The pharmaceutical industry is on the upswing and is poised to have a compound annual growth rate of 13.7% from 2020 to 2027, according to projections from Grand View Research.
The industry’s resurgence is a good opportunity for employees in the sector, who frequently enjoy comfortable salaries.
To get a sense of which pharmaceutical companies in the sector were the best employers, we sifted through data on company reviews sites Glassdoor and Comparably, and other sources.
Below are the 10 companies that came in on top. (And browse data on all the Pharma 50 companies here.)
1. Sage Therapeutics
Glassdoor rating: 4.4/5
83% would recommend to a friend
Pros: Workers at Sage Therapeutics applauded the company’s work-life balance and culture. Just under three-quarters (74%) had a positive business outlook for the firm. One recent reviewer found meaning in “doing the toughest job in the world by developing CNS drugs.” The company’s brain health portfolio includes investigational drugs for depression, Parkinson’s and essential tremor.
Cons: In the negative column, some employees on Glassdoor pointed to the firm’s growing pains while a handful complained about the impact of “bad hires” on the company’s culture.
R&D salary examples:
- Senior formulation research scientist: $92,266 (based on 19 reports)
- Senior research scientist: $146,318 (based on 6 reports)
2. Roche Pharmaceuticals (a division of Roche Group)
Glassdoor rating: 4.3/5
89% would recommend to a friend
Pros: Employees praised the company’s benefits. “Great people, great culture, engaging work, good benefits,” wrote a mechanical engineer on Glassdoor. Employees within Roche’s Genentech subsidiary also rated the company highly, giving an overall ranking of 4.3 on both Glassdoor and Comparably. Employees gave the company’s CEO Severin Schwan especially high marks, with 97% approving of Roche’s top executive. Just under three-quarters (74%) believed the company had a positive business outlook. One reviewer on Glassdoor praised the company for giving workers guidance but autonomy. There is “very little micro-management,” the reviewer concluded. A total of 83% of Roche employees are happy with their work-life balance, while 93% look forward to interacting with their colleagues, according to Comparably.
Cons: Some complained about its senior management, lamenting a lack of strategic direction, divisional fragmentation and frequent changes in upper management. A reviewer on Comparably said bureaucracy is a problem but added that it is “getting better through multiple initiatives centered on employee feedback over the past few years.”
R&D salary examples:
- Scientist: $95,334 (based on 196 reports)
- Research associate: $74,524 (based on 86 reports)
- Senior scientist: $100,155 (based on 69 reports)
3. Eisai
Glassdoor rating: 4.3/5
86% would recommend to a friend
Pros: Employees were generally happy with Eisai’s work environment and benefits. One employee wrote on Glassdoor that the company has a “great working environment, conducive of discovery, and impressive teamwork, adding that its human resources department was “extremely helpful.” Some 94% of Eisai workers approve of the CEO, Dr. Haruo Naito. A total of 74% of workers have a positive business outlook for Eisai.
Cons: Some employees faulted the firm’s management and, specifically, how it manages its sales force. One recent Glassdoor review criticized the company for operating “like a giant pharma with a lot of red tape, even though they are not.”
R&D salary examples:
- Principal researcher: $116,608 (based on three reports)
- Scientist: $130,490 (based on three reports)
4. Merck
Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
87% would recommend to a friend
Pros: Merck employees were supportive of the company’s culture and work environment. The company currently ranks 61st on Glassdoor’s list of Best Places to Work. Merck’s CEO Kenneth Frazier had an approval rating of 96% on Glassdoor and 75% on Comparably. Chief Executive magazine named the leader as the top CEO of the year. Frazier, however, is retiring in June. Robert M. Davis, currently EVP, global services and CFO of the company, is slated to be the CEO on July 1. A majority of workers, 79%, share a positive business outlook for the company. Boston Consulting Group ranked Merck as the fourth most innovative pharma company.
Cons: Some workers complained of having to work long hours. A reviewer on Comparably said the work environment is “very fast-paced and the reason behind change is not often forthcoming.” Other reviewers complained that the company’s cost-cutting measures had taken a toll on morale.
R&D salary examples:
- Scientist: $91,044 (based on 415 reports)
- Senior scientist: $125,486 (based on 306 reports)
- Associate principal scientist: $151,364 (based on 180 reports)
5. Novartis
Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
87% would recommend to a friend
Pros: Novartis workers appreciated the company’s work environment and benefits. The company also ranked as the 98th best company to work for, according to Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. The company’s CEO, Vas Narasimhan, received high marks, with 96% of workers on Glassdoor and 80% on Comparably approving him. Three-quarters of workers had a positive business outlook for the company. Novartis was included in the 2021 BCG roundup of the most innovative companies.
Cons: Employees with constructive feedback faulted the company’s bureaucratic decision-making process and chaos ensuing from changes in senior management. Some reviewers complained that they felt under-compensated.
R&D salary examples:
- Scientist: $101,045 (based on 259 reports)
- Senior scientist: $115,925 (based on 59 reports)
- Senior biostatistician: $115,925 (based on 60 reports)
6. Janssen (Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical segment)
Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
87% would recommend to a friend
Pros: The majority of Johnson & Johnson’s employees appreciated the work-life balance their positions afforded them, and many were happy with their benefits. A sizable majority of employees — 94% — approved of CEO Alex Gorsky. Overall, the company ranked as the 24th best company to work for, according to Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. In 2020, Forbes also listed the company as the 30th best employer for new grads. Johnson & Johnson is also cited as the second most innovative pharma company, according to BCG.
Cons: Some workers struggled with bureaucracy that is common within large organizations. One scientist who gave the company a five-star review lamented it was challenging to get promoted. Still, a total of 78% of employees had a positive business outlook for J&J.
R&D salary examples:
- Scientist: $122,720 (based on 60 reports)
- Senior scientist: $152,000 (based on 19 reports)
7. Pfizer
Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
85% would recommend to a friend
Pros: A majority of workers at Pfizer believe the company provides them with a good work-life balance and benefits. Forbes also ranked the company as the ninth-best employer for new grads in 2020. The company was ranked as the 39th best company to work for overall, according to Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla is also popular, with 92% approving of his performance. Somewhat fewer — 75% — had a positive business outlook for the company, which in the past year has sharpened its focus on innovation by shedding off its established medications division Upjohn. Pfizer was listed as the most innovative pharmaceutical company in a 2021 roundup from BCG.
Cons: As with other Big Pharma companies on this list, some employees criticize the dynamics of working at a large company. A significant number complained of having to work long hours and unclear strategy from upper management. Some employees disliked the work environment, culture and recruitment practices at the company.
R&D salary examples:
- Senior associate scientist: $81,695 (based on 711 reports)
- Senior scientist: $120,455 (based on 326 reports)
- Principal scientist: $142,256 (based on 167 reports)
8. Moderna
Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
84% would recommend to a friend
Pros: Many employees appreciated the company’s benefits and free lunch in its Cambridge, Mass. headquarters. The company’s CEO Stéphane Bancel is also popular, winning the support of 89% of employees. A large number of employees, 87%, had a positive business outlook for the company. Moderna also made it onto BCG’s rankings of most innovative companies.
Cons: Employees were more mixed in Glassdoor reviews about the company’s fast-paced work environment, with some criticizing the need to work long hours.
R&D salary examples:
- Senior research associate: $85,775 (based on 65 reports)
- Scientist: $128,906 (based on 15 reports)
- Senior scientist: $155,861 (based on 13 reports)
9. AstraZeneca
Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
86% would recommend to a friend
Pros: AstraZeneca employees were happy with the benefits and work-life balance their positions afforded. A total of 96% of the employees who left Glassdoor reviews approved of the performance of the company’s CEO, Pascal Soriot.
Cons: As with several of the companies included here, some workers complained about the company’s senior management. Some employees were unhappy with the dissolution of MedImmune, which had been an AstraZeneca subsidiary until 2019.
R&D salary examples:
- Scientist: $98,231 (based on 224 reports)
- Scientist I: $114,705 (based on 45 reports)
- Senior research associate: $141,243 (based on 7 reports)
10. Biogen
Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
83% would recommend to a friend
Pros: The majority of Biogen employees liked the company’s culture, benefits and the work-life balance it afforded, according to Glassdoor reviews. A total of 87% of Glassdoor reviewers approve of the CEO Michel Vounatsos. Forbes also ranked Biogen as one of the world’s best employers in 2020. Workers also praised the company’s support of flexible work arrangements before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cons: In the negative column, some employees faulted the company’s senior management and decision-making. A relatively low number of employees — 59% — had a positive business outlook for the company. Some reviewers would like to see more diversity and improved cultural transparency at the company.
R&D salary examples:
- Scientist I: $122,917 (based on 42 reports)
- Associate Scientist III: $110,908 (based on 202 reports)
- Senior scientist: $164,969 (based on 36 reports)