VALIDATION SALARIES.

We could, but the best way to convince yourself is to ring the agencies that are advertising validation vacancies. A biologist with a basic degree or who starts in a laboratory straight from school (with A levels) can expect to earn £16/19K, (€23/27K), ($27/33K) per year, in a permanent position. In a contract position around £10/14/hour, (€14/20/hour), ($17/24/hour). With Validation Online Training Center, training they would immediately jump to £24/28/hour, (€35/41/hour), ($41/48/hour), quite substantial extra income. After one years field experience they could earn an easy £32/36/hour, (€46/52/hour), ($55/62/hour). After that it really depends on equipment experience, if a company wants specialized people then they have to, and do, pay the going rate. The same applies to persons who enter the validation field from an engineering background (mechanical / electrical / instrument / electronic / software / IT). Fitters with a few years experience are ideal training material.

Validation is all about experience and know how. When pharmaceutical companies start, move, alter, modify in any way, equipment (all equipment) that is used to produce their product, then the regulators (FDA, HMRA etc) demand, and will inspect to ensure, that all the equipment has been revalidated. This is time consuming and expensive for the companies, but no exceptions are given.
When a new plant is being built and approaching the production stage it often soaks up every contract validation engineer available in that area and sometimes in the surrounding countries. This has been the normal recently with Ireland drawing in validation people from all over the world.