Pharmaceutical R&D Workforce Trends: PhRMA and USAMRIID Employment Data Reveal Shifting Global Footprints in 2026
Key Insights
Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (search) (PhRMA) employs 591 people globally as of March 2026, with workforce growth of 2.1% from 2023 to 2026 despite a 2.0% year-over-year decline.
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (search) (USAMRIID) employs 1,938 people worldwide, with modest 0.8% growth since 2023 and a 0.1% year-over-year dip in 2026.
PhRMA's workforce is concentrated in the United States (55.5%) and India (28.2%), with China identified as the fastest-growing location for the organization.
Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (search) (PhRMA), the Washington, D.C.-based trade organization representing leading biopharmaceutical research companies, employs 591 people worldwide as of March 2026, according to workforce analytics data from Revelio Labs. The organization ranks as the 11th-largest by headcount among its peer group. Founded in 1958, PhRMA has seen its global workforce grow 2.1% from 2023 to 2026, though headcount contracted by 2.0% year over year in 2026.
The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (search) (USAMRIID), headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, employs 1,938 people globally, making it the 9th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1969, USAMRIID's workforce has expanded 0.8% from 2023 to 2026, with a marginal 0.1% year-over-year decline in 2026.
Geographic Distribution and Growth Patterns
PhRMA's workforce reflects a distinctly global footprint, with 55.5% of employees based in the United States, followed by India at 28.2% and Pakistan at 3.6%. China has emerged as the organization's fastest-growing location, signaling a strategic expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. In contrast, USAMRIID remains overwhelmingly U.S.-centric, with 94.6% of its workforce located domestically. Kenya accounts for 1.7% of USAMRIID personnel, followed by Germany at 0.8%, with Kenya identified as the fastest-growing location for the institute.
Functional Composition and Compensation
PhRMA's largest functional groups are Finance and Operations, comprising 49.7% of the workforce, followed by Engineering at 33.5% and Sales and Marketing at 16.9%. Engineering represents the fastest-growing functional area, up 0.7%. At USAMRIID, Finance and Operations similarly dominates at 53.4%, with Engineering at 27.9% and Sales and Marketing at 18.7%.
Compensation data reveals a stark contrast between the two organizations. PhRMA's average salary stands at $111,585, with a median of $192,000 in Northern America compared to $6,000 in Southern Asia. USAMRIID's average salary is $79,475, ranging from a median of $71,000 in Northern America to $9,000 in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Workforce Stability and Sentiment
Median employee tenure at PhRMA is 2.7 years, while USAMRIID employees stay slightly longer at 3.1 years. Revelio Labs data indicates that overall employee sentiment at USAMRIID is positive and broadly stable. PhRMA's workforce hit a low of 559 employees in the third quarter of 2023 before recovering to current levels.
These workforce metrics offer a window into the operational scale and geographic strategies of two distinct entities within the broader pharmaceutical research ecosystem—one a policy and advocacy organization representing industry, the other a government research institute focused on infectious disease threats.