Abb Vie logo
Abb Vie
North Chicago, Illinois

Principal Clinical Pathologist

PathologyFull-Time

Listed compensation

$142k-$269k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Company Description

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow.

We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

Job Description

Description:

The Department of Pathology in Preclinical Safety (PCS) at AbbVie has an opening for an on-site Board-Certified Veterinary Clinical Pathologist. The successful candidate will have a passion for bringing his/her scientific skills to the discovery and development of new medicines.

Key Responsibilities Will Include

  • Evaluate clinical pathology data sets and integrate findings into descriptive/interpretive text for inclusion in pathology reports from regulatory toxicity studies intended to support the development of new therapeutics
  • Perform scientific reviews of clinical pathology reports generated by partner organizations
  • Clear communication of key clinical pathology findings/correlations to scientific teams from a broad variety of backgrounds
  • Serve as subject matter expert to inform/optimize clinical pathology support for preclinical programs
  • Cross-functional coordination with biomarker scientists, pathologists, toxicologists, and other scientists from multiple sites to explore mechanisms of toxicity
  • Contribute to regulatory submissions and other relevant documentation
  • Partner with a diverse team of medical technologists, biomarker scientists, and pathologists on site in Lake County and across multiple sites to continually optimize laboratory capabilities and support scientific development for team members

Qualifications

Essential

  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or equivalent)
  • Board Certification in Clinical Pathology (ACVP or equivalent)

Desirable

  • Ph.D. in pathology or related scientific discipline
  • Previous experience in pharmaceutical industry or contract research organization

Key Leadership Competencies

  • Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
  • Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
  • Ability to develop and execute complex strategies
  • Ability to build strong relationships with peers and cross-functionally with partners outside of team to enable higher performance
  • Ability to be an active participant with leadership skills in multidisciplinary scientific teams
  • Strong sense of personal responsibility and integrity and strong commitment to quality.

Additional Information

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:

The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.

This job is eligible to participate in our long-term incentive programs.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.

  • US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit abbvie.com
  • US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:

abbvie.com

  • Salary Min: 141500
  • Salary Max: 268500
  • Workday Global Grade: 20
  • Compensation: USD 141500 - USD 268500 - yearly

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will evaluate clinical pathology data sets for regulatory toxicity studies and serve as a subject matter expert for preclinical programs. They will also coordinate cross-functionally with biomarker scientists and toxicologists to support drug development and regulatory submissions.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
10+ years of experience

Key Skills

Pathology reportingScientific reviewData evaluationBiomarker analysisToxicologyStrategic planningCross-functional collaboration

Pathology — Physician Career Context

Pathology pay on WeekdayDoc is up 13.1% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$205k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $205k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Pathology by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score3.0 / 10 · above average in pathologyranked against 244 Pathology listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$142k–$269kPathology median $297k (middle half $225k–$335k)17 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$205k in purchasing powerIllinois index 100.0 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Pathology listings in Illinois12 active245 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedIllinois Physician listings: 24% state a sign-on bonus (median $100k) · 24% offer loan repayment989 active listings, Oct 2026
Pathology pay trend+13.1% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (244 Pathology listings), BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Pathologist Jobs

8 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

8 jobs · 7 employers
1
$160k
2
$250k-340k
1
$365k
4
$430k-520k

Annual compensation range

#1

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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · New York, New York

$180k-$507k
#2

ACADEMIC BREAST PATHOLOGIST- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · New York, New York

$262k-$503k
#3

AP/CP Pathologist (GU, GYN, or Breast Pathology)

$325k-$498k
#4

PHYSICIAN - Pathology (0.8-1.0 FTE) - Fargo, ND

$1 - $1,000,000
+ 6 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 2.8this job 3.0
Better work-life than 50% of Pathology listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 244 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Abb Vie logo

About Abb Vie

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Dublin, Coolock
5,001-10,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick)
Medical/dental/vision insurance
401(k)
Long-term incentive programs

Living in North Chicago

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$227k≈ 1.6× annual pay
Typical market rent
$1,823/mo≈ 15% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
17 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.