Data Science Salaries in Biotech and Pharma Job Postings (2026)

Comprehensive analysis of data science salaries in biotech and pharma job postings. See median pay by experience level, top hiring companies, and market trends based on real job postings.

Last updated: May 9, 2026 | Data from Nov 2025 - May 2026
$175,500
Median Salary
618
Job Postings
78%
Include Salary
23
Median Days Posted
PharmaPayWatch closely tracks industry job postings, monitoring job boards as much as 3x daily and performing detailed analysis on the Pharma and Biotech Job market. This is one of a series of salary guides that we update every quarter so you have an up-to-date reference. This guide focuses on Data Science in biotech and pharma.

Data scientists in biotech and pharma command competitive salaries, with significant variation based on experience level and company. This guide analyzes real salary data from hundreds of recent job postings to show what companies are actually paying.

Key Findings

  • Entry-level range: $73K - $101K
  • Senior-level range: $103K - $363K
  • Management premium: 30% higher than IC roles
  • Market demand: Roles stay open for an average of 23 days

Salary Offers by Level

Junior Data Science professionals typically start around $80K, while senior practitioners command $186K+. Management roles show a notable premium, with median salaries reaching $199K.

Highest Paying Companies

Among companies with multiple Data Science postings, Genentech offers the highest median salary at $237K , followed by AstraZeneca ($222K) and Pfizer ($209K) .

Highest paying companies for Data Science

Hiring Trends

Data Science hiring trend over past year

Top Hiring Companies

Top companies hiring Data Science professionals
Companies actively hiring:Johnson and Johnson (159), AbbVie (99), Genentech (43), Merck (39), Takeda (31), Sanofi (30), Amgen (28), Bristol Myers Squibb (23), Eli Lilly (23), AstraZeneca (20)

Salary Distribution by Experience Level

Data Science salary distribution by experience level

Salary by Experience Level

LevelPostingsMedianRange
Junior15$79,578$72,550 - $100,853
Mid70$127,753$90,600 - $269,350
Senior395$186,375$103,250 - $363,400

Individual Contributor vs. Management

Individual contributor roles make up 50% of Data Science postings, with 50% in management positions. Management roles command a median of $199K compared to $153K for ICs.

Individual Contributor

$153,214
Median salary from 188 postings

Management

$199,088
Median salary from 292 postings
IC vs Management role distribution

Pharma & Biotech Industry Intelligence

Weekly analysis of job postings, compensation data, and hiring patterns across the pharmaceutical industry.

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Methodology

This analysis is based on 618 Data Science job postings from November 2025 through May 2026 (6-month rolling window).

Data is collected from pharmaceutical and biotechnology company career pages, updated every 3-6 hours. Salary information is available for 77.7% of postings. All figures represent US-based positions only.

This page is updated quarterly to reflect current market conditions. Next scheduled update: August 2026.

Questions about this data? Contact us.

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