Attention: Biology careers are varied and interesting; they are expected to grow because of the increase in biomedical discoveries.
Careers in biology can be interesting, challenging, and rewarding. Biotechnical companies are on the rise and so careers in biology will continue to grow.
Many careers in biology take place outside of the laboratories. Some of the popular careers in biology include biologists, chemical laboratory technicians, clinical laboratory scientists, medical assistants, and microbiologists.
Working Conditions
Those with careers in biology spend most of their work days working in laboratories; they conduct research and write about the results. They also need to stay current with research discoveries. Some biologists who work in the environment can have strenuous jobs, like botanists, zoologists, and ecologists. Biologists can work in all types of conditions with all types of organisms, whether safe or toxic. Biologists must follow safety procedures. Those that work in education settings may have deadlines to meet and grants to write. Career biologists work regular work hours, but some who work in the field, might have unusual hours, depending on their research conditions or when laboratories are available.
Educational Requirements
Careers in biology require college educations. Most biology careers require at least a bachelor’s degree, and those with a bachelor’s degree can work in research, product development, management, inspection and education. Those wanting to research in a university setting should have a Ph.D.
Numbers in the Field
There were over 90,000 people with careers in biology in 2008. Almost forty percent of those worked for federal, state, or local governments. In the ten years between 2008 and 2018, careers in biology are expected to grow by over twenty percent. Areas seeing the most growth are agriculture, biotech, and pharmaceutical industries.
Careers in Biology
Those wanting to work in the medical field with a biology career can pick from the following: physician, nurse, lab technician, physical therapy, speech therapy, physician assistant, pharmacist, dentist, optometrist, veterinarian, audiologist, paramedic, podiatrist, coroner, forensic pathologist, dietician, mortician, nutritionist, sports trainer, exercise physiologist.
Careers in biology in industrial settings include research in biotech, genoms, toxicology, biomonitoring, product testing, and more; science supply companies; medical supply companies; pharmaceutical companies; and food service companies.
Government careers in biology include: Agricultural research and extension positions, EPA positions in the lab or field, forest services, agronomists, soil scientists, horticulturists, game wards, positions in the department of the interior, wildlife biologists, ecologists, fisheries biologists, disease control positions, FDA positions, sanitation engineers, museum positions, zoo and aquarium positions, and custom inspections.
Other careers in biology can be found in education, university research, technical writing, science writing and illustration, nursery work and beekeeping, nature photography, extermination, and science libraries.
Subcategories of Biology
There are many sub-categories of biology, too. Many careers in biology can be found in these areas: ecology, marine biology, aquaculture, evolutionary biology, cognitive neuroscience, paleontology, immunology, histology, mycology, anatomy, physiology, botany and horticulture, zoology, microbiology like virology and bacteriology, and ethology (animal behavior).
Pay Scales
Biochemists and biophysicists made an average of around $82,000 in 2008. Average annual wages for microbiologists in 2008 was $64,000. Zoologists made an average of $55,000. According to colleges, those with a bachelor’s degree and a new career in biology earned a starting salary of $33,000 in 2009.
