Want to follow your passions as well as your wallet? Here are some life science jobs you can’t afford to miss out on.
A career in the life sciences offers you plenty of scope for doing something that you love. Life sciences are exactly what they sound like: sciences related to the process of life. This means studying meteors for bacteria, performing forensic examinations, and studying toxicology reports. A life scientist could specialise in haematology, in plants or in veterinary medicine. What we want to know, is which of these diverse roles will pay you the most, should you decide to retrain.
The Life Science Jobs Which Pay the Most
Without further ado, here are some of the life science jobs which pay the highest salaries. Don’t forget that you can browse more roles by searching for life science jobs at Hays. You can even upload your CV and let employers come to you.
Biotechnologist
A biotechnician specialises in the chemical, genetic, and physical attributes of cells and organisms. They then use the information they gather to create new technology which helps us live our lives. They could work in producing new GM foods, or in studying mycology to create solutions for farming tech. They frequently use the study of microbes to advance our products and processes in everything from veterinary science to genetics.
A biotechnologist has a starting salary of £19k – £55k, depending on your experience level. In the USA, a biotechnician can earn upwards of $140,000.
Clinical Researcher
Clinical research associates do all the necessary organising for clinical trials. Every drug that you have ever taken had to go through clinical trials and pass before it was introduced to the market. Clinical researchers plan and organise these trials, record the results, and peer review other papers of the same calibre. They liaise with doctors and scientists, collect data, and monitor patients in trials.
Here in the UK, the average salary for a Clinical Research Associate is £34k per annum. Pay for this role goes as high as $41k. If you specialise in statistics, you could earn £58k. Senior research assistants also make more.
Immunologist
As you can imagine, after Covid-19, the immunologist has grown in importance. Immunologists specialise in the life-saving vaccines that keep us in good health. They study new treatments, research different drug contraindications, and prepare clinical trials. They research and develop new vaccines, upgrade old ones, and routinely handle diseases that would cause huge epidemics if they were dropped. Immunologists are the saviours of the modern world. They are the ones who worked tirelessly in laboratories all over the world to give us the vaccines for Covid.
The average salary for an immunologist in the UK right now is £85k. The job can pay as much as the £100k if you are experienced and skilled. Better than the money is the sense of reward. You could potentially save the lives of millions of people from another viral outbreak. Immunologists have the potential to save us all.
