Medical Science Liaison Salaries in Biotech and Pharma (2026)
Analysis of Medical Science Liaison (MSL) salaries in biotech and pharma. See median compensation by experience level, top hiring companies, and market trends from real job postings.
Medical Science Liaisons in biotech and pharma are among the highest-paid field roles, with salaries varying by experience level and therapeutic area expertise. This analysis examines compensation data from hundreds of recent MSL job postings to show what companies are paying.
Key Findings
- No Entry-level posts found
- Senior-level range: $142K - $373K
- Management premium: 25% higher than IC roles
- Market demand: Roles stay open for an average of 22 days
Salary Offers by Level
while senior practitioners command $190K+. Management roles show a notable premium, with median salaries reaching $224K.
Highest Paying Companies
Among companies with multiple Medical Science Liaison postings, GSK offers the highest median salary at $225K , followed by Genentech ($224K) and AstraZeneca ($218K) .
Hiring Trends
Top Hiring Companies
Salary Distribution by Experience Level
Salary by Experience Level
| Level | Postings | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid | 323 | $178,471 | $143,735 - $248,000 |
| Senior | 446 | $189,900 | $142,500 - $373,000 |
Individual Contributor vs. Management
Individual contributor roles make up 89% of Medical Science Liaison postings, with 11% in management positions. Management roles command a median of $224K compared to $179K for ICs.
Individual Contributor
Management
Pharma & Biotech Industry Intelligence
Weekly analysis of job postings, compensation data, and hiring patterns across the pharmaceutical industry.
Methodology
This analysis is based on 988 Medical Science Liaison job postings from August 2025 through February 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 77.8% of postings. All figures represent US-based positions only.
This page is updated quarterly to reflect current market conditions. Next scheduled update: May 2026.
Questions about this data? Contact us.