A guide to salaries for pharma jobs in the UK

Thinking about working in the pharmaceutical industry and want to know how much you could earn? Your potential salary will depend on your employer, experience, location, the role and how many hours you work (ie. part-time vs. full-time).

While a pharmaceutical salary will vary from job to job, it’s still useful to know an estimate. To help, we’ve put together average salaries for some roles in the pharmaceutical industry.

We’ll explain what you could earn as a:

• Chemical engineer
• Scientist
• Clinical pharmaceutical scientist
• Research assistant
• Pharmacist
• Pharmaceutical rep

Chemical engineers turn raw materials into products. They work in various sectors including food and drink manufacturing, recycling and energy production. In the pharmaceutical industry, they produce medicines.

As a pharmaceutical chemical engineer, you’ll work out the best ways to make medicines (and other treatments) on a large scale.

What does a chemical engineer earn?

When starting in a chemical engineering role as a graduate, you’ll typically earn between £28,000 to £34,000.

On average, a chemical engineer has an annual salary of between £34,000 and £65,000 – but you’ll need to build up your experience first.

Typically, Chartered Chemical Engineers (members of IChemE) earn more than their non-chartered peers. IChemE’s research shows that the median salary for Chartered Chemical Engineers is £85,000.

The type of engineering work you do (ie. which chemical processes you’re involved with) can also impact your overall salary.

Scientists conduct research in their area of expertise. ‘Scientist’ is a broad term but, within pharmaceuticals, scientists focus on finding ways to treat illnesses or alleviate symptoms.

As a pharmaceutical scientist, you research new or existing medicines and evaluate their efficiency and safety.

What does a scientist earn?

As a rough guide, research scientists tend to earn between £27,000 (as a starter salary) and £48,000 (once experienced). However, many graduate scientist programmes will offer a salary of between £23,000 to £30,000.

How much you earn as a pharmaceutical scientist will depend on your employer. For example, a grad role at a top pharmaceutical firm usually means a higher salary.

Clinical pharmaceutical scientists oversee the manufacture and supply of radioactive substances used for medical diagnostics and treatments. As a clinical pharmaceutical scientist, you could support the development or testing of medicines. You could also work in radiopharmacy (the use of radioactive drugs).

As a clinical pharmaceutical scientist, you’ll usually work in the medical physics or radiology department of a hospital.

The term ‘clinical scientist’ has a broader application. At the top level, clinical scientists improve how medical professionals prevent, diagnose and treat diseases, illnesses and disability-related conditions. There are various specialisms within clinical science, including audiology (hearing, balance and tinnitus), genomics (genetic patterns) and biochemistry (testing and analysing bodily fluids). While all clinical scientists work adjacent to healthcare, only some work within pharmaceuticals.

What does a clinical pharmaceutical scientist earn?

If you work as a clinical pharmaceutical scientist for the NHS, you’ll be paid according to a set pay scale. As a trainee, you’ll usually train at band 6 where pay starts at £37,338 (for those with under two years’ experience). Qualified clinical scientists will normally be in band 7 and earn between £46,148 to £52,809 (depending on experience). It’s possible to go up to band 9 (which currently has a maximum pay of £121,271). If you work in or around London, you’ll also receive a salary supplement so will earn more.

Salaries for privately employed clinical pharmaceutical scientists will vary.

As clinical science has many roles, earnings will vary depending on your specialism. The average salary for a clinical scientist is between £46,000 to £72,000.

A research assistant supports scientists or other types of researchers. You could plan and coordinate parts of a project, collect and log data, help conduct experiments, maintain equipment, analyse data and present findings (either in reports or presentations).

In the pharmaceutical research space, you might assist projects in microbiology, oncology, bioinformatics or biotechnology.

What does a research assistant earn?

The salary for a research assistant role varies significantly depending on the specialism and employer. However, the average range for an entry-level role is £22,000 to £35,000.

If you're a current PhD student, your earnings will be your stipend (a minimum of £20,780 from 1 October 2025) plus any wages from part-time work or assistantships you participate in. After completing a PhD, you'll likely earn a higher salary in research.

As with so many roles, qualifications and experience will usually unlock higher salaries. While research assistants typically earn less than research scientists, having experience as an assistant can make it easier to get a job as a researcher.

Pharmacists dispense medications and deal with prescriptions. They usually work in pharmacies and hospitals.

Pharmacists need good medical knowledge as they advise patients about how to use medication safely. If you work as a hospital pharmacist, you’ll also need to collaborate with other medical professionals to provide guidance on medication. You might suggest the dose or the best application.

As a community pharmacist (ie. usually working in a high street pharmacy, but sometimes in a GP surgery), you’ll also provide advice on self-care for ailments (such as colds). You might also vaccinate people.

What does a pharmacist earn?

How much you earn as a pharmacist depends on which type you are (ie. hospital pharmacist or community pharmacist), your experience and employer.

If you work for the NHS as a hospital pharmacist, you'll earn between £37,338 and £121,271 (outisde of London).

In the NHS, you’re paid according to bands so your salary is dependent on experience. Newly qualified pharmacists start in band 6 (with salaries at £37,338 for under two years’ experience and rising to £44,962 with five or more years’ experience). If you were to undertake further study and training, you could progress to band 7 (which ranges from £46,148 to £52,809). If you were to become a chief pharmacist, you would be band 9 (£105,385 to £121,271). If you work in inner or outer London (or a fringe area), you’ll receive a supplement that will increase your salary.

Community pharmacists’ earnings vary from employer to employer. In England and Wales, trainee pharmacists on a full-time foundation placement typically earn between around £22,000 and £26,000. In Scotland, the NHS Pharmacy Foundation Training Year (FTY) paid a salary of £31,892 for the 2024 intake.

Once qualified, community pharmacists tend to earn between £30,000 to £35,000.

Once you’re experienced, your salary might rise to £45,000. If you become a specialist or a manager, it may increase to £50,000 and go as high as £70,000. Superintendent pharmacists usually earn more.

As always, your salary will depend on your employer and location. Typically, you’ll receive a smaller salary if you work for a small chain or an independent pharmacy.

Pharmaceutical sales reps sell medicinal products, including drugs and medical equipment. It’s a specialised sales job where you’ll need to pitch medicines, treatments and tools to hospitals and local surgeries.

As a pharmaceutical sales rep, you’ll usually need to attend industry conventions to network with healthcare decision-makers and promote the pharmaceutical firm you’re representing.

Sometimes, you’ll work as a group alongside other pharmaceutical sales representatives, sharing the same targets. So, teamwork is a must.

What does a pharmaceutical rep earn?

Typically, pharmaceutical sales reps will earn between £40,000 and £60,000 per year. However, as a graduate, you should expect your starting salary to be lower – likely closer to £24,000. Your exact wages will depend on your sales experience and your scientific knowledge.

As with most sales jobs, you’ll usually be able to increase your earnings by selling more. In pharmaceutical sales, pay is often supplemented by performance-related pay or bonuses (ie. you’ll receive more money if you achieve or exceed sales targets). It’s a great way to earn above your annual salary. However, working towards targets can be stressful. You also need to be prepared for your earnings to fluctuate. If you’re up for the challenge, it can be financially rewarding.

As with many sectors, salaries in the pharmaceutical industry will vary depending on the firm you work for, location and your level of experience. Qualifications and industry accreditations (like chartered memberships) may also affect your earning potential.

Of course, the biggest determiner of your salary will be the pharma job you go for. The salary for a pharmaceutical rep is different to the earnings of a research assistant. While all the roles we’ve covered are within the pharmaceutical sector, they require distinct skill sets and offer different salaries.

Although it’s hard to generalise the average pharmaceutical salary, the industry is a great place for ambitious grads who are excited about the future of medicine and want to build a fulfilling career. If you’re interested in working in pharmaceuticals (or the wider science industry) and want to find out more, visit our science and pharmaceuticals sector profile.

This article was last updated in April, 2025.