Georgia Bioscience Industry Reaches 42,605 Jobs, Contributing $1.5 Billion in Venture Capital Investment
New national report highlights Georgia’s growing bioscience workforce, research enterprise, and investment activity
October 28— Georgia’s bioscience industry continues to expand its economic footprint, supporting 42,605 jobs across 4,281 business establishments statewide in 2025, according to a new report examining the economic impact of the U.S. bioscience industry.
The U.S. Bioscience Economy: Advancing Innovation and Strengthening States and Regions, published by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the Council of State Bioscience Associations, and TEConomy Partners, provides a comprehensive assessment of the bioscience industry’s contributions to employment, wages, business growth, university research and development, and access to capital across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Georgia’s bioscience employment grew 7.6% between 2021 and 2025, slightly outpacing national growth. The state recorded employment gains across all five major bioscience industry subsectors, demonstrating the breadth of its life sciences economy.
“Georgia’s bioscience industry is an important contributor to our state’s economic competitiveness, creating high-quality jobs and advancing research and innovation,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, President and CEO of Georgia Life Sciences. “These findings underscore the opportunity to build on Georgia’s strengths by strengthening connections among research institutions, industry, investors, and workforce partners to help more life sciences companies innovate and grow here.”
Georgia’s Bioscience Industry: Key Findings
The report highlights several indicators of Georgia’s bioscience industry strength:
- 42,605 jobs: Georgia’s bioscience industry employed more than 42,000 people in 2025, with employment growing 7.6% from 2021 to 2025.
- 4,281 business establishments: Bioscience companies and related businesses operate across the state, contributing to Georgia’s diverse economic base.
- $112,712 in average annual wages: Bioscience industry wages exceeded Georgia’s private-sector average by 52%, highlighting the sector’s contribution to high-value employment.
- $2.0 billion in university bioscience research: Georgia universities conducted $2.0 billion in bioscience-related research and development in fiscal year 2024.
- $789.5 million in NIH funding: Georgia institutions received $789.5 million in National Institutes of Health funding in fiscal year 2025.
- $1.5 billion in venture capital investment: Georgia bioscience companies attracted $1.5 billion in venture capital from 2021 through 2025.
Georgia’s bioscience distribution subsector, the state’s largest, expanded employment by 10.3% during the period. Agricultural feedstock and industrial biosciences recorded the fastest percentage growth, reflecting the breadth of activity across the state’s bioscience economy.
National Industry Impact
Nationally, the U.S. bioscience industry generated $3.19 trillion in total economic output and directly employed 2.31 million Americans across more than 156,000 business establishments. The report examines the industry's economic footprint and the factors that support its continued growth, including research investment, workforce development, and access to capital.
Building on Georgia’s Life Sciences Momentum
The findings highlight Georgia’s substantial research enterprise, established industry base, and ability to attract investment. Continued growth will depend on strengthening the connections that help translate scientific discoveries into commercial opportunities, expand access to capital, develop a skilled workforce, and provide the infrastructure companies need to scale.
Georgia Life Sciences works to advance the state’s life sciences ecosystem through policy and advocacy, workforce development, industry convening, and strategic collaboration. Its statewide roadmap, Pathways & Partnerships: A Roadmap for Georgia’s Life Sciences Sector, outlines a long-term vision for positioning Georgia as a leading scale-up manufacturing hub in the Southeast.
“Georgia has significant assets across research, manufacturing, workforce, and logistics,” Goethe said. “By coordinating these strengths and addressing the gaps that can limit company growth, we can create more opportunities for innovation, investment, and long-term economic impact across the state.”
Read the Report
The full report, The U.S. Bioscience Economy: Advancing Innovation and Strengthening States and Regions, and Georgia’s state-specific profile are available from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization.
