Fortune 500 companies reflected 20% of job postings in 2019, while multinationals with greater than 500 employees accounted for 52% of open positions. The roles span a wide range across manufacturing, R&D, sales, and diagnostic/analytical testing.

Michigan is a national top 10 producer of bioscience and engineering conferred degrees, but is a net exporter of that talent. Several factors contribute to the exodus, including the desire by new graduates to migrate to major metropolitan areas and industry hubs perceived to be more livable and conducive to professional career growth.

The top bioscience occupations by job postings in 2019 reflect a range of roles and are overwhelmingly technical in focus. However, even many business development jobs expect technical knowledge as it pertains to the underlying science in a given product or therapeutic area. The top five positions include, in order of a total number of postings, Laboratory Technician, Software Developer or Engineer, Chemist, Researcher or Research Associate, and Business Development or Sales Manager.

Employers increasingly cite the need for specialized and/or technical skills. Quality management skills are most desirable, not surprisingly given the bio-industry's highly regulated work environment, but fundamental laboratory skills in a number of areas are still core. The top five specialized or technical skills sought by employers include Quality Assurance and Control, Chemistry, Laboratory Testing, Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), and Project Management.

Employers place great emphasis on so-called "soft skills". Teamwork and collaboration, computer literacy, troubleshooting, attention to detail, and multi-tasking, among others, and particularly communication skills, are key attributes that employers seek.

In Michigan, the predominant requirement (48.5%) in 2019 for working in the bio-industry was a 4-year Bachelor's degree. That reflects the large emphasis on R&D by Michigan's bioscience companies. Requirements for a graduate degree made up an additional 27.7%. Associate or high school degrees account for approximately 24%, and in many cases represent those jobs in the manufacturing or production settings. A little more than one-third of posted positions required 3-5 years of experience.