Big Pharma companies are good places to work if you like stability. Many people will spend whole careers at a single company, enjoying the traditional accoutrements of corporate life, including generous annual stock option grants for managers. At many biotech companies, all employees receive stock options, which, if the company does well, can be lucrative. These bonuses are not reflected in the salary ranges below. A high school diploma is required, and many people with college degrees start here as well.
Associates work at the bench, conducting experiments under the guidance of Ph.D. scientists.
These jobs typically don't require previous work experience, though experience in certain scientific specialties is often required or preferred. After receiving a Ph.D. and completing a post-doc, a scientist can get a real job as a research scientist, designing and conducting experiments in a given field and, when appropriate, writing up results for publication. Sales Rep Sales reps work with physicians, hospitals, HMOs, and other medical institutions to keep health-care professionals abreast of and interested in a given company's line of drugs. Drug reps typically have bachelor's degrees, usually in the sciences. Big Pharma companies have huge staffs of reps, making this position a good entry into the industry.