What Does a Biotech Consultant Do?

Biotechnology is fast becoming a critical economic driver with a significant impact on organizations in the energy, healthcare, agriculture, and industrial sectors. This high-growth market is expected to be worth over $727 billion by 2025, but the demand for labor exceeds the expertise available in the market. To help fill the talent gap, organizations increasingly enlist biotech consultants and firms to help make informed and actionable decisions for everything from product launches to government regulations. 

What is a biotech consultant?

A biotech consultant is an expert in one or more life science fields who, either as an independent contractor or as part of a consulting firm or agency, offers analysis and direction to organizations or individuals.

What does a biotech consultant do?

At a high level, all consultants bring their background knowledge and experience to the table to help provide expert opinion and direction for potential actions an organization is planning to take.

For example, pharmaceutical companies launch new drugs to the market every year. However, federal and international regulations can be complex. Companies may not have the internal resources to ensure their products and their advertising meets full regulatory compliance. The company may then hire a biotech consultant or firm that specializes in regulatory law for pharmaceuticals.

The biotech consultant may provide expert analysis on myriad areas related to the product, which can include aspects of the drug’s design, ethics surrounding testing measures and protocols, and evaluation of the marketing materials.

Biotech consultants work with more than just pharmaceutical companies and drug launches. Primary concerns for biotech consultants include:

• Translating complex industry concepts and ideas into digestible content for key stakeholders
• Coordinating and communicating between organizational teams and executives
• Researching legal frameworks and regulations
• Providing expert analysis of large datasets common in the biosciences industry
• Assisting organizations in solving unique and complex issues related to biotechnology

How much do biotech consultants make?

According to ZipRecruiter, which hosts thousands of biotech consultant job postings, biotech consultants earn an average of around $82,800 per year. Nearly 30% of biotech consultants earn over $113,000 per year, with top earners making around $170,000 per year or more.

There are numerous factors that will influence how much a biotech consultant will earn. Years of experience, specialization, location, and prior education can influence a biotech consultant’s earnings potential.

As with most careers, more years of experience and additional qualifications are often strongly correlated with higher earnings.

How do I become a biotech consultant?

You can learn the intricacies of both biotechnology and business when you earn a Master of Business and Science (MBS) degree at Keck Graduate Institute.

The MBS program at KGI takes students through an intensive, two-year program that offers the critical courses you need to find a job and future success as a biotech consultant.

Learn from experts in the field and work collaboratively to solve complex business problems in biotechnology as you take courses such as:

• Medical Devices
• Pharmaceutical Discovery
• Healthcare and Life Sciences Ethics
• Finance and Accounting Principles
• Applications of Statistics
• Introduction to US Food and Drug Law
• Clinical and Regulatory Affairs

The Master of Business and Science degree at KGI will prepare you to take leading roles in the industrial, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and healthcare industries as you help organizations discover solutions to increasingly complex problems that impact lives.

Contact KGI today to learn more about the MBS program, available concentrations (such as Bioprocessing and Biotech Management), tuition, and semester schedules.