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Research scientist (life sciences) : Salary and conditions

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Case studies

  • Range of typical starting salaries: £16,500 - £22,000 at technician level; £22,000 - £27,500 for research assistant level (usually with an MSc or MPhil); £26,500 - £35,000 postdoctoral research associate level (salary data collected June 2010).
  • Range of typical salaries at senior level (i.e. after 10-15 years in the role): £33,000 - £57,000 for research fellow/senior research fellow; in excess of £50,000 for professorial roles (salary data collected June 2010).
  • Starting salaries are comparable between academia and industry, but private sector salaries at senior levels tend to be higher, particularly within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology areas.
  • Many researchers are employed on fixed-term contracts, associated with finite funding for particular projects. Most contracts last for several years. Permanent posts are highly sought after.
  • In academia, hours are fairly standard at approximately 37 hours per week and generally 9am - 5pm. Sometimes researchers are required to stay after hours or come in at weekends to complete experiments, but most organisations offer flexible working arrangements to accommodate this. Some researchers in industry, however, may have to work to fit in with shift patterns and commercial deadlines.
  • The majority of work is laboratory based, with field work required for some roles. Travel to and from clients' and colleagues' offices may also be required, particularly if projects are collaborations between industry and academia, or cross-university projects.
  • Historically, there has been a gender imbalance within scientific areas. Organisations such as Women into Science, Engineering and Construction (WISE) are helping to redress the balance. The L’Oréal-UNESCO ‘For Women in Science Programme’ has also promoted and encouraged women in scientific research on a global scale since 1998 and since 2000 has granted fellowships to young women researchers whose projects have been accepted by recognised outside their home country.
  • Opportunities within life science organisations are available across the UK but some regions are particularly strong in certain fields. For example, Edinburgh is a major centre for bioinformatics and genomics, and the northwest of England is one of the leading areas for biotechnology.
  • Many life science companies have global offices and universities across the world collaborating on research projects, so there are many opportunities for overseas employment.
  • Experimental work may involve working with hazardous and toxic materials. Working with animals or animal-derived products can also form part of the research.
  • Travel overseas, as well as in the UK, is sometimes necessary for attending conferences and seminars. Certain research areas, such as environmental science and ecology, may involve international field work.
 
AGCAS
Written by AGCAS editors
Date: 
June 2010
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