<p>So yeah, I’ve noticed that the community college I go to, Wake Technical Community College, offers an extensive list of certificates and certifications relating to biotechnology. The university I plan on transferring to, NC State, offers a concentration in biomanufacturing for ChemE majors. These facts lead to the questions that I would like to ask you all: Is biotechnology a particularly strong business sector in North Carolina? Would pursuing a degree that will allow me to enter the industry allow me access to a stable job with relatively nice pay? Any insight on this matter would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Yes, it’s popular in the research triangle area. However, just going by the salary information that my own school provides, bio-related engineering areas are some of the worst paying.</p>
<p>Well, what salary range are we looking at?</p>
<p>GT’s median BME salary is ~$55k. By comparison, CHE is ~$70k, and the rest (ECE, AE, ME, etc) are between $60-$65k, with the exception of civil and environmental which are around $50k.</p>
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<p>ChemE with a concentration in Biomanufacturing is not BME (Biomedical Engineering). It’s a ChemE curriculum with a few concentration courses on the unit operations, business, and regulations of biologics manufacturing. ChemE’s can go into a variety of different fields: oil, chemicals, materials, etc. One of the more nascent, but quickly developing fields ChemE’s enter is biopharma. </p>
<p>itz9001, the biopharma field is a great field to get into as a chemical engineer. Like I mentioned earlier, there is a good deal of growth in biopharma when compared to traditional ChemE fields like chemical manufacturing, which is declining. North Carolina is a hotbed for Biopharma/Pharma companies ([Bio</a> NC Hotbed - News, Events, Hotbed Participants and Jobs](<a href=“http://biospace.com/hotbed.aspx?regionid=20]Bio”>Bio NC | BioSpace)) so you’re in a good location. Also, if you decided to move there are big biopharma industries in California, NJ, and near Boston. I’ve actually worked for a biopharma corporation for a couple years so if you have any questions about the work, I will try to give you an answer.</p>
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<p>I’m aware of the distinction. My point is that bio-related jobs appear to be worse paying, on average, than engineering jobs in other areas. BME’s do jobs that are similar to other engineering majors, but apply it directly to bio-related applications. However, their salaries are well-below the averages for the “pure” engineering disciplines that they draw on. Therefore, my conclusion was that bio jobs pay worse than other jobs.</p>
<p>Unless there’s actual data for “biomanufacturing” salaries, it would be difficult to say for certain, as people concentrating in that are certainly not synthesizing chemicals or doing other very lucrative tasks that pay very well.</p>
<p>GTHopeful,
I understand what you’re saying, but the reason that biology majors, biochem majors, and BME majors receive a comparatively smaller salary is not due to the prefix bio in their title or some sort of industrial pay standard. Bio/biochem majors receive “low” pay due to the high supply and lack of extensive technical skills received from their degree. BME majors receive “low” pay because there is little demand for BME majors in industry and, from my experience, they tend to be lumped in with bio/biochem majors when hiring.</p>
<p>On the other hand, a ChemE major will be receiving a salary that’s competitive regarding the demand and location. This is for oil, chemicals, semiconductors, pharma, biopharma, etc. If anything, I feel ChemE’s will be more in demand in biopharma as the industry matures and the boomer generation reaches decrepitude. By gaining a background in biochemistry, along with an introduction to the biologics manufacturing unit operations, the OP will definitely stand out when applying to your Mercks, Pfizers, and Roches. </p>
<p>Although I never worked as an engineer, I knew several ChemE’s who worked as PD engineers at my plant who told me they made above the average ChemE salary with good benefits. If you end up working at a biopharma company that’s known for treating their workers exceptionally well, like Genetech, you can expect more of both.</p>