Biology degrees are relevant in the fields of science and technology. Some of the highest paying biology jobs are those related to forensics and crime laboratories as well as government, business and research. go the distance and make a career out of your science degree. The highest paying jobs for biology majors are here!
highest salary jobs for biology students
Biological Technician
One of the entry-level jobs available after getting your Biology Bachelor degree is a biological technician.
This job will be especially convenient for those who already have some laboratory experience but it’s not an obligatory requirement.
Starting this career, you’ll be working as a scientists’ assistant during the lab researches.
Professional Duties
Daily duties of biological technician contain such points as:
- Cleaning and maintaining the laboratory as well as technical equipment and work surfaces;
- Preparing samples (microbial cultures, plant or animal matter, etc.) for their further analysis;
- Conducting basic experiments supervised by senior scientists that provide you with guidance;
- Analyzing and interpreting data got during the experiments that were held earlier;
- Preparing documentation and reports with information on the observations and findings.
Required Skills
If you want to work as a technician or an assistant, you need to have a bunch of important skills including:
- Analytical and critical skills, used for making analysis and providing logical conclusions;
- Technical abilities that are required for proper lab duties performance;
- Interpersonal skills, to provide appropriate communication with a team;
- Coordination and judgment so to make it possible to prioritize, understand and perform a variety of complex tasks.
Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows that the average salary of a biological technician is about $43 800 per year.
Among the main factors that influence your salary are your experience and the company, you work for.
The minimal salary is about $29 120 while the maximum is about $70 560.
Microbiologist
Normally, microbiologists start their career working as biological technicians.
Nevertheless, if your training contained microbiology classes, you have an opportunity to get an entry-level microbiologist position.
Microbiologists held researches and studies related to microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
Professional Duties
Microbiologists have lots of various duties that can vary due to the numerous factors.
Among the possible duties there are:
- Samples analysis and any microorganisms identification;
- Microorganisms segregation and lab cultures maintenance;
- Research projects division and maintenance including such aspects as studying the effect of a drug on a bacterial disease;
- Studies about how microorganisms can influence the environment and other organisms;
- Reports and papers writing to document and present the findings.
Required Skills
If you want to work as a microbiologist you need to be able to perform numerous skills such as:
- Preservation: Researching microorganisms can be really challenging and there are maybe lots of errors. You should have incredible preservation to hold your researches;
- Team skills. This job requires a lot of teamwork so you should be able to communicate with your colleagues properly;
- Analytical and logical thinking. This job requires excellent statistical skills and the ability to make logical conclusions;
- Excellent time management. Microbiologists may have several projects simultaneously so you need to manage your time effectively so you can meet deadlines.
Also, if you are attentive and focused personality, it’ll give you some extra points while looking for a job.
Salary
In general, microbiologist earns about $69 960 per year.
Of course, as a beginner, you are going to have a smaller salary until you gain some experience.
The highest salary for a microbiologist is about $129 560 per year.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
Occupational health and safety specialist is one of the most significant professions in the workforce market.
It’s a professional that control the safety of workplaces and work procedures in order to determine there is no danger for health and life.
In fact, this profession isn’t biology-related but Biology Bachelor can apply for an entry-level position.
Professional Duties
Starting your career as an occupational health and safety specialist you should be able to perform such duties as:
- Workplace environments and procedures inspection to make sure that everything is safe and the government standards are met;
- Current workplace health and safety measures analysis;
- Developing strategies to resolve the reviled issues and the implementation of these procedures;
- Accidents and the investigation and prevention of their causes;
- Employers and employees’ health and safety education and knowledge testing.
Moreover, you should be able to hold inspections of such issues as fire procedures, ventilation systems, and protective equipment.
After it, you need to be able to write a report on the inspection.
Essentially, entry-level positions as a biologist or aquatic biologist are generally quite similar and are geared toward someone who is interested in conducting scientific research on different organisms. As a result, the salary for these positions is usually around $40,000 to $50,000 (dependent upon individual qualifications). However, after several years of experience in this field, those holding doctorate degrees in the biological sciences can earn up to $100,000 each year. These salaries increase even more for those who hold tenured positions at academic institutions or are instructors at such schools.
