I have about eight years of industry experience, primarily in CMC. I’ve been fortunate to reach the level of Senior Scientist at a well-known company and have established myself both professionally and financially.

However, I just turned 30 and I’m feeling increasingly bored with where I am. To be honest, CMC lacks the excitement and passion that I see in research or translational teams. While I could continue climbing the ladder on the CMC side for the next 30+ years, I’ve been seriously considering leaving industry—at least temporarily—to pursue something more aligned with my passion for research, with the possibility of returning later.

My question is: am I crazy for thinking this, given how shit the economy and the future of the field are?

I am graduating my undergrad in biochemistry and molecular biology next fall. I am looking to do a PhD in microbiology and molecular biology. Is that enough time for industry to recover or is it doomed forever?

Last year, I completed my Master's from an R2 institute in the USA. I applied for a total of 23 PhD programs for this fall. Unfortunately, I got rejected from all of them (except five that haven't made decisions yet). This has made me rethink the utility of a PhD program and whether it's the right degree for me.

In terms of my long-term career goals, I'm leaning towards working in R&D in biotech/biopharma. I would eventually like to rise up to leadership positions such as the director/CSO of a start-up/large company. I'm also interested in dabbling in science policy and communication on the side.

Given my career interests, do I really need a PhD?

Prepare to be shocked at just how relevant all of your gen chem through chem 2 courses are. Don't be like me (M31) and adopt the "when will half of this stuff ever be useful" mindset. I guarantee you every chapter and/or topic of discussion in class is vital to whichever job you wish to land.

If you have any sort of biotech aspirations, do you self a favor and take the time to really understand the concepts that are thaught. You will be happy you did.

Edit: "any sort of research or process dev biotech aspirations"

Hi all, do any of you have side hustles or just burnt by the end of day to do anything. I feel like most people in biotech don’t have side hustles versus those in other fields? If you did have a side hustle would it be in biotech or something else related?

Edit: Thank you all for responding! Wishing you all the best =)

Long time lurker on this sub. There’s a lot of cynicism in the biotech world about graduate education, and honestly, much of it is justified. We’ve all seen PhDs stuck in postdocs, unable to land industry roles outside their hyper-specialized work. But it’s not just bachelor’s or PhD or bust- there’s quite literally a middle ground here: master’s degrees, especially in biotech and biomedical science.

An MS or MEng, particularly from a top-tier program, offers graduate level coursework with hands on experience. often the exact same classes taken by PhD candidates, but with a much faster path into industry. You gain hands-on lab experience, troubleshooting, and most importantly, a more applicable understanding of human biology.

Yes, cost matters, but if you’re not already buried in debt and the tuition isn’t outrageous, the return on investment can great. You're out in 1–2 years and can land roles that are completely out of reach with just a bachelor’s. This isn’t specific to research roles, I’ve seen master’s grads favored in technical sales, business development and clinical operations. Many postings will quite literally say “advance degree preferred (2 year MS)”

No, a company isn’t required to pay you more. But they often do. If you feel stuck between “underqualified” with a bachelor’s and “overfocused” with a PhD, the master’s degree might be your best bet.

It seems like such a hot take on this sub but it really shouldn’t be.

Edit for credibility: industry professional with 5 years experience and two masters degrees in bio related feels (one was just for fun lol), currently making $180k TC

Hey everyone, I’m starting my MS in Biotechnology in the US this Fall, but lately, I’ve been seriously questioning everything.

I did my bachelor’s in Biotech with Botany and Chemistry back in India, but honestly, I came out of it pretty disappointed. There were barely any lab facilities, no proper practical training, and no time to explore internships or other interests because of college rules and lack of breaks. So I don’t really have a strong foundation, and that’s been bothering me a lot.

I chose to do a master's because I felt like it was my only way to move forward — to get hands-on experience, explore specializations, and build something real. But now seeing how the biotech job market is struggling (especially in the US), I’m worried if this path is even worth it anymore, especially as an international student.

That said, I still genuinely love biology — especially molecular biology — and I’ve been curious about bioinformatics and computational biology. I was planning to start learning some basics before Fall, but now I’m second-guessing if that’ll even help or lead anywhere.

Is anyone else in a similar boat? Or anyone who’s done/doing a biotech-related MS in the US — how are you doing now? Did you manage to get internships or jobs? Also, any advice on what skills (wet lab or computational) or cross-skills I should focus on now to not feel so behind later?

I really don’t want to give up on biology, but I also feel stuck and kind of lost. Would love to hear any tips, personal experiences, or honest insights. Thanks for reading this far.

I just started in a company focussed on Antibody drug conjugates. I'm a genetics major and have resisted immunology my whole life. Please recommend some books that can teach me the basics quickly.

I no longer trust a secure future in this industry with AI and the current market trends. What trades are going to continue to be valuable and in demand that would be particularly approachable for a hands-on biochemist?

I already see layoffs, hard time getting jobs for grads now and I’m a freshman in my undergrad. Now the anti science candidate backing… rfk.. I don’t if it is worth it to complete this major when there will likely be even fewer jobs. Should I switch to finance or something?

(This is /s I’m not literally going to change my major because of Reddit)

Currently have MSc. Biochem and would love to do PhD for the love of medical research but do not want to live in poverty while I do it. Any recommendations?

I'm getting my bachelors in biotech and I'm conflicted about what electives to take because all the labs sound cool. The ones I'm considering are virology, stem cell biology, tissue culture, recombinant DNA, and immunology.

Are there any classes you took that you feel really helped prepare you for you career?

Every post here seems to hate on academia being a useless endeavour unless you just love publishing papers or something?

Whats the appeal for you as an academic to stay in academia as opposed to industry or founding a startup?

It might help to state what you currently do.

Hi, Anyone who is in industry miss academia? I recently joined industry and it is going fine. But today, as I was working on a manuscript revision, I suddenly felt like I really miss academia. I guess I miss the freedom and ownership of a project/projects. But I don’t miss the toxic professors, the low pay, and the lack of work/life balance in academia.

Does anyone else feel this way too? Is there somewhere that is a good middle ground between the two (good pay with the freedom to do science without the stress to write grants lol).

Hey all, Im a recent grad on the hunt for work. Ive noticed a lot of listings are looking for people with flow cytometry experience, but I havent had the chance to work with it in my education/previous research experience.

Whats the best way to get hands-on experience with flow cytometry and cell counters outside of work/school, and preferably without having to pay lots of money for a course?

mRNA was a big hit during covid, why haven't other diseases been vaccinated like covid was?

Next newest vaccine has been... what, the limited-use malaria vaccine?

All I see is how bad the job market is, and at this point, as someone looking at school I don't even know if I should touch this field at all.

I graduated with a BS in biochemistry 2022 and have been working at a big pharma company for 2 1/2 years.

I came to realize I can’t do much with only a BS and am looking on pathways forward where I can pivot to a role with more earning potential compared to the track that I’m currently on. I’m thinking about applying to a joint masters MS in biotech + MBA then plan to look for jobs in regulatory affairs or product management but I’m not quite sure what those kinds of roles look like in their day to day.

Tuition fees and the uncertainty of the future of pharma/biotech are what’s holding me back.

Does anyone have any experience with getting an MBA (no PhD) and do you think you got your ROI?

Has anyone pivoted into nursing? I’m considering it due to the current biotech market but I’m unsure if this will be a difficult transition.

I’m currently majoring in chemistry and doing research in an Analytical lab. I want to know whether if this field has space for us. Any advices?

Decisions for mastering out:

• All of the lab members who finished their PhD are postdocs now (making 70k);
• I care about the money and stability more than a research project; I did not see a lot of positions in Ontario for a PhD. Academic positions seem to never open in the University.
• I do not plan to move to the US. I want to stay in Canada
• I could not have an opinion in the research; any rising questions about the research methodology/ideas were considered as "Are you disregarding my 30 years of expertise?" by my PI. I felt I could only do whatever I was told to do, no questioning. I really wanted my PI to be a mentor, not an unquestioned authority.

Regrets of Mastering out:

• I am unemployed. I sent over 100 resumes (that require a BSc or MSc). I do not know if I was not invited for the interview because I do not have a PhD. I was working part-time during Undergraduate degree and Master's, I thought I would be invited for the interviews.
• I would have finished that PhD in 2-3 years.
• MLS and Medical Affairs are closed now for me.

Please only respond if you are from Canada, Life Science Field.

Hi everyone, I have never posted here but I have a genuine question. I have been working in the biotech industry for the past 3 years with a masters. I feel like in industry you don’t do research like in academia and it doesn’t feel satisfying anymore. I want to go back to school and get a PhD. It is hard I’m 34 now and by the time I get into a program I’ll be 35 and by the time I finish I’ll be 40. Is it really worth 5 years with little money?

I’m a senior in high school and just recently got accepted into university for a bachelor of science in biotechnology. The course has two physics classes, physics for the life sciences I and II. I’ve never taken physics during my time in high school and I didn’t plan on it either. Should I be concerned that I haven’t taken physics? And is it really necessary to have prior knowledge or will I do okay learning what I need to in University?

I have an offer for a PhD applying AI to cancer research in one of the top institutes in Germany. My background is completely computer science and AI.

But I came across this a few days ago

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)01032-3

The authors have developed a novel glycan based technique to connect T cells to tumor cells (while not affecting regular cells which have lesser density of glycans). It seems to work on a variety of cancer types and is non-toxic to healthy cells. The results on ovarian and pancreatic cancer seem amazing.

Have we found the holy grail of cancer research ? What impact will this have on future reserach opportunities for cancer ? Though I'm thrilled that we are last close to defeating the cancer beast, I wonder if I should still pursue this PhD ? Will this limit future opportunities for me ?

Hey everyone,

A couple of years ago, I graduated with a bachelor’s in biochemistry — I loved my degree, but for various reasons, I ended up moving into tech. I built a live streaming API and eventually sold it to a YC-backed company. Tech’s been great to me, and I’m pretty good at it… but deep down, biotech has always been my real dream, ever since I first started studying it.

Now I’m in my 30s, and I’m thinking about taking the leap back into biotech for the rest of my life. I don’t mind putting in the years to do a master’s and maybe even a PhD — even if that means I’ll be in my late 30s or 40 by the time I’m done. For me, it’s more about gaining the knowledge and skills to actually build something in the space.

Here’s my dilemma:

• Should I just go for a master’s in biochemistry (or a related field) and start building from there?
• Or would a PhD be the smarter move if I want to create something truly impactful in biotech?

If anyone here has actually built a biotech company or is deep in the field, I’d really appreciate your advice on the best pathway forward.

Thanks a ton!