Researchers and scientific workers spend hundreds of hours in laboratories and educational institutions, learning the necessary skills to become microbiologists. After attaining enough experience and knowledge as they can, they take their accolades and current jobs to get a starting salary for a microbiologist or bacteriologist.
There is no set starting salary for a microbiologist. Factors affecting the starting salary include years of experience and education level. Microbiologists typically make more in their first year of employment than they do in the following years, due to many factors, such as positions within the field, work experience and educational background.
A microbiologist is a scientist that studies microscopic organisms, such as bacteria and viruses. As you can imagine, the wages are not too high for this job, but there are some jobs that offer more money depending on the position, experience, and location of work.
The average starting salary for a microbiologist is $52,994. This is more than the median annual wage for all occupations of $37,040. Microbiologists who have a master’s degree in microbiology and doctorates may earn more as they gain experience. This article also discusses how much does the average microbiologist make, how much does a microbiologist make a year.
Starting Salary For A Microbiologist
Overview
Microbiology is a field of study that focuses on the study of microorganisms and their interactions with the environment and other organisms. Microbiologists are primarily concerned with bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, protozoa and parasites. The work of microbiologists is important to the study of many diseases, as well as in food production, biotechnology and environmental issues.
The average salary for a microbiologist varies by experience level, location and type of employment. The average starting salary for a microbiologist in 2017 was $54,000 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The BLS also reports that the median annual salary for microbiologists in 2017 was $72,250. Microbiologists who worked for federal government agencies reported an average annual salary of $70,010 in 2017; those who worked for local governments reported an average annual salary of $56,640; those who worked for state governments reported an average annual salary of $67,990; while those who worked for nonprofit organizations reported an average annual salary of $64,290.
What Microbiologists Do
Microbiologists study microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi, and some types of parasites. They try to understand how these organisms live, grow, and interact with their environments.
Duties of Microbiologists
Microbiologists typically do the following:
- Plan and conduct complex research projects, such as improving sterilization procedures or developing new drugs to combat infectious diseases
- Perform laboratory experiments that are used in the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses
- Supervise the work of biological technicians and other workers and evaluate the accuracy of their results
- Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms for study
- Identify and classify microorganisms found in specimens collected from humans, plants, animals, or the environment
- Monitor the effect of microorganisms on plants, animals, other microorganisms, or the environment
- Review literature and the findings of other researchers and attend conferences
- Prepare technical reports, publish research papers, and make recommendations based on their research findings
- Present research findings to scientists, nonscientist executives, engineers, other colleagues, and the public
Many microbiologists work in research and development conducting basic research or applied research. The aim of basic research is to increase scientific knowledge. An example is growing strains of bacteria in various conditions to learn how they react to those conditions. Other microbiologists conduct applied research and develop new products to solve particular problems. For example, microbiologists may aid in the development of genetically engineered crops, better biofuels, or new vaccines.
Microbiologists use computers and a wide variety of sophisticated laboratory instruments to do their experiments. Electron microscopes are used to study bacteria, and advanced computer software is used to analyze the growth of microorganisms found in samples.
It is increasingly common for microbiologists to work on teams with technicians and scientists in other fields, because many scientific research projects involve multiple disciplines. Microbiologists may work with medical scientists or molecular biologists while researching new drugs, or they may work in medical diagnostic laboratories alongside physicians and nurses to help prevent, treat, and cure diseases.
The following are examples of types of microbiologists:
Bacteriologists study the growth, development, and other properties of bacteria, including the positive and negative effects that bacteria have on plants, animals, and humans.
Clinical microbiologists perform a wide range of clinical laboratory tests on specimens collected from plants, humans, and animals to aid in detection of disease. Clinical and medical microbiologists whose work involves directly researching human health may be classified as medical scientists.
Environmental microbiologists study how microorganisms interact with the environment and each other. They may study the use of microbes to clean up areas contaminated by heavy metals or study how microbes could aid crop growth.
Industrial microbiologists study and solve problems related to industrial production processes. They may examine microbial growth found in the pipes of a chemical factory, monitor the impact industrial waste has on the local ecosystem, or oversee the microbial activities used in cheese production to ensure quality.
Mycologists study the properties of fungi such as yeast and mold. They also study the ways fungi can be used to benefit society (for example, in food or the environment) and the risks fungi may pose.
Parasitologists study the life cycle of parasites, the parasite-host relationship, and how parasites adapt to different environments. They may investigate the outbreak and control of parasitic diseases such as malaria.
Public health microbiologists examine specimens to track, control, and prevent communicable diseases and other health hazards. They typically provide laboratory services for local health departments and community health programs.
Virologists study the structure, development, and other properties of viruses and any effects viruses have on infected organisms.
What is the starting salary of a microbiologist
According to Salary.com, the starting salary of a microbiologist is $48,400 per year on average as of February 26, 2021. However, the range usually falls between $43,000 and $55,000 in the United States. On the low end, an entry-level microbiologist can make about $38,084 while on the high end they can make around $61,200. (www.salary.com). To get an entry-level job as a microbiologist, a bachelor’s degree in microbiology or some other related field is needed.
Other programs that are related to microbiology are biochemistry and chemistry. Some of the courses to take are cell biology, math, statistics, and computer science. These courses will enable you to perform complex data analysis. It is also important to have some laboratory experience before entering the workforce. This experience can come through an undergraduate program at school or an internship with a possible future employer. In addition to the amount of experience you have, the area in which you live also determines how much you make in addition to other factors.
Microbiologist Salaries
The median annual wage for microbiologists is $79,260. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $47,630, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $136,780.
The median annual wages for microbiologists in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Federal government, excluding postal service | $114,050 |
| Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences | $101,680 |
| Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing | $72,490 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | $63,940 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | $62,260 |
how much does the average microbiologist make
The average salary for a Microbiologist is $24.96 per hour in United States.
how much does a microbiologist make a year
$79,260 per year
Summary
| Quick Facts: Microbiologists | |
|---|---|
| 2021 Median Pay | $79,260 per year $38.11 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Bachelor’s degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-job Training | None |
