involve the manufacturing of goods, like food processing, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics testing, and many more.

You can opt to specialize in either product or process development as a production scientist, or you may work in both areas. In your role, you will plan and supervise product or production process testings to find the best way to optimize them. You will model new ideas and analyze data collected about existing production.

You will need a degree in biochemistry, engineering, or a related field to embark on a career as a production scientist. Employers looking to hire production scientists seek candidates with analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to follow strict methodologies and work on a team.

What general advice would you give to a production scientist?

Bryan Spiegelberg Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Molecular Sciences, Rider University

Balance patience with a sense of urgency. In a hypercompetitive market, new jobs, or other experiences will likely not be optimal -- the work might be tedious, or the pay might be low. But budding chemists can't get discouraged in these positions, there are still plenty of satisfying careers out there. I would remind these job seekers that they absolutely cannot become complacent, however. Finding those great careers will require hard work. I advise graduates to seek value from every opportunity, tenaciously. For example, can arriving early and leaving late to an entry-level lab position pay dividends in the form of new knowledge or skills? And, most importantly, how can that entry-level position be leveraged to expand the all-important network?

It's also essential for graduates to understand that even the most definite sense of urgency is going to be inefficient in the absence of a cohesive plan. Planning is stressful, though, when one is just starting. I advise grads to use multiple tools, including their network and their alma mater's career services department, to identify mentors who can help them establish appropriate goals and strategies.

ScoreProduction ScientistUS Average

Salary

6.1

Avg. Salary $77,464

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 23.27%

Black or African American 6.13%

Hispanic or Latino 9.31%

Unknown 4.03%

White 57.11%

Gender

female 41.64%

male 58.36%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a production scientist

Explore production scientist education requirements

Most common production scientist degrees

Bachelor's

83.2 %

Master's

10.0 %

Associate

4.0 %

Start to develop specific production scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
Process Improvement	14.34%
QC	8.22%
Lab Equipment	7.10%
GMP	5.74%
Molecular Biology	4.19%

Complete relevant production scientist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New production scientists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a production scientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real production scientist resumes.

Research production scientist duties and responsibilities

Manage a team focuse on genotyping, purification, and quantitation assays, including training of new scientists.
Develop and manage third party claim investigations and contractor remedial oversight for various insurance companies.
Follow current GMP, GDP and FDA regulations to maintain documentation and improve work instructions.
Extract biological samples and analyze via HPLC and LC/MS/MS analysis in accordance with GLP regulations.

Prepare your production scientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your production scientist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a production scientist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable production scientist resume templates

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