Press Release
6/12/2025
For more information:
Rebecca Stauffer
AAPS Communications Manager
[email protected]
AAPS Salary Survey Shows 4.5% Increase in Base Salary in United States
Only Survey to Exclusively Address Compensation Trends for Pharmaceutical Scientists
Arlington, VA—The base salary of those employed full time in the pharmaceutical sciences in the United States was $191,800, according to the 2025 AAPS Salary Survey. This represents an increase of 4.5% compared to the 2024 survey.
In comparison, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that overall wages and salaries in the United States increased 0.8% the first quarter of 2025.
The AAPS Salary Survey collected data between January 16 and February 14, 2025. Three-quarters of respondents reported that they work in private industry. Of that number, 25% work in large pharma. The survey also found that when compared with other sectors, U.S. full-time employees in private industry boast the highest median salaries at $185,000.
“This significant increase in base salary not only underscores the demand for skilled pharmaceutical scientists but also validates the support and value our community brings to society,” 2025 AAPS President, Russell Weiner, Ph.D., FAAPS, said. “The AAPS Salary Survey empowers members and employers alike to make informed, data-driven decisions about career growth and compensation.”
The AAPS Salary Survey is the only survey that exclusively tracks compensation data in the pharmaceutical science sector, both inside and outside the United States. Each year, AAPS surveys its members about their salaries and related compensation information. The association has amassed more than a decade of data covering base salary as well as supplemental income, such as bonuses, summer-time work, grants, and summer teaching. Income from other professional work, such as consulting, is also tracked.
Salary data is analyzed by education level, years of experience, and career field (industry or academia).
The survey is an AAPS members-only benefit that can be accessed at www.aaps.org/salary. AAPS members have access to a Salary Calculator for full-time employees in the United States that can be used to research salaries across industry and academia. This data is used by AAPS members who are individually negotiating salaries as well as setting salary bands at a corporate level.
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American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit association of more than 7,000 scientists and professionals employed in academia, industry, regulatory, and other research related to the pharmaceutical sciences worldwide. Its mission is to advance the capacity of pharmaceutical scientists to develop products and therapies that improve global health, which members pursue through four peer-reviewed journals and various events in person and online. www.aaps.org
AAPS provides Professional Advancement resources specific to scientists working in the pharmaceutical industry at every stage of their careers. Resources include webinars, workshops, sessions at AAPS in-person events, articles in the AAPS Newsmagazine, and the annual salary survey—the only salary survey focused on pharmaceutical scientists. www.aaps.org/career-development