Top 10 High Salary Life Science / Biotech Jobs – A Must Read

High Salary Life Science Jobs / Biotech Jobs – Top 10 List

To earn a healthy & decent salary amount is the dream of every educated individual. This is practical indeed since living in a densely populated, developing country like India where you have to struggle each and every day to sustain your livelihood apart from supporting your family, where health issues might bother you now and then, the highest living costs in the big cities make it mandatory that you draw a good handsome salary in your job.

“Don’t let money run your life, let money help you run your life better.”

Undoubtedly a healthier working environment and job satisfaction are as much important as the money you get but a fair and decent salary amount gives you that motivation where you deliver the best you have. Some famous psychologists like Abraham Maslow and Frank Herzberg had given their respective theories why reasonable salary is essential for Job satisfaction.

To begin with, Let’s Understand “What is Lifesciences?” And “Why one should study the Life sciences?”

Life science comprises of applied biology fields like biotechnology, microbiology, biochemistry, etc. in addition to basic biology subjects. Life sciences broaden the knowledge about plants, animals, microbes, environment, human population, lab techniques and much more. This practical field enables to converge to nature by lending insights into the environment and the other living beings with which we share earth as our home. Various ecological and evolutionary studies that scientists carry out and implement to conserve our nature and world are empowered by Life sciences. Moreover, Life sciences contribute to health care as well by improving disease resistance by showing the path to develop novel therapeutics and unprecedented medical aids and devices.

But what about the prospects or career opportunities for advancements which Life sciences sector could offer as far as salary is concerned? Let’s analyze and have a look at the Top 10 High Salary Life Science Jobs / Biotech Jobs which you can apply for.

1. Sculpturing up the careers of Students!

Ask yourself! Do you carry that spark which can enlighten the students’ thoughts, passion for scintillating their lives, intention to shape up the careers of learners, and then you could definitely look yourself as a Lecturer or Assistant Professor serving numerous students in colleges or Universities!

Every Year many aspirants appear for the NET (National Eligibility Test) conducted by CSIR- UGC which provides the eligibility for Lectureship. You can attain dreams of guiding the paths of many students by entering into academics.

Salary Details

Handsome salary is offered to lectures and assistant professors by the government. You can draw as much as INR 40,000 pm to 70,000. As per the UGC 7th Pay Commission Recommendations, the entry pays (INR 37400- 67000) for Lecturer and assistant professor Jobs could further be increased by a significant amount soon. In the private sector, you may earn starting from 30,000 per month as a faculty to 70,000 per month as an assistant professor depending upon capabilities and relevant experience. This is one of the most stable High Salary Life Science Jobs.

2. Entering into research is always a decent choice!

If you have an analytical and inquisitive mind filled with intelligence and curiosity, possess serenity and patience as part of your personality then stepping into research is always under consideration.

• As a research scientist, you will enjoy planning and conducting experiments which can be taken up as a noble paying career.
• You may find opportunities in various government or even commercial laboratories, food laboratories, higher education institutions or even hospitals research units.
• As far as research areas are concerned you are available with options ranging from physiology, plant sciences, stem cell research, microbiology, genomics, bioinformatics, biotechnology, biochemistry, and even pharmacology.
• You will be expected to create experiments, analyze results and data and then communicate results via published papers in reputed journals.

Salary Details

Research scientists who have completed their masters in relevant fields can work as JRF/SRF in government laboratories obtaining INR 25, 000 (for initial 2 years and INR 28,000 (for the remaining period).

After clearing the Joint CSIR/UGC JRF (Conducted by Council of Scientific research) individual becomes entitled to fellowship grant of INR 31,000 and INR 35, 000 which have been considerably raised from the previous amounts 25,000 and 28,000 by the Indian government in the year 2019.

This revised fellowship amount is applicable to candidates passing the national level examinations conducted by Department of Science and technology, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indian Institute of Sciences, Indian Institute of Technologies, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, etc.

Several CSIR & ICMR affiliated organizations & even the Govt Organizations like DBT, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, National Institute of Biologicals, NIN offer a handsome salary of up to Rs 1.5 to 2 Lakh per month to postgraduates with MSc degree & NET qualification having at least 4-5 years of experience in the relevant field. Research field will be our top pick for Highest Salary Life Science Jobs.

3. If observing those minute entities is your passion, Microbiologist should be the option!

If you are keen to work in and offer your services in health care, perhaps this is the true niche for you. You will be liable for testing food samples or alike, or diagnosing the diseases thus be ready to make a difference in common people‘s life by adopting microbiology as a career.

In general, the role of Microbiologists is to ensure the safety of food, developing green technologies, exploring the role of microbes in the environment besides treating and preventing diseases. Being a microbiologist you may enter any one of the following fields like hospitals, diagnostic labs, food analysis labs, research labs or even renowned food companies.

Common people are certainly going to admire you when you will declare whether a particular food item is worth consuming! Now that adds up to self-esteem.

Being a Microbiologist, you can set foot into:

A. Biotechnology, Biochemical pharmaceutical, and Agrichemical companies.
B. Companies manufacturing food and beverages
C. Health Care or beauty care products manufacturing units
D. The Food Standard Agency can be accessed

Salary Details: The average Salary a microbiologist obtains in India is around 3 to 10 lakhs per year. He/she will be eligible to get increments with experience. The Journey from a microbiologist post to a senior microbiologist post will be a learning curve, especially for freshers. At senior microbiologist post, one can earn as high as 1.2 Lakh per month with the right kind of skill sets, experience, and work dedication.

4. Like playing with Molecules?

If you are keen to interact with molecules controlling life like DNA, RNA, and proteins or have an interest in exploring more about chemical processes in living organisms. Opting to be a biochemist can satisfy your quench for the right kind of career.

What do biochemists need to do?

Biochemists along with Biophysicists study the fundamental principles behind biological processes like growth, heredity, and diseases. As a biochemist you can contribute towards the development of a novel drug against deadly diseases or you may work as a part of a diagnostic team in a hospital analyzing the specimens of patients using computer-aided equipment. Biochemists can find openings with the Federal Government and in Private Laboratories

Salary Details: You can expect a salary between Rs 28,000/- pm to Rs 85,000 pm depending upon qualification and skills.

A PhD Degree is always preferred in any of the Life science sector jobs. It not only gives you a direct entry into a Biopharma company or Govt Organization, but the starting salary is also pretty high comparatively.

5. Shaping imagination to words!

If you have those instincts indicating you excel in penning down the scientific facts in an impressive and expressive manner, leaving a broad impact on readers then definitely go for scientific writing as a career option.

What Scientific writers do?

Scientific writers inscribe research articles for scientific and technical journals, scientific news, and professional publications for media. There should be a depth in their writing which should be entirely professional, flawless, concise and accurate. They are expected to attend academic and press conferences, visit research establishments, design literature or company reports for magazines and journals. Scientific writers could get employed in government and private national and international organizations.

Salary Details: Scientific writers are paid decent amounts starting from 20,000/- pm to 70,000/- pm or even more depending upon experience and expertise. This filed offers you to climb up to the post of a senior editor or even editor in chief pretty soon if you have the right writing skills to amass the crowd. This profession also gives you the ease of freelancing and working at the comfort of your home in some cases.

6. Interested in creating new varieties of plants?

Go for choosing Plant Breeder/ Geneticist as your career if developing new, disease resistant or drought-tolerant varieties of plants is your field of interest.

What Plant breeders do?

Plant breeders work on scientific projects and techniques for improving plants exhibiting desirable traits. They develop procedures to improve existing plant varieties or create novel varieties which excel in appearance and yield, resistance to diseases, other characteristics. The may get employed in a commercial, research or academic setups. They may work either in the public sector or private sector with the aim of conducting research to discover new plant breeds as well as various breeding combinations. For plant breeders, to produce an enormous amount of crops with few resources available remains on their responsibilities list.

A bachelor’s degree in biology, botany or related field is the basic requirement. Certification in plant breeding provided may add up to career opportunities further. One can enhance prospects by pursuing doctorate programs in plant breeding as well as plant genetics.

Salary Details: A plant breeder may receive a decent amount existing in between Rs 25,000 pm to 80,000 pm depending on qualifications and expertise. Pay is often performance related.

Top institutes recruiting for Plant Breeder post are – ICRISAT, IARI, PAU, GBPUAT, CSIR-NBRI, NBPGR

7. Love contributing to serve candid food to the nation?

It will be a wise decision to welcome food technologist as your career where you could find yourself involved in developing manufacturing processes to modify existing food products. Besides that checking and improving safety and quality of food right from the raw material stage up to the finished product is their prime accountability. Manufacturing, processing, preserving and packaging of food articles all occupy space under a food technologist function. Alongside he will research current consumer market available and work on developing new improvised products.

A food technologist may serve in the public sector, apart from that lucrative offers are available from multinational companies involved in the food industry, Various divisions are subsequently existing which may be scrutinized according to concern and desire. A food technologist may be placed in hospitals, food or beverage processing companies, packaging industries, Food Labs, Restaurants or even he may turn up as food inspector ensuring the food quality being produced.

Salary: The starting salary for a food technologist is Rs 30,000 pm to Rs 35,000 pm and it may reach as much as high as Rs 1 Lakh to 1.5 lakh pm with experience and proficiency. Freshers can easily get into Govt Sector Food Technologist Job by qualifying Exams like FSSAI Exam, UPSC & SSC also conducts exams for hiring Food technologists. This is one of the most consistently paying High Salary Life Science Job.

Food technologist job openings are frequently posted at Biotecnika from the following companies – FSSAI, CSIR-CFTRI, IIFPT, CIAB, GNDU, ITC Foods, Britannia, TUV SUD, Cargill and many more.

8. Fascinated by playing the role of Quality Checker?

If you consider yourself good at assessing and scanning the processes, procedures, and eminence of products, you can certainly take Quality control or Quality assurance in consideration for a career.

With the stepping –in of multinational companies in India the job opportunities have become more money-spinning for people interested in entering into quality control department. In this sector, an individual has to ascertain that products meet thresholds of adequacy. This job profile requires management and procedures to preserve and enhance the quality of products or services. Any deviation from the established standards has to be detected and worked on. Maintenance of Quality of Products & services, implementation of validated analytical methods, an inspection of raw material and all related testing procedure need to be cross-checked.

Salary: In terms of High Salary Life Science Jobs – QA/QC is the most sustainable and the job openings are also numerous. Average salary may fall in between Rs 28,000 pm to 60,000 pm. Nevertheless, experience intensely influences the income. So you may expect to receive higher amounts gradually with work experience.

Freshers can apply for QA / QC Jobs at Zydus Cadila, Pfizer, Lupin, Novozymes, Pepsico, Aurobindo Pharma, Bisleri, Dr. Reddy. Keep checking our job section for latest openings.

9. Ready to put up your potential in a unique way?

The post of a Toxicologist is an apt kick starter for you if you are exhilarated in monitoring and evaluating the impact of toxic materials, potential new medicines and radiation on the human health, animal health, and our environment.

Genetic toxicologists and computational toxicologists work in a team to conduct laboratory and field studies and carry out risk assessments making out substantial contribution to public safety. One could consider stepping into clinical, CROs (Contract Research Organization), forensic, pharmaceutical sector or even University.

Salary: Initial salary for any postgraduate can range from between Rs 25,000 to 40,000pm. One can expect a salary reaching up to a lakh per month with experience and specialization.

Top-notch universities in India, FSSAI, IVRI, Jamia Hamdard, Aditya Birla, SSC, AAU recruit for Toxicologist post frequently.

10. Want to get the essence of nature?

If leaping in the lap of nature excites you, pick up the zoologist as a career option. Zoologists are those who study the ecosystems, impacts of biotic and abiotic factors on animals. Nowadays when the environment is deteriorating every day due to human impact which eventually affects the wildlife, zoologists collect data samples from the wildlife to investigate the effects of disease-causing agents

Salary: Zoologists are getting decent salaries starting from Rs 25,000 pm which may rise to 1,00,000 pm with experience.

Zoological Survey of India, SSC, Wildlife Institute of India, DRDO & National Health Mission is some of the top hiring organizations for Zoologist post.

So, here we are with the list of Top 10 High Salary Life Science Jobs. The life sciences sector can offer big salaries along with opportunities to enhance the quality and standard of life with its visible applications in academics, agriculture, medicine, pharmaceutical, and food science industries. It’s about making the right choice here.

“Remember all things are possible for those who believe”

Check out our Job Section for the latest job openings in the above-mentioned fields

About the Author:

Dr. Nidhi Hukku is associated with Biotecnika and has a keen interest in keeping herself motivated to learn new and more. She has expertise in Biotechnology and Microbiology and has completed her Ph.D. in Biotechnology. Dr. Nidhi has also been awarded at several workshops and conferences and has publications in reputed international journals.