Biologist Training and Jobs
Schools and Degrees
These positions are available only to individuals who have degrees from graduate school. This means that they have to obtain advanced degrees after completing a four year college programs.
Training and Education
Employees are generally expected to have a doctoral degree. About 95% of biologists hold a bachelor's degree or better. Currently 5% of workers have some college education, though not a degree.
Job Overview
The tasks of biologists can be summarized as the study of the origin, anatomy, functions, and interrelations of plants, animals, and the evironments that they reside in. These professionals are also referred to as research life scientists or simply life scientists.
Job Requirements
Doctorate degrees are required for certain positions. Although years of specialized training are required to be eligible for these positions, most of these professionals possess these skills by the time they are employed. Hence, they do not require much on-the-job training. Since professionals in this field have to train, supervise, and manage the activities of others, they have to possess advanced organizational and communication skills.
Nature of Work
Their tasks include collecting and studying biological data about the way in which organisms are related to each other and their environments. They may specialize in fields like the study of aquatic animals and plants and how environmental conditions like pollution or radioactivity affect these organisms. They may also specifically deal with projects to increase crop yield or improve environmental conditions by studying the effects of the development of land and water areas. At times, they are required to prepare reports of the environmental impact of certain activities for government bodies, commercial organizations, or for publication.
To ensure that they can achieve their objectives, life science professionals have to establish and maintain effective working relations with several individuals or groups of people, agencies, and even the general public. They also act as technical representatives of their employers at conferences and meetings. These professionals often use tools like benchtop centrifuges, plankton nets, dip nets, ultramicrotomes, ultraviolet (UV) and visible spectrophotometers. They also use scientific software like VayTek VoxBlast, and Mathworks MATLAB.
Area Job Conditions
Employees are relatively common in Gainesville (Florida), Bethesda (Maryland), and La Crosse (Wisconsin). They are rarer in New York (New York), Indianapolis (Indiana), and Nassau (New York).
Biologists are paid highest in Washington (District of Columbia), Oakland (California), and Bethesda (Maryland), and lowest in San Antonio (Texas), Lakeland (Florida), and Santa Cruz (California).
Part-Time and Self Employment
About 7% of biologists work less than full-time. In 3% of the cases, workers work for themselves.
Career Videos
Biologists 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
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $63,000 | 50 | -42% |
Alaska
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | $66,000 | 170 | +499% |
| Fairbanks | $60,000 | 70 | +1370% |
Arizona
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff | $54,000 | 100 | +1036% |
| Phoenix | $61,000 | 270 | -14% |
Arkansas
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock | $69,000 | 40 | -34% |
California
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | $70,000 | 50 | +11% |
| Los Angeles | $69,000 | 470 | -35% |
| Oakland | $87,000 | 160 | -10% |
| Redding | $67,000 | 30 | +218% |
| Riverside | $64,000 | 160 | -25% |
| Sacramento | $72,000 | 370 | +141% |
| Salinas | $104,000 | 70 | +158% |
| San Diego | $70,000 | 760 | +227% |
| San Francisco | $77,000 | 530 | +201% |
| San Jose | $89,000 | 450 | +183% |
| Santa Ana | $67,000 | 220 | -15% |
Colorado
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | $72,000 | 270 | +943% |
| Fort Collins | $76,000 | 110 | +424% |
Connecticut
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven | $79,000 | 50 | +6% |
District of Columbia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $103,000 | 870 | +101% |
Florida
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral | $60,000 | 40 | +21% |
| Fort Lauderdale | $63,000 | 70 | -43% |
| Gainesville | $49,000 | 240 | +1086% |
| Jacksonville | $69,000 | 130 | +23% |
| Miami | $64,000 | 410 | +136% |
| Orlando | $58,000 | 80 | -56% |
| Palm Bay | $73,000 | 70 | +107% |
| Pensacola | $70,000 | 40 | +59% |
| Port St Lucie | $52,000 | 40 | +102% |
| Tallahassee | $48,000 | 100 | +266% |
| Tampa | $53,000 | 140 | -31% |
| West Palm Beach | $60,000 | 60 | -34% |
Georgia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | $84,000 | 30 | +164% |
| Atlanta | $70,000 | 480 | +17% |
Idaho
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise | $66,000 | 100 | +121% |
Illinois
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $75,000 | 480 | -28% |
Indiana
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis | $58,000 | 50 | -68% |
Kentucky
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | $63,000 | 40 | -63% |
Louisiana
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $73,000 | 110 | +69% |
| New Orleans | $70,000 | 140 | +50% |
Maryland
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | $84,000 | 420 | +80% |
| Bethesda | $95,000 | 2,630 | +2479% |
Massachusetts
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | $54,000 | 930 | +201% |
Michigan
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | $67,000 | 90 | -24% |
| Lansing | $68,000 | 50 | +47% |
| Warren | $63,000 | 40 | -79% |
Minnesota
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth | $68,000 | 50 | +130% |
| Minneapolis | $58,000 | 530 | +67% |
| Rochester | $87,000 | 80 | +373% |
Missouri
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $67,000 | 60 | +363% |
| Kansas City | $72,000 | 120 | -33% |
| St Louis | $65,000 | 270 | +14% |
Montana
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billings | $65,000 | 40 | +193% |
Nebraska
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | $79,000 | 50 | -40% |
Nevada
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas | $63,000 | 90 | -40% |
New Jersey
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edison | $89,000 | 40 | -78% |
| Newark | $69,000 | 240 | +35% |
| Trenton | $82,000 | 420 | +972% |
New Mexico
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $66,000 | 100 | +48% |
New York
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | $58,000 | 90 | -8% |
| Nassau | $70,000 | 40 | -82% |
| New York | $78,000 | 380 | -59% |
North Carolina
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | $68,000 | 40 | +32% |
| Durham | $81,000 | 510 | +964% |
| Raleigh | $64,000 | 200 | +120% |
| Winston Salem | $59,000 | 50 | +38% |
North Dakota
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo | 110 | +440% |
Ohio
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | $71,000 | 120 | -33% |
| Columbus | $56,000 | 80 | -51% |
Oklahoma
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa | $71,000 | 70 | -7% |
Oregon
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bend | $60,000 | 30 | +200% |
| Eugene | $52,000 | 120 | +407% |
| Portland | $73,000 | 380 | +109% |
Pennsylvania
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $77,000 | 320 | -6% |
| Pittsburgh | $62,000 | 60 | -71% |
South Carolina
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | $71,000 | 110 | +120% |
| Columbia | $65,000 | 30 | -51% |
Tennessee
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | $68,000 | 90 | +55% |
| Memphis | $76,000 | 80 | -27% |
| Nashville | $66,000 | 100 | -24% |
Texas
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| College Station | $51,000 | 140 | +827% |
| Dallas | $82,000 | 180 | -52% |
| Fort Worth | $75,000 | 60 | -61% |
| Houston | $85,000 | 310 | -34% |
| San Antonio | $89,000 | 100 | -35% |
Utah
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City | 70 | -35% |
Virginia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg | $46,000 | 50 | +420% |
| Richmond | $66,000 | 30 | -72% |
| Virginia Beach | $66,000 | 190 | +42% |
Washington
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $67,000 | 800 | +221% |
West Virginia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington | $68,000 | 50 | +164% |
| Morgantown | $68,000 | 80 | +864% |
Wisconsin
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | $57,000 | 250 | +323% |
| Milwaukee | $57,000 | 70 | -52% |