A science degree plus strong therapy-area knowledge; many enter after a PhD, PharmD or clinical role.
Starting salary (UK)
£45,000–£55,000 (post-PhD/experience)
Pharma & life sciences
Packaging & labelling compliance specialist
Ensures medicines are legally and safely labelled across different countries, niche but well paid.
Life SciencesChemistryPharmacology
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£24,000–£30,000
Science & society
Patent attorney
Helps inventors protect new technology and drugs through intellectual property law, a well-paid blend of science and law.
Any science degree
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£30,000–£40,000 (trainee)
Pharma & life sciences
Pharmacologist
Researches how drugs interact with the body, developing and testing new treatments before they reach patients.
PharmacologyBiomedical ScienceBiochemistry
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£26,000–£33,000
Pharma & life sciences
Pharmacovigilance officer
Monitors drug safety after a medicine reaches market, flagging side effects and adverse events to regulators.
PharmacyPharmacologyLife SciencesNursing
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£25,000–£32,000
Operations, quality & compliance
Process and operations analyst
Uses data and process mapping to improve how organisations, including hospitals, run day to day.
Any numerate degree, e.g. Economics, Maths, Statistics, Finance
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£26,000–£32,000
Commercial
Product manager (general tech)
Leads development of a product from concept to launch, valued for structured problem-solving over a specific degree.
Any degree
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£32,000–£42,000
Communication & education
Public engagement officer
Designs events, exhibitions and campaigns that help the public understand and connect with scientific research.
Any science degreeScience Communication
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£22,000–£28,000
Pharma & life sciences
Regulatory affairs officer
Gets new drugs and medical devices legally approved for market, a huge, quietly essential industry.
Life SciencesPharmacyPharmacology
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£26,000–£34,000
Finance & risk
Risk manager
Identifies and manages financial, operational, or regulatory risk for an organisation, a broad, structured path that welcomes analytical science graduates.
Any numerate degree, e.g. Economics, Maths, Statistics, Finance
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£30,000–£38,000
Communication & education
Science communicator / health journalist
Translates complex health research for the public, through outlets, charities, or government bodies.
Any science degreeScience CommunicationJournalism
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£22,000–£28,000
Communication & education
Science journalist / editor
Reports, edits or commissions science stories for newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, websites and publishers.
Any science degreeJournalismScience Communication
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£22,000–£28,000
Communication & education
Science teacher / lecturer
Inspires the next generation of scientists in schools, colleges or universities, a route that keeps you close to the subject.
Any science degreeEducation
Route in
Science degree plus a PGCE or salaried teacher training route; lecturing usually needs a PhD.
Starting salary (UK)
£28,000–£34,000
Pharma & life sciences
Translational scientist
Works on moving lab research toward real clinical application, between pure research and product development.
Biomedical ScienceBiochemistryBiologyPharmacology
Route in
Science degree, then research experience or a PhD.