Also called: Drug Product Scientist
Figures out how to turn a drug into a pill, injection, or inhaler that is stable and works in the body.
Mixes a new drug with different ingredients to see which recipe keeps it from breaking down in heat. Tests how fast tablets dissolve in a simulated stomach.
Industry estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's or master's in pharmaceutical science, chemistry, or chemical engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Estimate.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI predicts stability and ingredient mixes; making batches, running dissolution tests and fixing failures stay lab work.
Classes: AP Chemistry, Physics, Algebra II.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2031.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.