If you’re interested in biology and want to be able to quickly get into a job, a degree in biology is the way to go. Biology degrees are available at all levels of education, from high school through graduate school, and range from two-year certificates of completion to doctoral degrees.
Entry level jobs for biology majors include lab or research assistant positions, where you’ll assist with experiments and analyze results. You may also find entry level jobs as a teaching assistant at a university or community college, where you would help professors teach classes or run labs for students. If you have good communication skills, you could also find work as an intern at a newspaper or magazine, where you’d report on events in your area or write articles about interesting scientific discoveries.
Many biology majors go on to become doctors after graduating from medical school. Physicians typically study medicine for four years before entering into residency programs that last three years each. After completing their residency program, physicians can choose to specialize in any number of fields such as pediatrics or surgery.
Entry Level Jobs Biology Degree
- Biological technician or research assistant
National average salary: $39,765 per year
Primary duties: Biological technicians clean and maintain the laboratory. They help biologists and medical scientists by preparing samples for analysis. They conduct basic experiments guided by senior scientists, analyzing and interpreting data from those experiments. Biological technicians also prepare documentation and research reports on completed experiments . As research assistants, biologists collect and prepare biological samples that include blood and food for medical scientists.
- Nutritionist
National average salary: $41,008 per year
Primary duties: Nutritionists educate people about the food they eat and its impact on our bodies, the community and the ecosystem. They develop and implement meal plans for health facilities and schools. Nutritionists work with health care personnel in developing meals based on dietary restrictions and teach patients and clients about food selection and nutrition principles. They also conduct research, advocate for nutrition labeling and improving school nutrition standards.
- High school biology teacher
National average salary: $46,641 per year
Primary duties: High school biology teachers instruct students ranging from ninth to 12th grade. They prepare lesson plans appropriate for the age and abilities of each class. They teach students in varied settings, such as large, small and one-on-one type classrooms. They also plan lessons and assignments and assess students based on assignments and exams.
- Forensic scientists
National average salary: $61,444 per year
Primary duties: Forensic scientists ensure all the evidence at a crime scene is tested to determine its relevance and that the testing they do is ethical and correct. They create reports based on completed lab tests and verify these results, as they’re used for court proceedings. Forensic scientists take pictures and videos of crime scenes, identify and collect physical evidence and make crime scene sketches.
Related: Learn About Being a Forensic Science Technician
- Environmental scientist or specialist
National average salary: $62,495 per year
Primary duties: Environmental scientists or specialists study the environment by gathering and analyzing data. They learn how to protect it and guide the government, businesses and the public on environmental hazards. They help to develop research projects, investigations and plans to prevent various environmental concerns. Environmental scientists or specialists collect and analyze environmental data like air, soil and water to determine the health of the environment. They also prepare reports and articles explaining completed investigations and their results.
Read more: Learn About Working as a Sustainability Consultant
- Pharmaceutical sales representative
National average salary: $68,934 per year
Primary duties: Pharmaceutical sales representatives sell and promote medications. They arrange appointments and meetings and manage client databases. They travel to client and potential client locations, inform and give presentations to clients of the medicines the company offers. These sales representatives sell drugs and answer questions on their benefits and their side effects. They also arrange and present sales and expense reports.
- Agricultural technicians
National average salary: $76,752 per year
Primary duties: Agricultural technicians assist in agriculture and food science to ensure food quality. They maintain and operate farm machinery and oversee pest and weed control by opting for the best chemicals. Agricultural technicians also help in harvesting crops and determine the rates that plants germinate from seed in specified areas.
- Ecologist
National average salary: $79,048 per year
Primary duties: Ecologists visit sites to study animals, plants and their environment. They research the impact of construction and other human activity on the natural environment and build computer models to predict the effects of changes to advise project stakeholders, planners, engineers, designers and construction firms. These experts produce reports on the possible environmental impact of any disruption to the environment and make recommendations about how to manage it.
- Biologist
National average salary: $80,244 per year
Primary duties: Biologists research, study, monitor and examine organisms or organic matter. They conduct experiments and analyze results to help reduce detrimental effects on these organisms . They write reports on these experiments and their results and help senior scientists in carrying out various tasks. There’s a wide scope of specializations, which include evolutionary biology, genetic biology and marine biology.
- Industrial hygienists
National average salary: $84,565 per year
Primary duties: Industrial hygienists take care of buildings and physical structures. They identify hazards in the workplace and collaborate with the management to resolve the occupational health issues. These hygienists study and monitor the effectiveness of occupational health programs, policies and procedures. Industrial hygienists propose and lead implementation programs for protecting employee health and conduct regular audits of the programs.
- Geographer
National average salary: $85,126 per year
Primary duties: Geographers collect data from census reports, field observations and satellite images and gather samples and analyze them in a lab environment. They perform environmental risk analysis and make predictions about how the environment can develop in different scenarios. Geographers condense key information in the context of the company’s goals, teach geographic concepts to coworkers and students and develop and distribute surveys. Other tasks of these professionals may include creating and updating maps of geographic phenomena, using geographic information systems software to store data and producing visual representations of information.
- Medical laboratory technician
National average salary: $88,336 per year
Primary duties: Medical laboratory technicians collect and analyze bodily matter, like biopsies, blood and urine, using laboratory technology and equipment. They record and document findings to submit with patients’ medical records. These technicians also discuss results and findings with doctors and other relevant medical staff.
- Occupational health and safety specialist
National average salary: $93,729 per year
Primary duties: Occupational health and safety specialists ensure that workplaces and work procedures are safe and don’t pose health hazards and that they comply with government regulations. They make sure health and safety measures and policies are up to standard. These health specialists investigate causes of accidents, develop strategies to help repair and prevent dangerous working conditions and educate employers and employees on the need for health and safety measures, procedures and policies.
