Manufacturing/Production Background
Potential Job Roles and Salaries
What kind of roles would I be suitable for in the pharma industry based on my manufacturing/production background?
If you have a manufacturing or production background, you could take our retrain to perform the SAME or SIMILAR job within the pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturing industry.
Here are some of the typical roles and the expected salaries:
Process Technician
Operates equipment, monitors processes and documents results in strict adherence to protocols. They are involved in all stages of the manufacturing process and in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, their role often occurs within a clean-room environment.
Some companies might call this role:
- Process Operator
- Cleanroom Operator
- Chemical Process Technician
- BioProcess Technician
- Starting Salary: €30,000 to €35,000
- After 2 Years: €35,000 to €40,000
- After 5 Years: €40,000 to €50,000
Some companies might call this role:
- Process Operator
- Cleanroom Operator
- Chemical Process Technician
- BioProcess Technician
- Starting Salary: $44,480
- After 2 Years: $56,850
- After 5 Years: $75,220
Process Operators
Operate and monitor chemical or biochemical manufacturing processes. They are typically found in industrial scale continuous flow manufacturing environments where raw materials (e.g. milk, oil, natural gas, etc.) are turned into an end product (e.g. butter, beer, milk formula, drugs, vaccines, paint, etc.) using heat, cold, pressure, or a chemical agent.
Some companies might call this role:
- Chemical Process Operator
- BioProcess Oprator
- Process Operative
- Cleanroom Operator
- Process Operator
- Starting Salary: €30,000 to €35,000
- After 2 Years: €35,000 to €40,000
- After 5 Years: €40,000 to €60,000
Some companies might call this role:
- Manufacturing Operator
- Production Operator
- Production Technician
- Manufacturing Team Member
- Product Assembler
- Assembler
- Starting Salary: $50,728
- After 2 Years: $65,910
- After 5 Years: $75,092
Manufacturing Technician
Work in a discrete manufacturing environment, run and maintain factory equipment and assembly processes, monitor and check the product quality and document results in strict adherence to protocols.
Some companies might call this role:
- Manufacturing Operator
- Production Operator
- Production Technician
- Manufacturing Team Member
- Product Assembler
- Assembler
- Starting Salary: €30,000 to €35,000
- After 2 Years: €35,000 to €40,000
- After 5 Years: €40,000 to €50,000
Some companies might call this role:
- Manufacturing Operator
- Production Operator
- Production Technician
- Manufacturing Team Member
- Product Assembler
- Assembler
- Starting Salary: $50,728
- After 2 Years: $65,910
- After 5 Years: $75,092
Production Operator
Works in a (non-chemical or non-biochemical) manufacturing environment to transform individual parts, sub-assemblies, and materials into distinct products (i.e. cars, phones, TVs, computers, cans, and machine tools) often on an assembly line.
Some companies might call this role:
- Production Operative
- Manufacturing Operator
- Manufacturing Team Member
- Product Assembler
- Assembler
- Starting Salary: €30,000 to €35,000
- After 2 Years: €35,000 to €40,000
- After 5 Years: €40,000 to €50,000
Some companies might call this role:
- Packaging Technician
- Starting Salary: $30,728
- After 2 Years: $37,910
- After 5 Years: $44,092
Packaging Operator
Responsible for taking the finished product of a manufacturing process and ensuring that it is packaged in line with company and industry standards, making it ready for sale or distribution.
Some companies might call this role:
- Packaging Technician
- Starting Salary: €30,000 to €32,000
- After 2 Years: €32,000 to €38,000
- After 5 Years: €38,000 to €42,000
Some companies might call this role:
- Packaging Technician
- Starting Salary: $30,728
- After 2 Years: $37,910
- After 5 Years: $44,092
And with a few years experience,
Production Supervisor
Directly responsible for overseeing and organising the equipment, staff and processes on a production floor. They will oversee scheduling and routine production activities as well as acting as first-line troubleshooting should problems arise.
Some companies might call this role:
- Process Supervisor
- Manufacturing Supervisor
- Starting Salary: €44,640
- After 2 Years: €55,800
- After 5 Years: €66,960
Some companies might call this role:
- Process Supervisor
- Manufacturing Supervisor
- Average US Salary: $86,800
References
- Morgan McKinley Ireland Salary Guide Calculator 2022 (for Dublin) When using the calculator, choose “Engineering” or “Science” from the drop-down menu labelled “Discipline” to find relevant roles.
- Sigmar Recruitment
- Brightwater Salary Survey
- Bureau of Labor Statistics NAICS 325400 – Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing – May 2021 Estimates
Salaries are calculated as 80%, 100% and 120% of BLS averages.
What Courses do I Need to Take?
STEP 1: Take our 16-Week Online Conversion Course into Pharma Manufacturing. This program is the quickest way to learn all you need, to successfully move into an entry-level role in Pharmaceutical or Medical Device manufacturing. Typical roles we see advertised are:
Process Technician. Some companies call this role:
- Process Operator
- Cleanroom Operator
- Chemical Process Technician
- BioProcess Technician
- Process Technician
Manufacturing Technician. Some companies call this role
- Manufacturing Team Member
- Product Assembler
- Production Technician
- Production Operator
- Manufacturing Operator
Packaging Operators. Some companies call this role:
- Packaging Technician
STEP 2: Then take our award-winning Certificate in eBioPharmachem (DT 698) program to get a university qualification and get better jobs with a higher salary. Typical roles we see advertised on our jobs board:
- Quality Assurance Specialist – Some companies call this role:
- Quality Assurance Associate
- Quality Assurance (QA) Technician
- QMS/QA Specialist
- Quality Systems Coordinator
- Documentation Specialist – Some companies call this role:
- Document Controller
- Documentation Coordinator
- Validation Technician – Some companies call this role:
- CQV Specialist
- C&Q Specialist
- Equipment & Process Validation Specialist
- QA Validation Associate
- QA Validation Specialist
- Validation Team Member
And with experience
- Production Supervisor
Available Jobs
Irish Pharmaceutical Jobs Board
Check out the Irelands largest pharma jobs board and see what manufacturing/production jobs are available.
Check now for open positions. Irish Pharma Jobs Board
UK Pharma Jobs Board
Check out the UK’s largest jobs board focused exclusively on the pharmaceutical and medical device sector and see what jobs are available.
Check now for open positions. UK Pharma Jobs Board