North Carolina again a top state for bioscience growth, says new BIO report
Key Takeaways
- State’s growth outpaced the nation: From 2021 through 2025, the bioscience industry in N.C. grew by 11.6%, significantly greater than the national rate of 7%, according to a new report commissioned for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)
- NC No. 1 in biomanufacturing job growth: The state gained 6,816 biomanufacturing jobs, a growth rate of 29.2%, to lead all states
- Top 10 in other measures: N.C. rated 10th or better in academic R&D, patents, clinical trials and venture capital investments
- Workforce development, NCBiotech cited: North Carolina’s integrated workforce development efforts and state-sponsored industry support via NCBiotech were cited as strengths
The latest report on the nation’s bioscience industry shows North Carolina continues to rank high among U.S. states in every measure of economic growth and success.
North Carolina ranked fifth in absolute bioscience job growth from 2021 through 2025, according to the 2026 report from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) in partnership with the Council of State Bioscience Associations (CSBA) and TEConomy Partners.
That growth brought North Carolina’s total bioscience industry employment to 102,913 jobs across 6,781 business establishments, according to the report, the 12th edition produced for BIO dating to 2004.
Industry employment grew by 11.6 percent in the state during the period, significantly exceeding the national rate of 7%.
Annual bioscience wages averaged $135,364 in the state, 88 percent greater than North Carolina’s private sector average.
Notably, North Carolina led all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia in biomanufacturing employment growth from 2021 to 2025, with a gain of 6,816 employees, a growth rate of 29.2%.
North Carolina also ranked among the top 10 states in other key measures cited in the report:
- Fifth in bioscience-related academic R&D expenditures in 2024, at $3.38 billion
- Seventh in bioscience academic R&D expenditures per capita in 2024, at $306
- Among the 10 states that received at least $1 billion in funding from the National Institutes of Health
- Eighth in the number of bioscience clinical trials active in 2021-2025, with 8,040
- Tenth in the number of bioscience-related patents issued from 2021-2025, with 4,844
- Seventh in total venture capital investments for 2021-25, with nearly $6.4 billion invested
State investment pays off
“North Carolinians should be proud of our state’s continued growth, success and competitiveness in the bioscience industry,” said Doug Edgeton, president and chief executive officer of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. “Our state has intentionally supported bioscience research, business, education and workforce development for over four decades, and that sustained investment continues to deliver economic growth, good-paying jobs and life-enhancing products for people across the state. We remain deeply committed to that value creation going forward.”
State-sponsored support for the bioscience industry via NCBiotech was cited as a strength in the report.
“State and regional models vary, but organizations such as the North Carolina Biotechnology Center... and other industry-led and university-linked networks illustrate the value of coordinated sector support,” the report said.
North Carolina’s workforce-development efforts were also mentioned as a key asset for an industry highly dependent on the availability of skilled employees.
“North Carolina offers a long-standing integrated model that combines community college training, the BioWork certificate, BioNetwork, North Carolina State University’s Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center, university programs and customized industry training,” the report noted.
The diversity of North Carolina’s bioscience industry also earned attention in the report. The state gained jobs in all five of the industry subsectors studied: agricultural feedstock and industrial biosciences; distribution; pharmaceuticals; medical devices and equipment; and research, testing and medical laboratories.
North Carolina and Puerto Rico were the only two entities with specialized employment concentrations in four of the five industry subsectors. In North Carolina’s case, the only subsector not included was medical devices and equipment.
North Carolinians should be proud of our state’s continued growth, success and competitiveness in the bioscience industry. Our state has intentionally supported bioscience research, business, education and workforce development for over four decades, and that sustained investment continues to deliver economic growth, good-paying jobs and life-enhancing products for people across the state. We remain deeply committed to that value creation going forward.
—Doug Edgeton, president and CEO, North Carolina Biotechnology Center
’National growth
Overall, the bioscience industry generates $3.19 trillion in total U.S. economic output and employs 2.31 million people across over 156,000 businesses, according to the report.
Forty-one states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico experienced net bioscience employment growth over the period.
A boom in biomanufacturing, the making of biological products, accounted much of the job growth. The sector employed 46,936 workers in 2025, up 15.8% from 2021.
Nationally, bioscience industry jobs pay $145,188 annually on average, 84% above the private sector average.
“America’s bioscience industry continues to create jobs, fuel economic growth, and deliver life-saving medicines to patients,” said John F. Crowley, BIO president and chief executive officer. “The United States must continue promoting an environment that supports scientific discovery and strengthens our leadership in biotechnology. This report makes clear that we cannot take that strength for granted. Now is the time to invest in America's biotech ecosystem, advance policies that foster innovation and lay the groundwork for America’s long-term leadership for years to come.”
The 68-page report, “The U.S. Bioscience Economy: Advancing Innovation and Strengthening States and Regions,” is available online along with a supplementary summary of North Carolina’s measures.