13 Highest Paying Jobs in Pharmaceutical Industry (2024)

The pharmaceutical industry in India is one of the most important industries which contributes to healthcare. India manufactures various important and high-quality medicines that are cost-effective for global and Indian markets. By volume, the Indian pharmaceutical industry ranks at the 3rd position and 14th by value globally. Therefore, there are a lot of highest-paid jobs in pharmacy in India.

If you are also willing to build a career in this successful pharmaceutical industry then this article will help you to know about the highest paying jobs in pharmaceutical industry in India. The pharmaceutical industry focuses on researching, developing, testing, producing, and distributing medicines, products, and services. Before we look at the best job in the pharmacy field in India. Let us understand the roles, responsibilities, and skills required for Pharma jobs.

Qualifications Required for Highest Paying Jobs in Pharmaceutical Industry in India

• Candidates who want to join the pharmaceutical industry, need to complete their 10+2 in science stream from a recognised board of India.
• They need to appear for the entrance examinations, such as GITAM GAT, WBJEE and Otter entrance examinations that are considered to provide admission to the bachelor's degree programme.
• Candidates will complete undergraduate degrees, such as B.Pharma from a recognised university.
• GPAT, AP PGECET, and BITS HD are some of the entrance examinations, that candidates can appear for the postgraduate degree programmes.

Skills Required for the Pharmaceutical Industry in India

Candidates who want to join the pharmaceutical industry, need to pursue various degree programmes and should have some skills that are required for the highest paying jobs in pharmaceutical industry in India. Students are required to possess certain skill sets to be successful in their careers. In the table below, we have mentioned some popular skills candidates must have to pursue the highest paying jobs in pharmaceutical industry in India.

Highest Paying Jobs in the Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmaceutical industry has a lot of career options for freshers and experienced employees. Some of the highest paying jobs in the pharmaceutical industry are Regulatory Officers, Pharmaceutical Marketers, Pharmaceutical Administration Administrators, Hospital Managers, Pharmacologists, and Pharmaceutical Data Analysts. Let us now look at some of the highest-paying jobs in the pharmaceutical industry in India and their average salaries in India.

1. Pharmacist

A pharmacist is a medical expert who prepares and delivers prescription drugs that help patients feel better and treat ailments. He or she is active in coordinating with all pharmaceutical companies, clinics, and private physicians. In addition to providing medications with appropriate diets and safety levels for recently made drugs, he or she also offers advice on the appropriate kinds of medications, including tablets, injections, ointments, syrups, and vaccines. The average salary of the pharmacist is Rs. 2.6 lakhs per annum.

2. Medical Science Liaisons

Medical Science Liaisons are professionals who focus on a specific therapeutic area or disease state such as cardiology, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, oncology, and rheumatology. They have advanced scientific training and their work includes collaborating with external stakeholders, and internal stakeholders and maintaining knowledge of pharmacoeconomics. The average Medical Science Liaisons' salary in India is Rs. 9.8 lakhs per annum.

3. Patent Attorney

A Patent Attorney is a professional patent lawyer or advocate who is responsible for designing, inventing, trademarking, and assisting inventors through the application procedure. He or she helps in drafting applications for patents deals with patent litigation and represents the cases in the courts and practices before the controller. He or she prepares all the documents and transacts business and any other transactions. The average salary for a Patent Attorney in India is Rs. 12.5 lakhs per annum.

4. Pharmaceutical Scientist

Pharmaceutical Scientists are scientific professionals who are responsible for the work related to researching, testing, and developing drugs or other treatments related to pharmaceuticals. Their work includes collecting and analysing data, collaborating with team members ensuring the drugs or treatments are safe for the people, and conducting experiments. A Pharmaceutical Scientist's salary in India is Rs. 12 lakhs per annum.

5. Clinical Researcher

Clinical researchers are professionals who conduct research by collecting data and looking at the pros and cons of drugs. Clinical researchers control the use of drugs by different people and record the results. After going through all these processes and the drug is safe and approved, it is marketed. Their work includes developing new drugs and drug trials, new diagnostics, new treatments, and medical devices. Clinical Researchers’ salary in India is Rs. 5 lakhs per annum.

6. Biomedical Researcher

Biomedical researchers investigate how the human body works with the aim of finding new ways to improve health. They work in academia and industry, but in this profile, we focus on those who work in academia. In general, academia tends to focus on improving tools and techniques, studying healthy biological processes and the causes and progress of diseases. In contrast, industry tends to focus on generating and evaluating possible treatments. The average salary for a Biomedical Researcher in India is Rs. 5 lakhs per annum.

7. Quality Control Analyst

Quality control analysts are responsible for ensuring the quality and quantity of medicinal products. It is their responsibility to test and report this to ensure product accuracy. Their work includes testing, sampling, sample analysis, and documentation. The average salary for Quality Control Analysts in India is Rs. 4.3 lakhs per annum.

8. Forensic Scientist

Forensic Scientists are individuals who apply various methodological approaches to investigate various forensic matters. They analyse different types of samples, such as hair, body fluids, glass, paint and drugs. They apply methodologies including scanning electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy and genetic fingerprinting to record findings and collect evidence from crime scenes and accidents. The average salary of forensic scientists is Rs. 4.3 lakhs per annum.

9. Biochemist

Biochemists are healthcare professionals who develop various drugs for human consumption to decrease the symptoms of diseases and cure them. They develop and test new drugs and medications used for commercial distribution. They also design and build the laboratory equipment that is required for the research projects. The average Biochemists’ salary in India is Rs. 2.3 lakhs per annum.

10. Chemist

A Chemist is an individual who utilises his or her knowledge of various chemistry principles to improve the living standards of humans. They are involved in developing products such as drugs, cosmetics and synthetic fibres. The average salary of a chemist in India is Rs. 2.9 lakh per annum.

11. Clinical Research Coordinator

A Clinical Research Coordinator is an individual who is involved in supervising all successful drug trials and medical research. He or she helps individuals with their medical issues by conducting appropriate research and medical trials so that standard medicine can be developed for particular diseases. The average Clinical Research Coordinator’s salary is Rs. 2.6 lakhs per annum.

12. Medical Representative

Medical Representatives are individuals who are also referred to as Medical Sales Representatives or Pharmacy Sales Representatives. He or she works for pharmaceutical firms and laboratories to market and distribute medical products. The average Medical Representative’s salary is Rs. 3.4 lakhs per annum.

13. Drug Inspector

Drug inspectors are experts who keep an eye on a drug's consistency, safety, and usefulness from the point of manufacture to the point of sale in a retail setting. They verify that medications are safe for ingestion by humans; they are also referred to as quality control inspectors. Inspectors' responsibilities include examining pharmaceuticals at different phases of their production, distribution, and sale processes to make sure the guidelines have been followed. The average Drug Inspector’s salary is Rs. 2.8 lakhs per annum.