Also called: Drug Researcher
Figures out how drugs move through and act on the body—what dose works and what side effects appear.
Runs experiments measuring how quickly a drug is broken down by liver cells, then builds a model predicting the right dose for a first human trial. Writes up findings for the safety team and regulators.
Industry estimate; BLS groups under medical scientists.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 10 years after high school. PhD in pharmacology; some PharmD or MD holders move into this.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Professional school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Growing much faster than average (about 9% over 10 years). Follows BLS medical scientists projection.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI models predict dose and side effects earlier; lab tests, safety calls and talking to regulators keep pharmacologists needed.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1042.
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.