Life sciences employment in Massachusetts declined by 1% in 2025 following more than a decade of growth, according to the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation’s 2026 employment outlook report released on June 4. The number of jobs fell to 143,224 last year from 144,669 the previous year. This marks a shift after minimal growth of just 0.03% in 2024.
The report, developed with TEConomy Partners, found that industry employment had grown steadily since 2010. Last year's analysis noted an average annual rate of increase at 6.7% between 2013 and 2023 and a growth rate of 2.5% for the year ending in 2023.
Most life sciences jobs in Massachusetts last year—73%—were concentrated in biopharmaceuticals and medical laboratories, but this area saw a slight decline of 0.3%. Scientists represented a significant portion of the workforce at 25%, more than double the national concentration for this occupation segment; however, their numbers decreased by about 0.3% from 2023 to 2025. Management roles experienced the largest drop at -8.1%, followed by scientific technicians with a -2.6% change during that period.
There was job growth among production workers (+7.2%), engineering professionals (+4.6%), business and finance professionals (+2.1%), and computing and IT professionals (+0.2%).
Looking ahead, the report projects optimism for future job creation: life sciences employment is expected to grow by nearly ten percent (9.7%)—or about thirteen thousand nine hundred net new jobs—by the end of this decade (2030). The core biopharma segment is anticipated to account for most gains with an estimated addition of over thirteen thousand positions (12.5% growth), representing ninety-four percent of all new roles added during that time frame.
To prepare for these changes, reskilling will be necessary across several occupational segments, including scientists, managers, and engineers as organizations adapt to advancements such as artificial intelligence integration and automated manufacturing platforms.
