It’s that time of year again…the time when you look back at the last twelve months and wonder…”What the heck did I do with my life?” And then you Google, “What jobs do biology degrees get after college?” Which is a good question! There’s kind of a lot to consider when pondering just what field you want to enter here. Maybe you’re thinking about staying in academia, but don’t know what that entails. Maybe you want to be a science writer, but don’t know how to break into that field.
There are a wide variety of jobs that biology can get you.
The first is in health care. In fact, the American Medical Association has created an entire section for “Medical Specialties” that are related to biology. This includes fields like cardiology and neuroscience, but also includes more obscure specialties like genetics and genomics.
Another major field for biology is environmental protection. Environmental scientists study how human activity impacts the environment, and they work to develop ways of protecting our planet from these activities.
Biology also plays a large role in agriculture. Farmers need to understand how plants grow and how animals behave in order to produce high-quality food products.
What jobs can biology get you
Introduction
Biology is a fun and useful field of study, and there are many jobs for biology majors out there. Biology jobs span across many industries, including but not limited to healthcare, research, education, and pharmaceuticals. Career paths in biology can be broadly broken down into two main types: science-related and health care-related careers. These careers have very different requirements and job duties, but they’re both rewarding work fields full of opportunities to grow your career while helping others. Biology knowledge can help you succeed in almost any job or career path you could imagine. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting and well-paying careers open to those with bachelor’s degrees in biology or related fields:
Scientist
Do you want to be a scientist? If so, the field of biology is one that could help get you there. The job market for biologist is expanding, but there are several factors that can impact how much money or what type of work you will do.
- You can work at a research institute or university. This is going to be the most common option for people who choose this career path because it offers flexibility and opportunities for advancement at every level of experience. For example, an entry-level employee may start out cleaning glassware before working their way up in the lab until they become head scientist on their team. Additionally, most universities offer salaries higher than $40k per year (and even more if you have an advanced degree).
- You could work in a lab. In this scenario, you would likely be employed by a pharmaceutical company where your job would be focused on creating new treatments for diseases like cancer and diabetes; however, if you don’t like being indoors then this might not be right for you since it involves long hours inside under fluorescent lights all day long!
- You could work in academia as well – doing research studies about how plants grow under different conditions (ex: sunlight vs shade) which ultimately helps farmers decide how best to grow crops after harvest so nobody starves when winter comes around again next year! This option offers flexibility but pays less than industry researchers due to lack of demand from consumers/businesses who need solutions now rather than waiting three years before seeing results from scientific studies performed overseas.”
Teacher
Teaching is a great career for biologists. You’ll get to use your skills and knowledge in an environment where you can make a difference. There are many ways to teach, including:
- Teaching biology at the high school level
- Running a nature program for local kids or adults
- Working with underprivileged students in inner cities
Medical professional
- Nurses
- Physicians and surgeons
- Dentists, dental hygienists, and oral hygienists
- Chiropractors
- Optometrists
- Podiatrists
- Veterinarians
Lab support worker
Lab support workers are responsible for assisting the lab technicians in a variety of tasks. Some of these responsibilities include preparing and maintaining laboratory equipment, recording results, cleaning and sterilizing surfaces, and keeping track of chemicals used in research experiments.
Lab support workers are usually required to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent in order to work in this field. In addition, most employers require that candidates be able to read and write at an eighth-grade level; however, some employers may consider applicants who lack these skills if they attend training programs offered by the company where they hope to work.
There is no standard job description for a lab support worker; thus each job will vary depending on the employer’s needs. The length of time that you can expect to work as a lab support worker varies depending on your experience level and how much time you spend learning new tasks from other employees within your workplace environment. Typically though it is reasonable for one person who has never worked before with these types of jobs before might start out earning about $15-$25 per hour with potential increases depending on performance levels achieved over time as well as seniority gained within their field! It’s also important not only knowing what kind types
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are trained to dispense drugs and counsel patients on their use. Pharmacy technicians assist pharmacists by performing some of the same tasks, but they generally do not have the education or training that pharmacists have. Pharmacists can work in hospitals, retail pharmacies or other settings such as nursing homes, long-term care facilities and mail order pharmacies. The number of jobs for pharmacists is expected to grow faster than average through 2026.
Pharmacists can also pursue careers in research and development where they may study new medicines or test how well existing medicines work under different conditions. They may also serve as educators who teach others about medications at the university level (or higher).
Pharmacy technician
A pharmacy technician works in a pharmacy to help pharmacists fill patient prescriptions. These technicians must have at least an associate degree, although many employers prefer those who have earned a bachelor’s degree. They can expect to earn around $30,000 per year, and jobs are expected to grow by 7% between 2016-2026.
A typical day for a pharmacy technician may include maintaining inventory control and updating databases with new information about medications or drug interactions; checking expiration dates on medications; answering phone calls from patients seeking advice about medication use or side effects; assisting customers with prescription refills; verifying insurance coverage prior to filling prescriptions; and registering refill requests electronically using computer systems connected directly into pharmacies’ internal databases (known as “e-prescribing”).
Veterinarian
A veterinarian is a medical professional with a doctorate in veterinary medicine. They’re responsible for providing health care to animals. Veterinarians provide services like surgery and treatment to sick or injured pets, while also offering preventative care such as vaccinations, dental cleaning and other preventative measures to keep your pet from getting sick.
The job outlook for veterinarians is strong; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of open jobs will increase by about 14% between now and 2024—much faster than average for all professions. It’s important to note that this does not mean there are currently 14% fewer vet job openings than there were last year; instead, it means that as more people begin their training as veterinarians (and complete their degree program), there will be more available positions in the future than there were before—and that’s good news!
Veterinary assistant or technician
You may be unsure what the difference is between a veterinary assistant and a veterinary technician, or why you should even want to become one. In this article, we’ll answer those questions and more to help you decide if this career path is right for you.
What Does a Veterinary Assistant Do?
A veterinary assistant assists with patient care in the clinic setting. Most of their work involves cleaning up after animals, helping veterinarians administer medications or procedures to animals, assisting with surgeries and other treatments (including administering anesthesia), providing emotional support for stressed-out owners, taking x-rays and stocking supplies. They also clean cages, feed animals and monitor their health conditions throughout treatment periods. A good vet assistant has compassion for all species of animal life but knows when it’s best to defer certain tasks—such as handling aggressive dogs—to qualified professionals like veterinarians or technicians who have been trained specifically in dealing with them safely without endangering themselves first!
Dietitian or nutritionist
Dietitians and nutritionists are experts in helping people to eat a healthy diet. They work with hospitals, schools, community health centres, and private practices to help people who are sick or have diabetes, pregnant women and new mothers learn about healthful eating.
You can do many interesting things with a degree in biology.
If you’re interested in a career that involves biology, there are many options for you. Biology is a field of study that can open up several different avenues after graduation. You may choose to work with animals or plants, food production and agriculture, environmental protection, healthcare research or teaching. The possibilities are endless!
One thing all these careers share is a need for people with biology degrees—and they’re not always obvious. For example:
- If you want to become an engineer working on building new technology like robots or self-driving cars but don’t want to spend four years in school studying engineering first, then consider getting your bachelor’s degree in biology instead of math or physics (which most engineers do).
- If you’re interested in becoming an entrepreneur who starts companies based on scientific discoveries but don’t have any formal business training yet: great! Many successful entrepreneurs started off their careers by getting degrees in biology instead of business administration because they wanted more knowledge about how things work before jumping into launching businesses from scratch without any experience whatsoever (not recommended).
Conclusion
There are many different things you can do with a degree in biology. You could be a medical professional and help save lives, or you could use your knowledge of the natural world to protect endangered species. No matter what career path you choose to take, there’s no doubt that it will always be fascinating for those who love science. The opportunities are endless!
