What key pharma and life science roles actually pay across the United States - median and mean annual wages pulled straight from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the pharmaceutical & medicine manufacturing industry specifically (not a private salary-survey vendor, and not cross-industry averages).
Annual wages for 17 core roles in the US pharmaceutical & medicine manufacturing industry (NAICS 3254), ranked by median pay. Median is the midpoint - half the people in that role earn more, half earn less - and is the most honest "typical" figure. Mean is the average, which sits higher because a few very high earners pull it up. The employment column is how many people the BLS counts in that role within this industry nationally.
| Role | Group | Median / yr | Mean / yr | US employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Sciences ManagersSOC 11-9121 | Leadership | $197,590 | $207,420 | 5,430 |
| Industrial Production ManagersSOC 11-3051 | Leadership | $138,990 | $150,950 | 8,080 |
| PharmacistsSOC 29-1051 | Science & Regulatory | $138,800 | $142,480 | 1,400 |
| Biochemists & BiophysicistsSOC 19-1021 | Science & Regulatory | $109,030 | $123,030 | 5,910 |
| Medical ScientistsSOC 19-1042 | Science & Regulatory | $106,800 | $124,820 | 6,940 |
| Chemical EngineersSOC 17-2041 | Engineering | $106,140 | $112,760 | 1,150 |
| Industrial EngineersSOC 17-2112 | Engineering | $104,110 | $111,460 | 11,710 |
| Mechanical EngineersSOC 17-2141 | Engineering | $103,280 | $111,610 | 620 |
| Compliance OfficersSOC 13-1041 | Science & Regulatory | $96,520 | $102,680 | 5,380 |
| MicrobiologistsSOC 19-1022 | Science & Regulatory | $83,770 | $94,060 | 2,760 |
| First-Line Production SupervisorsSOC 51-1011 | Manufacturing & QC | $82,750 | $86,620 | 12,570 |
| ChemistsSOC 19-2031 | Science & Regulatory | $80,440 | $90,570 | 13,610 |
| Biological TechniciansSOC 19-4021 | Manufacturing & QC | $63,190 | $72,970 | 6,320 |
| Chemical TechniciansSOC 19-4031 | Manufacturing & QC | $61,430 | $62,040 | 5,380 |
| Inspectors, Testers & Sorters (QC)SOC 51-9061 | Manufacturing & QC | $59,260 | $60,340 | 17,440 |
| Chemical Equipment OperatorsSOC 51-9011 | Manufacturing & QC | $49,820 | $54,260 | 32,560 |
| Packaging & Filling Machine OperatorsSOC 51-9111 | Manufacturing & QC | $42,850 | $44,800 | 31,840 |
All figures are annual wages for the pharmaceutical & medicine manufacturing industry (NAICS 3254) nationally, May 2025 release. SOC codes are the US Standard Occupational Classification. Individual pay varies widely by state, employer, seniority and shift - the biggest US pharma hubs (New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, North Carolina, Indiana) typically pay above these national figures, while lower-cost regions sit below.
If you're negotiating or benchmarking, anchor on the median for your role, then adjust up for a high-cost pharma hub, specialised skills (sterile/aseptic, biologics, automation, regulatory), or leadership scope. These are industry-specific figures, so they already exclude unrelated sectors - a "Chemist" here is a chemist working in pharma manufacturing, not the all-industries average. Because BLS surveys employers rather than job ads, these numbers tend to be more grounded than scraped or self-reported salary sites.
See who's hiring for these roles in our US Company Directory, track what's recruiting now on the US Clinical Trials Tracker, or benchmark against Europe with our EU Labour Cost Guide and Irish Salary Guide.
Priya Life Science (2026). US Pharma & Life Science Salary Guide. Available at: https://priyalifescience.com/us-pharma-salary-guide (Accessed: 8 July 2026).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (NAICS 3254), accessed 8 July 2026 via the BLS Public Data API. BLS data are a work of the US federal government and are in the public domain (17 U.S.C. § 105). Figures are national industry-specific estimates; they are not a compensation survey commissioned by Priya Life Science and do not constitute financial or career advice. For Ireland-specific role-by-role benchmarks, see our Irish Salary Guide.