Geographic guides
Geographic job-market guides
Nine global life-sciences hubs at a glance — who's hiring, which skills they pay for, what salaries look like, and what your money actually buys after rent.
USA
🇺🇸 Boston / Cambridge
The densest biotech cluster on Earth — Kendall Square alone holds 250+ companies.
Cost index: 95/100
Major employers
ModernaVertexBiogenTakedaPfizerSanofiBroad Institute
In-demand skills
mRNA / LNPCRISPR / gene editingCell therapyAI drug discoveryProcess development
Salary ranges (base)
- Scientist$120–150k
- Senior Scientist$155–195k
- Director / Sr. Director$235–320k
Cost of living
Typical monthly: $3,400–4,600 (1BR + groceries)
Massive talent fluidity — average tenure 2.5y. Equity-heavy comp packages.
Salary ranges are indicative, blended from BLS, Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, Payscale, and EU/UK national surveys. Cost index uses NYC = 100.