Occupations in Biotechnology & Life Sciences
The biotechnology and life sciences sector is made up of numerous occupations spread across multiple industries including:
- Healthcare
- Technology
- Manufacturing
The majority of BC companies focus their business on research and development and there are many jobs in these areas.
Jobs in High Demand
Unfilled Jobs by Employment Level
| Non Supervisory/ Non-Professional |
Supervisory/ Professional |
Senior Management/ Executive |
|
| Preclinical Research | 23.1% | 38.5% | 38.5% |
| Clinical Research | 48.5% | 42.4% | 9.1% |
| Research & Development | 7.9% | 50% | 42.1% |
| Manufacturing | 49.0% | 49.0% | 2.0% |
| Distribution | 7.1% | 85.7% | 7.1% |
| Quality Control/Assurance | 17.4% | 78.3% | 4.3% |
| Marketing/Sales/Communication | 31.6% | 44.7% | 23.7% |
| Human Resources/Accounting/IT | 18.8% | 68.8% | 12.5% |
| Business Development | 14.3% | 35.7% | 50.0% |
Source: Biotalent.ca
Jobs being filled by Internationally Educated Professionals, 2013
| Research and Development | 25.0% |
| Preclinical Research | 11.4% |
| Senior Management/Executive | 8.9% |
Source: Biotalent.ca
A 2017 survey conducted by BIOTECanada indicates the biotechnology sector is a highly specialized field and thus, many occupational functions require a university degree. According to the survey, many biotechnology companies have employees with higher education qualification:
- 75% of companies have employees with a bachelor’s degree
- 79% have employees with Master’s degrees
- 88% have employees with a PhD
According to LifeSciences BC, the average annual wage within the industry was $65,376 in 2014.
Common occupations in the industry include:
- Biologists & Related Scientists (NOC 21110)
- Chemists (NOC 21101)
- Biological Technologists & Technicians (NOC 22110)
- Chemical Technologists & Technicians (NOC 22100)
When looking for work, these occupations may be listed under different titles.
Comparison of NOC Code Titles with Actual Occupation Titles Given
| Biologists and Related Scientists (NOC 21110) |
Assay Development & Testing Scientist Bioinformatics Programmer/Analyst Environmental Scientist Field Biologist Food Scientist Native Plant Ecologist Support Scientist Toxicology Technician |
| Chemist (NOC 21101) | Quality Control & Research Chemist Research Chemist Scientist |
| Chemical Technologists & Technicians (NOC 22100) |
Analyst Assistant Flavour Technologist Chemical Technician Chemistry Preparation Technologist Controlled Substance Officer Lab Analyst QA/QC Technician Research Technologist Technician (Toxicology) |
| Biological Technologists & Technicians (NOC 22110) |
Analyst Immunology Aquaculture Technician Necropsy Technician Research Technician Science and Technology Product Specialist |
Sources: Sequencing the Data. BioTalent Canada, BIOTECanada Industry Data
For detailed information on many of the occupations in the biotechnology and life sciences sector, including job description, educational requirements for working in BC, salary, and more, see: