May 19, 2016
By Angela Rose, BioSpace.com News Staff
Massachusetts, home to the Genetown Hotbed, is a universally recognized leader in life science employment. Biotech and pharma career opportunities are plentiful in the Old Colony State—even for new graduates. In fact, according to data collected by MassBioEd, 26 percent of the job listings posted online by Massachusetts life science employers in the first quarter of 2016 (Q1) can be classified as entry-level, or requiring between zero and two years of experience.
The makeup of the local life science industry plays a large role in this impressive demand for less experienced candidates. “The industry here in Massachusetts has a broad and deep nature,” Peter Abair, MassBioEd’s executive director, recently told BioSpace . “There’s a very strong research component, but it also includes manufacturing, commercial operations and corporate functions associated with both large traditional pharmaceutical companies that have moved into the market as well as smaller, home grown companies that are now reaching maturity.”
Using data from January through March 2016, MassBioEd recently calculated the number of entry-level jobs posted by area employers (nearly 1,200) as well as the breakdown of educational minimums for each of the top 20 industry job listings. This data is contained in the chart below.
Top 20 Industry Job Listings
“This is basically raw data in terms of the degree requirements of specific positions,” Abair says. “As you can see, in manufacturing and certain technician and production positions, there is a preference even for candidates at the associate level. However, we need to understand these numbers a little bit better.
That’s going to be pretty important so that we can do the industry justice in effectively presenting where the true needs are.” MassBioEd is currently surveying area employers to gather the additional information necessary to help them address supply and demand for the local life science positions.
In the meantime, whether you’re a new associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree or graduate degree holder based in or willing to relocate to Massachusetts, you may want to consider applying for one of the top 20 entry-level positions MassBioEd has identified.
1. Medical Scientist
In Q1, Massachusetts life science employers posted 120 entry-level medical scientist positions. A bachelor’s degree was required for 84 percent of these positions, while 16 percent preferred candidates with graduate degrees. Companies currently advertising jobs that fall into the category of medical scientist include: Biogen , Philips and Celgene .
2. Medical Laboratory Technician
Area employers posted 51 entry-level positions for medical laboratory technicians in Q1. Minimum educational requirements showed slight favoritism for associate’s degree holders (52 percent) over those with bachelor’s degrees (48 percent). Companies currently advertising medical laboratory technician positions include: CompHealth, East Side Clinical Laboratory and U.S. Laboratories.
3. Sales Representative
In Q1, Massachusetts life science employers posted 51 entry-level jobs for sales representatives. These employers preferred candidates with bachelor’s degrees (92 percent) over associate degree holders (8 percent).Companies currently advertising sales representative positions include: Alamo Pharma Services, Bio Basic and Cole-Parmer Instrument.
4. Biologist
Area employers posted 46 entry-level positions for biologists in Q1. Seventy-four percent of these positions listed bachelor’s degree as the minimum educational requirement. Twenty-six percent required candidates with graduate degrees. Companies currently advertising jobs that fall into the category of biologist include: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Spectraforce Tech and NewAgeSys.
5. Clinical Research Coordinator/Manager
In Q1, Massachusetts life science employers posted 37 entry-level job opportunities for clinical research coordinators / managers. Bachelor’s degree was listed as the minimum education requirement for 97 percent of these positions, while a graduate degree was required for 3 percent. Companies currently advertising clinical research coordinator / manager jobs include: Mass. General Hospital, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital.
6. Medical Laboratory Technologist
Area employers posted 32 entry-level medical laboratory technologist positions in Q1. An associate’s degree was the minimum educational requirement for 17 percent of these positions. Employers requested graduate degrees for 13 percent and bachelor’s degrees for 71 percent. Companies currently advertising medical laboratory technologist jobs include: East Side Clinical Laboratory, Courtagen and Lahey Health.
7. Bookeeper/Accounting Clerk
In Q1, Massachusetts life science employers posted 28 entry-level job opportunities for bookkeepers and accounting clerks. Most preferred associate’s degree holders (92 percent), though a few listed bachelor’s degree as the minimum education requirement (8 percent). Companies currently advertising jobs that fall into the category of bookkeeper or accounting clerk include: Boston IVF, Harvard and New England Hematology Oncology Associates.
8. Quality Control Analyst
Area employers posted 23 entry-level quality control analyst jobs in Q1. Most preferred bachelor’s degree candidates (91 percent) over those with associate’s degrees (9 percent). Companies currently advertising quality control analyst jobs include: Arcadia Healthcare Solutions, Steward Health Care and BioPoint.
9. Software Developer/Engineer
In Q1, Massachusetts life science employers posted 22 entry-level job opportunities for software developers and software engineers. While 88 percent listed bachelor’s degree as the minimum education requirement, 8 percent were looking for associate’s degree candidates and 5 percent required graduate degrees. Companies currently advertising jobs that fall into the category of software developer and software engineer include: UnitedHealth Group, Foundation Medicine and Philips.
10. Biostatistician
Area employers posted 22 entry-level biostatistician jobs in Q1. Graduate degree was listed as the minimum education requirement in 54 percent of the postings. Forty-six percent of the employers were looking for candidates with bachelor’s degrees. Companies currently advertising biostatistician jobs include: Boston Children’s Hospital, BioPoint and Planet Pharma.
11. Biological Technician
In Q1, Massachusetts life science employers posted 21 entry-level biological technician jobs. Ninety-four percent of these positions required bachelor’s degrees while 6 percent accepted associate’s degree candidates. Companies currently advertising jobs that fall into the category of biological technician include: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Mass. General Hospital and Eton Bioscience.
12. Office/Administrative Assistant
Area employers posted 20 entry-level office or administrative assistant jobs in Q1. While 54 percent listed associate’s degree as the minimum education requirement, 44 percent were looking for bachelor’s degree candidates. A few (2 percent) even required job applicants to have graduate degrees. Companies currently advertising office or administrative assistant jobs include: Boston Children’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Broad Institute.
13. Customer Service Representative
In Q1, Massachusetts life science employers posted 20 entry-level customer service representative jobs. Associate’s degree was listed as the minimum education requirement for 77 percent of these positions, though 23 percent required candidates with bachelor’s degrees. Companies currently advertising customer service representative jobs include: GE Healthcare, Zimmer Biomet and Medical Specialties Distributors.
14. Chemist
Area employers posted 18 entry-level chemist jobs in Q1. Eighty-five percent of the positions required a bachelor’s degree while 15 percent were designated for graduate degree candidates. Companies currently advertising jobs that fall into the category of chemist include: Amgen, PixarBio and Johnson Matthey.
15. Manufacturing/Production Technician
In Q1, Massachusetts life science employers posted 15 entry-level manufacturing and production technician jobs. The majority specified associate’s degree (93 percent) as the minimum education requirement. A few (7 percent) required candidates with bachelor’s degrees. Companies currently advertising jobs that fall into the category of manufacturing or production technician include: Avedro , Waters and Acorda Therapeutics .
16. Retail Sales Associate
Area employers posted 14 entry-level jobs for retail sales associates in Q1. Seventy-two percent noted associate’s degree as the minimum educational requirement. Twenty-eight percent preferred candidates with bachelor’s degrees. Life science professionals interested in retail sales associate jobs may find them in hospital gift shops or medical group eye care centers, for example.
17. Medical Director
In Q1, Massachusetts life science employers posted 12 entry-level jobs for medical directors. Bachelor’s degree was the education minimum listed in 46 percent of the postings, though 38 percent of employers preferred graduate degree holders and 16 percent were willing to consider those with associate’s degrees. Companies currently advertising medical director jobs include: Curis , Ariad and Sanofi .
18. Chemical/Process Engineer
Area employers posted 12 entry-level jobs for chemical or process engineers in Q1. All of these positions noted bachelor’s degree as the minimum education required. Companies currently advertising jobs that fall into the category of chemical or process engineer include: Pfizer , Amgen and Physical Sciences.
19. Phlebotomist
In Q1, Massachusetts life science employers posted 12 entry-level phlebotomist jobs. Associate’s degree was the minimum education requirement in 97 percent of the postings, though 3 percent required candidates with bachelor’s degrees. Companies currently advertising phlebotomist jobs include: Life Laboratories, Tufts Medical Center and Lahey Health.
20. Nursing Assistant
Area employers posted 11 entry-level jobs for nursing assistants in Q1. Almost all (99 percent) required a minimum education of associate’s degree. Only 1 percent requested candidates with bachelor’s degrees. Companies currently advertising nursing assistant jobs include: Cambridge Health Alliance, South Shore Hospital and Charlton Memorial Hospital.
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