U.S. bioscience employment by subsector 2023

This table shows employment within the four bioscience subsectors in the United States in 2023. In that year, some 416 thousand persons were employed in the drugs and pharmaceuticals subsector within U.S. bioscience. 

U.S. bioscience

In 2023, the research, testing, and medical laboratories subsector within the biosciences industry in the United States totaled some 790 thousand employees, and around 650 thousand employees in the bioscience-related distribution subsectors. In total, the biosciences industry employs some 2.3 million people in the United States. Among biotech companies from the United States, Amgen is among the largest employers globally with around 24 thousand employees. Amgen was founded in 1980 and headquartered in California. One of its best-selling products is Enbrel, a pharmaceutical product that is used to treat autoimmune diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. 

Employment in the agrochemical industry and the health and medical industries are also quite prominent in the biosciences industry. Over a dozen of states have a strong focus on agricultural feedstock and chemicals, and the number of jobs in this sector has remained relatively stable since 2018. The bioscience industry is sustainable in a long-term, especially with the establishment of high-paying jobs that arise from new technological innovations in agriculture, medicine, and energy.