Labor Market Pulse · Life Sciences · October 2026
Life Sciences Labor Market Report: Oshkosh-Neenah, WI MSA — October 2026
Oshkosh regulatory and data roles pull away from national pay trends.
Regulatory Affairs Specialist pay rose to $108,813 locally while falling to $103,780 nationally, and Clinical Data Manager pay hit $142,249 against a stable $123,653 national figure.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Winnebago County unemployment: 3.3% — vs 4.2% national rate, August 2026
- County employment growth: -0.9% — Year-over-year through Q1 2026
- Wisconsin biohealth wage premium: $116,452 — 76% above statewide all-industry average
- Biopharma active recruiting (national): 64% — 41% expect more open roles in 2026
Key takeaways
Clinical Data Manager pay has decoupled from the national market.
Metro median of $142,249 sits roughly 15% above the $123,653 national figure, which is itself stable. Localized scarcity appears to be driving this premium — a signal to benchmark this role against local data.
Biostatistician pay is falling locally while holding steady nationally.
Metro median dropped to $91,787, a significant decline, against a stable $131,958 national figure — a gap wide enough to suggest local employers are either downgrading role scope or facing an unusually thin, lower-cost applicant pool. Either explanation warrants a closer look before setting new offers.
Regulatory Affairs pay is rising locally against a national pullback.
Metro median climbed to $108,813 while the national figure fell to $103,780, reversing the usual pattern of metro markets trailing national trends. Local employers may be absorbing policy-driven demand — EUDAMED and EU AI Act compliance needs — faster than the broader market has priced in.
Tight labor supply is colliding with sector-specific hiring confidence.
County employment fell 0.9% year-over-year even as 64% of biopharma organizations nationally report active recruiting and 41% expect more open roles in 2026. Local employers competing for the same shrinking talent pool should expect longer time-to-fill on specialized scientific and regulatory positions.
Median advertised pay by role — Oshkosh-Neenah, WI MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Scientist * | $89,753 | $117,107 | $119,062 | Significant increase | $130,339 |
| Clinical Research Associate * | $55,000 | $88,590 | $119,192 | Significant increase | $90,065 |
| Lab Technician * | $39,534 | $47,840 | $52,000 | Moderate increase | $47,840 |
| Regulatory Affairs Specialist * | $86,107 | $108,813 | $108,814 | Moderate increase | $103,780 |
| Clinical Data Manager * | $99,430 | $142,249 | $154,539 | Significant increase | $123,653 |
| Biostatistician * | $77,671 | $91,787 | $124,765 | Significant decline | $131,958 |
| Validation Engineer * | $91,500 | $109,517 | $130,000 | Significant increase | $106,478 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Local market conditions
Winnebago County unemployment sat at 3.3% in August, a full point below the national rate of 4.2%, even as county employment declined 0.9% year-over-year through Q1 2026 — a sign that fewer job seekers are holding the local rate down. Statewide biohealth employment grew 12.9% since 2021, nearly double the national pace, giving Oshkosh-area life sciences employers a sector tailwind even as broader Wisconsin payrolls have yet to reclaim their November 2024 peak.
What it means
Advertised pay for Clinical Data Manager ($142,249 metro median, well above the $123,653 national figure) and Regulatory Affairs Specialist ($108,813 versus a declining $103,780 nationally) suggests Oshkosh-area employers are bidding up compensation for credential-heavy roles even as general labor supply stays flat to shrinking. Build-vs-outsource decisions deserve fresh scrutiny: national CRA and CMC bottlenecks plus a 23.2% lab/R&D vacancy rate across top U.S. markets make local retention of experienced regulatory and clinical staff more cost-effective than replacing them through a CDMO transition. Consider reviewing retention premiums for regulatory affairs and clinical data roles against the metro's upward pay trajectory before next budget cycle.
Looking ahead
Early indicator: Watch whether Winnebago County's declining employment base (-0.9% year-over-year) begins pulling talent from adjacent sectors into life sciences roles, particularly as Amcor and Alliance Laundry Systems continue active recruiting through fall job fairs.
Emerging pressure point: Biostatistician pay softness locally, against national stability, may widen further if remote-eligible roles pull Oshkosh-based talent toward higher-paying national employers. Track whether local postings shift toward remote or hybrid terms to compete.
Potential inflection point: National CRA headcount plans remain flat to modest growth through 2026 despite a 1.9% national quit rate. Local employers should watch whether this translates into longer retention windows or renewed competition once hiring freezes thaw.
Worth watching: Wisconsin's biohealth wage premium ($116,452 average, 76% above the statewide all-industry average) continues to support retention arguments, but statewide job totals remain below the November 2024 peak — a gap that could pressure budgets for new headcount requests.
Sources
- USAFacts/BLS — Winnebago County unemployment at 3.3% in August 2026
- BLS/State biohealth industry tracking — Wisconsin biohealth employment grew 12.9% from 2021-2025
- Industry labor market research — Lab/R&D vacancy reached 23.2% across top 13 U.S. life sciences markets
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — National quit rate at 1.9% amid active biopharma recruiting
- State biohealth industry report — Wisconsin biohealth average annual wage of $116,452, 76% above state average
- Biopharma industry survey — 64% of biopharma organizations actively recruiting, 41% expect more open roles
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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