By Brian Buntz |
[motorolka/Adobe Stock]
Boston is arguably the top biotech hub in the U.S., but the salaries in San Francisco and New York City tend to be higher. According to recent data, the San Francisco area offers the top average salaries for biotech jobs, followed closely by New York City. But the cost of living in all three cities remains stubbornly high, with New York City taking the cake for the highest overall cost of living in the U.S. San Francisco came in third while Boston was eighth.
Still, while the pandemic hit New York City and San Francisco especially hard, both cities remain competitive biotech hubs. According to Crunchbase data, both areas have especially high concentrations of biotech companies.
While other major cities with strong biotech sectors such as Boston, London, and Paris offer competitive salaries, none are in the vicinity of the average wages found in San Francisco and New York.
Salaries in scientific domains in the U.S. tend to be notably higher than in Europe yet Continental labor protections are stronger, resulting in more robust worker benefits and a potentially competitive overall compensation package.
Biotech salaries: An overview of salaries and living costs
The table below highlights the average cost of living, biotech company density, and salary ranges across key global biotech hubs.
| City | Average Cost of a One Bedroom Apartment | Mercer’s Cost of Living Ranking, 2023 | Number of Biotech Companies | Avg. Biotech Salary (General) | Avg. Scientist I Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $4,213 to $5,370 | 6 | 689 | $115,610 | $107,815 for scientist, biotech per Glassdoor | $122,195 |
| San Francisco | $2,950 to $3,432 | 14 | 587 | $135,425 | $133,000 for scientist, biotech per Glassdoor | $123,535 |
| London | $1,226 to $3,239 | 17 | 561 | $90,402 (£75,335) | $58,306 (£48,588) |
| Boston/Cambridge | $2,975 and $3,339 | 21 | 427 (some figures considerably higher) | $77,687 | $122,067 for ‘Scientist I’ per Glassdoor | $122,067 |
| Paris | $1,260 to $3,150 | 35 | 255 | $79,200 (€76,154) | $44,589 (€42,874) |
| Cambridge (UK) | $852 to $3,060 (£710 to £2,550) | – | 215 | $51,796 (£43,163) | $55,417 (£46,181) |
| San Diego (USA) | $1,930 to $3,735 | – | 823 | $116,917 | $106,300 |
| Shanghai (China) | $420 to $1,973 (¥3,000 to ¥14,089) | 12 | 307 | $37,903 (¥270,732) | $49,000 (¥350,000) |
| Berlin (Germany) | $1,039 to $2,496 (€999 to €2,400) | 37 | 186 | $57,366 (€55,160) | $68,163 (€65,541) |
Salary data came from a variety of websites, including Talent.com, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and Salary.com. The number of biotech companies figure came from Crunchbase, searching for all companies categorized under “biotechnology” in the five cities. Rental data came from sources such as Apartments.com, Zillow, Rent.com, and ApartmentAdvisor.
Filed Under: Biotech, Drug Discovery and Development
Tagged With: Biotech Careers, Biotech Hubs, Biotech Job Market, Biotech Salaries, Cost of Living, pharmaceutical industry, Salary Comparison
