Employment in the Los Angeles life sciences sector has surpassed that of San Diego, vaulting the region to No. 2 in the Golden State, according to an industry report released Wednesday.

The report found more than 58,400 people in Los Angeles were employed in an industry sectors that includes biopharmaceuticals, medical devices and bioscience academic research.

The Bay Area, long the state’s No. 1 bioscience hub, led with 72,700 direct life sciences jobs. San Diego, which once ranked second, trailed Los Angeles with 46,000 jobs, followed by Orange County with 45,100 jobs. The Los Angeles region still trailed San Diego in terms of venture capital investment and the volume of federal grants.

The report, from the California Life Sciences Association, a biosciences trade group based in San Francisco, was co-authored by Pricewaterhouse Coopers. It found that the Golden State is home to the largest life sciences cluster in the world, and it continues to outpace other states in life science-related economic growth, venture funding and National Institutes of Health research grants.

Health business reporter Dana Bartholomew can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @_DanaBart.