Bioscience Jobs Rise 7% Nationwide Since 2021
A new industry report finds U.S. bioscience employment grew across most states between 2021 and 2025.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Biotech
Live Poll
Should the U.S. government increase funding for biotechnology research?
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization and the Council of State Bioscience Associations report that U.S. bioscience employment rose 7% from 2021 to 2025. Employment increased in 41 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Why it matters
The figures show the sector directly employed 2.31 million people across more than 156,000 businesses in 2025, a broad base of jobs for the national economy. Growth is uneven, with some large states declining even as others expand.
Research, testing and medical laboratories grew 8.1% nationally from 2021 to 2025 and employed more than 779,000 people in 2025. The report does not specify which laboratory technologies or capabilities drove that growth.
The players
Biotechnology Innovation Organization
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization is a trade association representing biotechnology companies and research institutions in the United States and abroad.
Council of State Bioscience Associations
The Council of State Bioscience Associations is a coalition of state-level bioscience industry groups that advocates for the sector's growth across the country.
The details
Employment rose in 41 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, with Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and New Jersey leading in absolute job growth. California, the nation's largest bioscience employer, saw a 1.5% decline to 334,448 jobs.
Timeline
2021: Baseline year for the bioscience employment comparison.
2025: Year of the reported employment and establishment data.
November 2, 2026: Report covered by BioSpace.
Market Landscape
The report tracks a sector that has expanded its establishment count by 22% since 2021, outpacing its 7% employment gain. Growth concentrated in states such as Texas, Florida and Massachusetts reflects continued competition among regions to host bioscience businesses and talent.
Bioscience wages are high in some states, with Massachusetts averaging $219,393 annually in 2025. Workers and job seekers in the sector may find more openings in the states where employment grew most.
The takeaway
Growth in bioscience jobs is spreading across most of the country, but gains are not uniform. Readers tracking the sector's job market should watch which states are adding roles and which are losing ground.
Further reading
Explore more biotech coverage for context on how the sector is developing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pharma.
Live Poll
Should the U.S. government increase funding for biotechnology research?
