Careers in Research, Science and Healthcare
Re: Bonus and Salary survey | |
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Author: | Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader
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| Date: | 03-28-10 07:05am |
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To Debra /posting 03-27-10 03:08pm
Debra,
You are more than qualify for a research coordinator position or even CRA. You posses the LPN and have research experience that is more than what most people have, i.e., BA in History or English with no medical background just because they can write well. You posses the true background to work in a health care facility furthermore, you can work in safety for pharmaceuticals/CRO. They need people who can write and review narratives with a medical background. Try expanding yourself out of the area where you are seeking. In some states they are more lenient and it really varies from state to state.
In addition, you can actually do an RN online because you already have the LPN. First find that job where they can provide tuition reimbursement towards your RN.
All the best!
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| Author: Rob D |
Apr 13, 2010, 02:03PM |
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PhD biomedical science. I left after 5 years postdoc ($42k/yr). Now I am just floating around, doing IT work currently @ $12/hr. My postdoc ran out of funding and I was kicked to the curb essentially. I could still be a postdoc right now though. I found that transiting out of academia is horrible horrible horrible. There are SO MANY biomedical PhDs, most of my classmates ended up interning, going back to school, etc after getting a PhD and of course the required long postdoc. Nowadays I just spend my days applying to whatever I can. I've applied to hundreds of jobs over the past few years and nothing has landed. I got this internship through a program offered through a technical college.
What I would say; if you are looking to have a career or life in biological science, you can make it if you get your BS and leave. Once you have your PHD you are just about worthless. I have lost so many job opps simply because I am overqualified for entry level jobs but underqualified for any real job. Frustrated? No, I wasted 13 years of my life, down the drain. Do not go my route, do not get "MORE EDUCATION" thinking that is going to solve anything. Get out there and work, get some experience, start interning/doing stuff in college. I just focused on research over the past decade plus, and its an absolute waste. There is no industry research position for my field. There is no job that we can actually get outside of academia. Your decade+ investment is just going to kill you when you compete with kids fresh out of college. Biotech used to hire PhDs in dot com era, but that's long gone and dead. We're too expensive, and they can get the same work done by chinese/indians or BS lab techs. If you want to make it in research, either go with chemistry, pharmacology, statistics, or go get a RN or MD degree...or any allied health degree. Biomedical science is just a fluffy 'i'm a worthless academic' degree. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Mar 29, 2010, 10:39AM |
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I am a high school graduate with 10 years experience in Pharma doing 40-50k technical jobs. Later I took several courses related to biology, pharmacology, toxicology and project management tarining. I worked under a CRA for 5 years and eventually promoted to a clinical study associate. After two years, I was promoted to clinical study manager. Now I make 130k and get a bonus of 20-30% depending on the project success. |
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| Author: Scientist with clinical medicine backround |
Mar 30, 2010, 09:24AM |
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Hello Anonymous Biotech Insider Reader,
Your post is very informative in terms of how you compare a PhD with RN. I would much appreciate your view on PhDs who have a diverse pre-clinical background, along with a clinical medicine degree from a foreign country. I have a medical degree from India and a PhD from US with 3 years of postdoc and 4 years of preclinical industry experience. I would love to interface with, or work entirely in the clinical domain. Any insight or advice you can share would be really helpful. How can someone with my background move into the clinical research?
Regards. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Mar 29, 2010, 11:17AM |
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Hello Shocked,
I understand that it seems amazing that many BSN RN CRAs/PMs are earning quite a bit more than their PhD colleagues but I think that generally this is true for several reasons.
First off, not to knock PhDs, but from my professional experience most PhDs have an extremely narrow field of study that is not often easily transferable to the clinical research industry unless an exact job match to field of specialization is found. RNs on the otherhand generally have a broad based education as well as work experience that has exposed them to many therapeutic areas and real life experience dealing with MDs, RNs, Study Coordinators, Sales Reps, Patients and their Families, etc. etc. none of which are taught in schools.
So as a hiring director, yes I need PhDs for sure, but the time it takes to get them up and running in clinical trials is quite time consuming, expensive and generally does not fit the general demeanor of many PhDs who are more book and theory oriented vs. the RN who is more real life and people oriented.
PhDs are valued to be sure but more than likely on the pure science portions of drug development. RNs on the other hand seem to be much better at tackleing the day to day operations side of clinical development and from my experience generally make far better CRAs and PMs and hence the salary difference.
I would also be interested in hearing from others on their opinions....
Great question, thanks. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Mar 28, 2010, 09:07AM |
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I know that not having a career can be a very touching
subject during this recession. You do have experience and that's great. I beleive what's hold you back is not having a bachelor's
degree in your required field. I do understand that
u have 12 years or working history and 2
associate degrees, but that has not given you the
results and income desire. I would look at going back to school and getting your bachelors. Also, look into to how many clinical hours you need to take before you can take you can receive your RN license. You don't need a bachelors in RN to become a nurse. Most people get a bachelors so they can be off the floor. Now, there are non-traditional ways a student. Good luck and I wish you the best for your future
I |
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| Author: Shocked |
Mar 28, 2010, 07:47AM |
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The salaries here are very large (>$100K). I hope the people that earn them are very grateful. I am completely amazed and confused however that all the PhDs seem to be earning less that half that of a nurse. Is this really true? I would have thought it was the other way around. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Mar 28, 2010, 07:11AM |
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In these economic times Debra, many companies can cherry pick their employees. The biggest exclusion from a job is the lack of education. I know plenty of RN's with only a 2 year degree with clinical research experience that have been passed over for employment because they are not BSN's. Unfortunately, I think the job market in clinical research has shifted and if you want to remain marketable in clinical research, you will have to get that BA/BS degree. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Mar 27, 2010, 08:49PM |
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ever considered just going ahead and finishing that BS/BA? |
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| Author: Debra |
Mar 27, 2010, 03:08PM |
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I am an unemployed CCRP, LPN, with 2 associate degrees with 12 years experience, initiating 3 research programs. I do not qualify for jobs because I am not an RN and I do not have my BA/BS. Any suggestions anyone ? |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Mar 24, 2010, 09:42AM |
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To Boston Nurse - you would be a shoe in for a Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) position. Your cardio exp will be looked at positively there. Also bone marrow exp will help you at some of the CRO as there is a need for folks with oncology experience. Try Quintiles as well. |
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| Author: Research Nurse from Boston |
Mar 23, 2010, 07:27AM |
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I just recently relocated to NC from Boston with my physician husband who was recruited to work at CMC. I had a strong clinical nursing background and started clinical research in 1992 and I have continued in academics. My last position was as a hem/onc research nurse and my salary last year was 117,000.
All nurses belong to a union in MA. Here in NC, I am looking to move in to industry for the first time. In Boston I was managing Phase 1 transitional research studies involving cellular therapies and bone marrow transplant but I have experience in cardiology mostly devices and immunology as well. I find that folks are interested in my clinical and research experience but don't seem to know what to do with me since I have never worked in industry. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Mar 22, 2010, 11:48AM |
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I have a RN background, was a CRA x 2 years, PM x5 years and make 108K with occasional stock options. Looking for another position as a Ass. Dir or Sr. PM but positions a bit rare at the moment. |
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| Author: Research Assistant |
Mar 22, 2010, 08:45AM |
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I'm in Maryland and I work in a research lab funded by the US Navy. I'm considered a research associate and I do protein purification and fermentation optimization. Have an MS in microbiology, earn $44,000 a year with 3% yearly raise, $1000 per year performance bonus. |
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| Author: Research Assistant |
Mar 22, 2010, 08:44AM |
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I'm in Maryland and I work in a research lab funded by the US Navy. I'm considered a research associate and I do protein purification and fermentation optimization. Have an MS in microbiology, earn $44,000 a year with 3% yearly raise, $1000 per year performance bonus. |
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| Author: Independent Consultant |
Jan 28, 2010, 01:38PM |
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A couple of people mentioned that the salary range is pretty broad, and I would agree. I'm now consulting full-time, but I've held a number of salaried positions over the last 15 years. In my experience, a clinical project manager for a CRO should be making $100-110K/yr and may or may not get a bonus (depending on the CRO). A study manager at a pharma or biotech (depending on the location and cost-of-living) should be around $110-120K/yr. When you get to the Asst/Assoc Direct levels, you should be $130K+ with around 20% as an annual bonus.
My background is unique... I only had an associate-level degree (MLT - lab tech) until I hit the Assoc Dir level (at which time I earned my BS). I worked at the director level at two smaller companies with "only" a BS... I got my MS only after I went into consulting full-time, so the MS was never a factor.
Generally, nurses or medical assistants at a study site will move into a coordinator (CRC) role. As someone else mentioned, you get to know the site monitors (CRAs) from the CROs or sponsor companies. If you're with a CRO, you then move in to an entry-level CRA position, then a Sr. CRA position, and then into a Clinical Project Manager position. If you're at a pharma/biotech, you can go from a CRA to a study manager position... Clinical PMs from CROs also move into study manager positions.
There are so many possibilities for getting into the industry... Personally, I've always preferred study managers, CRAs, et al, to have site experience (CRC) so they can better understand the sites' perspectives. I've always been cautious of someone with a PhD or MS who didn't have "real world" experience. The best is a combo of experience and education. Some may have nursing backgrounds, but it's not a requirement. I was fortunate to be able to get in the door without a BS/BA, but it's extremely rare now. Companies prefer a 22y/o "kid" with no experience and a degree over someone with real-world experience...
Nevertheless, if you're at the study manager level, you should be making at least $100-110 a year. Academia is always going to pay less, so it doesn't surprise me that a PhD is in the $40-60K/yr range... at a pharma or biotech, though, you should be considerably higher, depending on your position, at least $100K. An MD should be no less than $150K/yr UNLESS he/she is a foreign grad and hasn't received the equiv. training, et al, for licensure in the States. (I've seen foreign MDs working for $12 an hour as study coordinators.)
I wouldn't recommend it in this economy and industry environment right now, but with some experience, you can do very well with contract/freelance work. For example, a site monitor with a CRO or sponsor company might "only" make $50K/yr, but a contract monitor generally makes $50-75 per hour ($100-150/yr)... Until 2009, I was in the $125-150/hr range for my services (more of director-level or Sr. SM/PM roles), but 2009 hit everyone hard, so I'm lucky to be in the $75-100/hr range now.) Keep in mind that contractors don't get paid holidays or days off, nor do they (generally) get health insurance. My health insurance costs are about $12K a year (for monthly premiums and deductables) for family coverage. I also have to pay a little more in taxes since I don't have an "employer" paying 1/2 of my payroll taxes... BUT if you look at the big picture, IF you can maintain continous work (contracts), you'll still come out WAY ahead. An MD can contract either full-time or on the side and easily make $200+ per hour (if they have some experience.)
Keep in mind that the range is huge for salaried positions... you also have other factors such as bonus levels (some companies actually pay out bonuses, some rarely do), stock grants/options (or equity), location/cost-of-living, flexible work hours/environment (flex hours, work from home, et cetera.)
The biggest thing to remember is that the economy is horrible right now, so don't leave a job until you've secured another one... and just like the current "buyers' market" in the housing industry, it's an "employers' market" for jobs... with so many people looking for work, companies can require higher education levels and offer lower pay. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 27, 2010, 12:32PM |
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MD with 3 years of experience in drug safety $102 K |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 18, 2010, 03:36PM |
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I have about a 5.8 years of clinical trials experience, 4.1 of which has been as a Clinical Research Associate. I live on the West Coast. 1. What should my asking price be? 2. Are CRA positions affected by the current down turn? I appreciate your feedback. Thanks. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 19, 2010, 10:19AM |
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To the CRA who lives on the west coast, it appears that there is a new direction in that CROs are hiring lower CRAs (CRA2s) due to budgetary restrainst placed by the sponsor. They no longer want to pay the salary of CRA3s or Sr. CRAs. I am sure there are still some positions available, but this was told to me recently by a big CRO. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 18, 2010, 10:47AM |
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To the people who asked how I got to my current position as a Clinical Research Study Manager, I have been in the industry for about 15 years.
I started out as a Clinical Research Coordinator. I have worked in various therapeutic areas including diabetes, cardiology and Oncology. I was CRC for about 7 years. Then I went on to be a CRA for about 3 years at a CRO. I then moved to an in-house Sr CRA position at a pharma for 1 year, after which I was offered an CRSM at a biotech company. I have been at this company for about 4 years.
I was able to move into the CRA industry by getting to know my site monitors. They referred me for the filed cRA position and then I just started applying for other positions. I think my best advantage was my oncology experience. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 18, 2010, 08:49AM |
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East Coast, Big Pharma, PhD, 4 years exp, $135k, 8-10% bonus, title-Sr. Scientist
In my experience, the salary range in the same company at the same position can be rather broad. At my level, the positions can go from $90k to $150k, just depends on what you bring to the table at hire and how much experience. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 19, 2010, 11:29AM |
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tho' this survey is great and all... keep in mind a bonus is-- just that -- A BONUS. It is NOT guaranteed nor does the CO. HAVE to pay you it. Something important to remember in today's economy. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 18, 2010, 01:23PM |
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I am a clinical study manager in a CRO. I have a BS in psychology and have been in the industry for 12 years. I make 110k with an 8-10% annual bonus. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 17, 2010, 06:17AM |
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Masters, 10 years in biotech, $130K + 22% bonus |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 15, 2010, 03:56PM |
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To the clinical study manager making $101k: Can you tell me what career path you took? Were you an associate manager previously? I am a CRA with 3 yrs experience and a MS degree. I would like to move up but am unsure of what my next step should be. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 15, 2010, 06:42AM |
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To the Clin Res. manager earning 58K and no bonus, you are being robbed. Current market salary dictates $100K+ with a min. 15 bonus. Please start selling yourself. |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 14, 2010, 07:13PM |
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To the Clinical Manager: Where do you work? You seem seriously underpaid to me. |
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| Author: pharm sub |
Jan 16, 2010, 05:30PM |
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i did dthe pharm for 23 ys amd bacl om schoool now, do nto plan oon anything, wheny you are making it live like you do not have it, that is the way |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 15, 2010, 11:40AM |
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To: I have a BS in Biology and work as a Clinical Research Study Manager in the industry. I earn $101,000/year and get approximately 15% bonus annually.
How did you work your way up to that position? That is the position I wish to be in yet am struggling to get into that area - I worked for 2.5 yrs in contract data management jobs and when my most recent position was up I was unable to find a contract or perm job in that area and just took a 24K paycut just to keep a job - I now work in grant payments with a lot less pay and responsibility and am no longer on the path in the direction I wish to go - I have an MS of Science in Physical Therapy...please help! |
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| Author: Anonymous ChemistryGuy Reader |
Jan 14, 2010, 03:12PM |
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I have a BS in Biology and work as a Clinical Research Study Manager in the industry. I earn $101,000/year and get approximately 15% bonus annually. |
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