Future employment for Biomedical Researchers

Companies active in research and development (R&D) employed 1.5 million scientists, engineers, researchers, managers, technicians, support staff and other R&D workers in 2013, according to a Nov. 7, 2016 report from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). The good news for biomedical researchers is that, of these, pharmaceuticals and medicines were second in the top three highest R&D employers.

Since there are only a limited number of professorships available, most biomedical research jobs will be in industrial R&D and it is important for those reaching to achieve a biomedical degree to be prepared and aware of the differences in an academic vs. industrial environment. Dr. Robert Copeland, vice president of Enzymology and Mechanistic Pharmacology at GlaxoSmithKlline Pharmaceuticals, in an article entitled, “Biomedical Careers in Industry: A Few Tips for the Newcomer” states, "Everyone who enters the biomedical industry comes out of an academic setting where there are specific goals and approaches to how science is done. The goals and approaches in industry are distinct, and can seem quite foreign to the newcomer; it is thus worthwhile to consider how these two settings differ."