The pharmaceutical industry ranks among the top three employer sectors
Surveys show: The pharmaceutical industry scores high on safety and career opportunities
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Recent survey data paint a positive picture of the pharmaceutical industry as an employer, particularly in terms of stability, future prospects, and proximity to research.
A recent Civey survey commissioned by Pharma Deutschland shows that 75.5 percent of respondents view the pharmaceutical industry as an attractive employer. Approval is particularly high among the 50- to 64-year-old age group.
The industry’s appeal is also confirmed among students. A survey commissioned by Pharma Deutschland during the 2025–26 winter semester at ten German universities found that 54 percent consider a career start in the pharmaceutical industry to be attractive. The students surveyed are majoring in pharmacy, STEM, medicine, and economics. Among pharmacy students, the industry is clearly the top choice—71 percent name it as their preferred employer. In other pharmacy-related fields, it ranks among the top three.
The industry appeals to students based on rational facts: more than half of those surveyed cited financial security and job stability as advantages, while over 40 percent each also see good career prospects and a research-oriented work environment as key benefits. It also became clear that environmental and social responsibility play a central role in employer selection: 76 percent stated that a commitment to environmental protection and sustainability is somewhat important to very important when choosing a future employer.
“The pharmaceutical industry offers a wide range of career opportunities for a broad spectrum of qualifications—a potential that can be communicated even more effectively, particularly to younger target groups,” says Dorothee Brakmann, CEO of Pharma Deutschland.
With approximately 133,000 employees, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the cornerstones of the German economy. The entry-level opportunities are correspondingly diverse. Typical degree programs include pharmacy, pharmaceutical engineering, and pharmaceutical chemistry. In addition, related fields such as biochemistry, biology, or medicine also provide a solid foundation for a career in the industry. Engineering disciplines, in particular, play an important role—for example, in production, quality assurance, or process engineering. Graduates of IT programs can find opportunities in data analysis, clinical research, production, or supply chain management.
Practical vocational training programs also open up attractive career paths, such as becoming a pharmaceutical technical assistant (PTA), a pharmaceutical technician, or a chemical laboratory technician. They perform key tasks in the manufacture, testing, and development of pharmaceuticals and are indispensable to the industry.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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