Medical science liaison

As an MSL, you'll provide objective scientific, educational and research support for your company's products, ensuring they're used appropriately and effectively. You'll help healthcare professionals understand the clinical data behind new products and advances in treatment, answer their questions, and ensure that the information you share is accurate, balanced and evidence based.

You'll usually be responsible for a specific geographical area and will specialise in a particular drug, medical device or therapeutic area. You'll meet with clinicians and attend conferences to discuss the latest research findings, sharing insights from these discussions with colleagues in marketing, sales and research to help shape company strategy.

You'll typically work for a biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare or medical device company.

Job titles can vary depending on the organisation, and you may be known as a medical scientific adviser, medical affairs specialist, medical manager or regional scientific manager, for example.

Responsibilities

As an MSL, you'll need to:

• identify and engage with key opinion leaders (KOLs) and other healthcare professionals in relevant therapeutic areas
• build and maintain peer-to-peer scientific relationships with external experts and clinical stakeholders
• provide accurate, balanced and evidence-based information about your company's drugs, devices or therapies
• deliver educational presentations to healthcare professionals, for example on clinical trial results or product data
• respond to complex scientific or medical enquiries from clinicians, researchers and internal colleagues
• gather and share medical insights from KOLs and the wider clinical community to inform internal strategy
• support clinical research activities by identifying potential study sites or investigators and sharing relevant information with medical teams
• train internal teams, such as sales or marketing colleagues, on the scientific aspects of products and therapy areas
• attend medical conferences and scientific meetings to exchange knowledge and stay informed about emerging research
• keep up to date with the latest scientific, clinical and regulatory developments in your assigned therapeutic area.

Salary

• MSL salaries typically start at around £50,000 for those new to the role, although this can vary depending on your qualifications, experience, location and employer.
• Experienced MSLs can typically earn between £60,000 and £80,000. Those in senior roles may earn more than this, depending on the company, therapeutic area and territory size.
• MSLs who progress into associate medical director or similar leadership roles may earn over £100,000.

Salaries can vary significantly depending on the country you work in, your therapeutic area, the size and type of employer, and your level of responsibility. The highest salaries are typically for MSLs with a global remit, director-level responsibilities or large territories.

Pay is often supplemented by bonuses or incentive schemes. Many employers also offer additional benefits such as a company car or car allowance, laptop and mobile phone, pension scheme and private health insurance. These can increase your overall compensation significantly.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll usually work full time, typically around 37 to 40 hours a week, although flexibility is required. As the role is largely field based, your schedule may include early starts, evening work or occasional overnight stays to accommodate meetings, conferences or travel between sites.

Job sharing and part-time work are uncommon due to the level of specialist knowledge and continuity required, and self-employment or freelance work is rare in this field.

What to expect

• You're likely to spend two to four days a week visiting hospitals, clinics and research sites within your geographical area of responsibility. Depending on your employer, this may occasionally include international travel. The rest of your time is usually spent on desk-based research, report writing and virtual meetings from home or the office.
• The role requires confidence and strong interpersonal skills to build relationships with senior clinicians, consultants and professors. This can be challenging but also intellectually stimulating, as you'll be working with leading experts in your therapeutic area.
• Dress codes are usually business casual, with formal business wear expected at more formal events.
• You may need to attend or present at national and international conferences, which can sometimes involve evening or weekend work. In larger organisations, attendance is often shared across the wider MSL team.
• Initiatives are in place to encourage and support women into STEM careers, including programmes run by organisations such as WISE (Women into Science and Engineering), which aims to ensure that women in STEM experience inclusive, equitable workplaces across science, technology, engineering and maths professions.

Qualifications

To work as a medical science liaison (MSL), you'll need a degree in a life science, medical or pharmacy-related discipline. Relevant subjects include:

• biochemistry
• biology, molecular biology or microbiology
• biomedical sciences
• biotechnology
• medical sciences
• medicine
• nursing
• pharmacology
• pharmacy.

Employers typically look for candidates with an advanced understanding of scientific research, clinical practice and data interpretation. Therefore, many roles require a postgraduate qualification, such as a PhD, PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) or MD (Doctor of Medicine), as this demonstrates you have the depth of scientific knowledge, understanding and communication skills needed for the role. You may be able to get a junior MSL position with a relevant Masters degree if you also have strong research experience.

Alongside your academic background, you'll need significant industry experience, often gained in areas such as medical affairs, clinical research, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, drug safety or medical sales. Employers value candidates who can combine scientific expertise with commercial awareness and the ability to communicate complex information clearly.

Demand can be particularly high for MSLs with expertise in haematology, immunology, neuroscience and oncology, reflecting ongoing developments in pharmaceutical research and new treatment areas.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills
• strong interpersonal and networking skills, with the confidence to engage senior clinicians and researchers on a peer-to-peer level
• the ability to work collaboratively across multifunctional teams
• critical thinking and data analysis skills to interpret and evaluate scientific evidence and clinical data
• commercial awareness and understanding of the pharmaceutical and healthcare environment
• the ability to adapt information for different audiences, for example translating complex data into clear, accessible messages
• a high level of emotional intelligence to build trust and manage stakeholder relationships effectively
• strong organisational and time management skills, as work is largely autonomous and field based
• digital literacy, including familiarity with data platforms, CRM systems and AI-supported tools
• a commitment to continuous learning and staying up to date with scientific and medical advances.

You will also need a valid driving licence.

Work experience

It's useful to get work experience during your degree, such as a sandwich year or placement in a biotech or pharmaceutical company, to develop practical skills and start building a professional network. Experience in clinically focused research is also valuable, as an understanding of clinical codes of practice and regulatory standards is beneficial.

Having experience of working on relevant disease pathways during your PhD or postdoctoral research is particularly advantageous, as you'll need to align your knowledge with the diseases and drugs your employer focuses on. Try to apply for MSL roles in therapeutic areas that match your research expertise to increase your chances of success.

Other useful experience includes fellowships, temporary roles in pharma or biotech companies, or positions in clinical research or medical communications.

Consider becoming a member of the Medical Science Liaison Association (MSLA) to network with current MSL professionals and develop your understanding of the role.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

The main employers of medical science liaisons in the UK are:

• pharmaceutical companies
• biotechnology companies
• medical device and diagnostics companies.

Other employers include contract research organisations, clinical genomics firms and specialist medical affairs or communications agencies that provide outsourced MSL or medical affairs support to client organisations.

For details of pharmaceutical companies that may advertise MSL roles, see the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) members' list of pharmaceutical recruiters.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Biotechnology Jobs
• emedcareers
• Pharmajobs
• PharmiWeb

Recruitment agencies also handle MSL vacancies. Relevant agencies include:

• Carrot Recruitment
• CHASE
• Proclinical

Vacancies are also advertised on the websites of major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and on LinkedIn.

Networking at conferences and events is a good way of finding out about opportunities.

Professional development

Initial training is usually provided by your employer and typically covers product knowledge, company processes and compliance standards. In smaller companies, you may spend time shadowing experienced MSLs in the field, while larger organisations often run more formal, on-site programmes. It can take several months before you begin working independently in your designated area.

You can support your professional development by joining relevant professional bodies, such as the Medical Science Liaison Association (MSLA), which offers training, workshops and networking events, and the Medical Science Liaison Society, an international organisation that also offers training.

Taking part in continuing professional development (CPD) is essential throughout your career, helping you stay up to date with new products, regulations, research developments and NHS changes. You can do this by attending conferences, events and webinars, reading the industry press and getting involved with online specialist groups and communities in your therapeutic area.

Career prospects

Roles and prospects vary between companies. Typically, you can progress to a senior MSL role after around three to five years' experience. Some companies offer opportunities to take on larger territories at this stage, such as moving from a regional or country role to a multi-country role.

Progression from senior MSL to MSL manager depends on the company's structure. With around eight years' experience, it may be possible to progress to a medical director or head of medical affairs position. These senior roles are often head-office based and involve greater input into commercial and medical strategy.

You could also move into other medical affairs roles, such as medical adviser, medical information specialist or medical communications manager, or move into training, compliance or clinical development functions within the pharmaceutical industry.