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Biological Technicians

Biological technicians are responsible for assisting biological scientists. They help the scientists by setting up and maintaining laboratory instruments and equipment. They monitor the experiments that are conducted, make observations, and also record the results. They are also referred to as biological science laboratory technicians, and research assistants.

Schools and Degrees

Technical Professionals in the life sciences are expected to possess a four year bachelor's degree, though some positions are available for people without these degrees.

Job Requirements

Along with the training that these individuals receive when they complete the degree programs, they have to obtain additional training in the field. This training is obtained through on-the-job or vocational training. In some cases it is a combination of the two.

They have to possess adequate knowledge about animal and plant organisms with regard to their interdependencies, interactions and also their anatomical and cellular structures. They should also possess knowledge about the chemical composition of substances and the chemical transformations that take place when the chemicals interact. Knowledge of the safe production and disposal methods of common reagents is also required. In addition to the skills mentioned, they should also possess English language and mathematical skills. These professionals have to solve problems using scientific rules and therefore they should possess logical reasoning skills.

Nature of Work

Life science professionals assist experts in their research by collecting data and samples such as blood, water, and plants. After collecting the data, they analyze it and prepare reports and summaries. They are often required to maintain logs of the tests and experiments conducted.

Biological technicians often use equipment like temperature cycling chambers, robotic or automated liquid handling systems, microplate readers, hematology cell counters, coulter counters, automated cell counters, and light/tissue culture microscopes. They have to use software like Systat Software Table Curve and BD Biosciences CellQuest.

Job Numbers and Growth

How many biological techs are there? About 79,000 in all. Workers can most likely expect a high rate of unemployment. Note that 6% of employees were without work in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Ames (Iowa), Durham (North Carolina), and Athens (Georgia) boast the most employees for their size population. Orlando (Florida), Fort Worth (Texas), and Virginia Beach (Virginia) have the fewest.

The highest salaries for biological techs are in and around Wilmington (Delaware), Lowell (Massachusetts), and San Jose (California). The lowest-paying areas are Austin (Texas), South Bend (Indiana), and Idaho Falls (Idaho).

Training and Education

Expect to get a bachelor's degree for this occupation. The share of employees with a bachelor's degree or higher is 60%. About 26% of biological techs got additional education after high school, but did not have to get a college degree. There was no need to go beyond high school for 14% of workers. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

It is estimated that 6% of biological techs work less than full time.

Biological Techs by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Nebraska

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin