Obtaining a Ph.D. in life sciences was hard work. You toiled for any years, published your research, received an accolade or two along the way, and you even have a comfortable faculty position. Maybe you have been stuck in a lab for many years and finally you decided that publish or perish is no longer a rule you want to live by. Now you yearn for more and you want to find other opportunities. What else is out there? Where else can you apply your expertise other than traditional Ph.D. roles? 

Probably the best careers for PhDs in life sciences are in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries. All the years of training, research, publications, teaching, and speaking are very valuable skills that can land you a very satisfying and lucrative position in the pharmaceutical industry. The pharmaceutical industry presents several options for PhDs who are comfortable in a business environment and can apply their scientific skills to support the objectives of a pharmaceutical, biotech, or device company.

There are many different types of opportunities ranging from drug discovery, preclinical studies, clinical studies, regulatory, marketing, sales, publications, and post-marketing scientific support in medical affairs. All are excellent opportunities depending on your interest and your entry point into the pharmaceutical industry. Here are some interesting pharmaceutical, biotech, or device company jobs that do not involve lab work and are suitable for PhDs.

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Related: Tips for PhDs Looking for Pharmaceutical Industry Jobs