Life Sciences Job Openings Surge in Maryland Over Four Year Period, New Study Finds
Study Highlights Critical Need for Life Sciences Skills Training Programs to Support Rising Demand for Talent
Frederick, Maryland (August 15, 2023) – Life sciences job openings in Maryland surged over a four-year period, according to a new report commissioned by the Maryland Tech Council and a consortium of state life sciences trade associations. The CSBI/TEConomy Life Sciences Workforce Trends findings demonstrate that building robust skills training programs are crucial to meeting the life sciences industry’s growing talent needs in Maryland.
According to the study, life sciences employers posted 20,723 job openings in Maryland in 2022, representing a 12.5% increase over 2021 and a 39% increase since 2019. Nationally, the life sciences industry has increased employment by just over 8%, outpacing the nation’s private sector growth (6.9%)
Thirty percent of industry job postings in Maryland, or more than 6,200 jobs, did not require a bachelor’s degree, making life sciences an ideal industry for Marylanders of alternative educational backgrounds to find rewarding careers. Forty percent of all industry job postings required one year or less of industry experience.
Research, testing, and medical lab careers represented the largest share of job postings (40%), while job postings in the pharmaceutical sector represented the second largest (34%).
“The CSBI/TEConomy study shows that demand for life sciences talent in Maryland is high,” said Kelly Schulz, CEO of the Maryland Tech Council. “Nationally, there is intense competition among states to attract life sciences jobs, so we must act decisively to build a local talent pipeline that supports the companies fighting diseases, saving lives, and growing Maryland’s economy. Our BioHub Maryland program is critical for building the biopharma workforce Maryland needs to expand its global innovation advantage.”
BioHub Maryland is a skills-training program to help residents of all backgrounds pursue rewarding careers in life sciences by offering skills training, career resources, and access to thousands of job openings. BioHub Maryland is launching its first cohort of trainees in Fall 2023.
The CSBI/TEConomy report also found that the top ten local life sciences employers for job postings were:
- AstraZeneca
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- BD
- Emergent BioSolutions
- Catalent
- Quest Diagnostics
- Novavax
- Charles River Laboratories
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Labcorp Drug Development
Life sciences is one of Maryland’s most important industries, adding $20 billion to the state’s economy annually, hosting 2,700 life sciences companies, and employing more than 54,000 local workers. According to a recent Milken Institute report, Maryland’s life sciences industry pays 87% more on average than other industries in the state.
The study was commissioned by the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes (CSBI) and the research was performed by TEConomy Partners, a global leader in research, analysis and strategy for innovation-driven economic development.
Read the full Maryland report at https://mdtechcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Maryland-TEConomy-CSBI-Life-Science-Workforce-Report-2023.pdf
Read the national report at https://mdtechcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-Life-Sciences-Workforce-Trends.pdf
About the Maryland Tech Council
The Maryland Tech Council (MTC) is a collaborative community that is actively engaged in building strong technology and life science industries by supporting the efforts of our individual members. We are the largest technology and life sciences trade association in the state of Maryland, and we provide value by giving members a forum to learn, share, and connect. MTC brings the region’s community together into a single, united organization that empowers our members to achieve their business goals through advocacy, networking, and education. The vision for the Maryland Tech Council is to propel Maryland to become the number one innovation economy for life sciences and technology in the country. Follow us at mdtechcouncil.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.