Lotsa desk work, but occasionally I get to play with fish.
CAREER
Biologists
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$85,290
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+2.2% (slower than the average)
Most Common Level of Education
Bachelor's degree
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Biologists Do
Research or study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and functions.
Other Job Titles Biologists May Have
Aquatic Biologist, Aquatic Scientist, Biological Scientist, Biologist, Botanist, Horticulturist, Marine Biologist, Research Biologist, Research Scientist, Scientist
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
A great day at work is when I resolve a conflict between two people, help someone with the wording on their paper, replicate results that confirm a hypothesis, and develop a technique that is faster/easier/cheaper. Some days this happens, often some of the things here happen, occasionally there is total failure. That's okay. Even through failure can we learn something.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.
- Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings.
- Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment.
- Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.
- Supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Biologists
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Bachelor's degree (44%)
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Doctoral or professional degree
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Graduate
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Any bachelor's degree
Graduate
Recommend doing a master's degree
Doctorate
Any doctorate degree
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
We need good ideas. And the way to have good ideas, is to have lots of ideas.
At the age of 9 I started to have an interest in identifying plants. My grandmother and mother encouraged me and I started to press and identify plants, collect soil samples, grow sugar crystals, collect water and look at it through a microscope. Curiosity and a drive to constantly learn is necessary. I was a girl scout through high school and earned my gold award. The leadership training I received absolutely helped me to manage post-doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
High School Students
Look around. 1.) Volunteer at the places you think you might one day be interested in working at. I volunteered at a vet clinic and I found out I loved the science but not the medicine. One trick: apply for a job that you don't have the credentials for but offer to work for free. 2.) Join a volunteer service: Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, AmeriCorp. You need a mixed bag of leadership and other skills. 3.) Find a mentor to encourage you. 4.) Interview an expert, you'll be surprised by their answers.
College Students
Everyone
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
