Biologists are all about science. Well, actually they're all about bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi and parasites, but that's basically what we said.
The majority of your day at work will consist of conducting scientific experiments. Sounds pretty cool, right? Then you get to analyze the results. If that doesn't sound like a solid day, then we don't know does.
There are certain skills that many biologists have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, emotional stamina and stability and interpersonal skills.
If you're interested in becoming a biologist, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 78.0% of biologists have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 13.1% of biologists have master's degrees. Even though most biologists have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a biologist can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as scientist, progress to a title such as laboratory manager and then eventually end up with the title laboratory director.
What Am I Worth?
The role of a biologist includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general biologist responsibilities:
There are several types of biologist, including:
Role:
Role:
Role:
Mouse over a state to see the number of active biologist jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where biologists earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 361 | $78,351 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 116 | $72,457 |
| 3 | Maryland | 62 | $69,546 |
| 4 | Virginia | 60 | $63,282 |
| 5 | Texas | 57 | $55,626 |
| 6 | Florida | 50 | $51,205 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 47 | $58,756 |
| 8 | Missouri | 40 | $51,738 |
| 9 | New York | 35 | $81,167 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 34 | $67,476 |
| 11 | Washington | 29 | $73,506 |
| 12 | Illinois | 27 | $61,814 |
| 13 | Colorado | 25 | $60,021 |
| 14 | Ohio | 24 | $64,727 |
| 15 | Alaska | 20 | $76,565 |
| 16 | Nebraska | 20 | $63,391 |
| 17 | New Mexico | 20 | $53,343 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 20 | $56,061 |
| 19 | Georgia | 18 | $65,418 |
| 20 | Arizona | 18 | $63,007 |
| 21 | New Jersey | 16 | $69,383 |
| 22 | Nevada | 14 | $72,877 |
| 23 | Oregon | 14 | $74,543 |
| 24 | West Virginia | 14 | $61,162 |
| 25 | Hawaii | 14 | $55,073 |
| 26 | Alabama | 14 | $56,479 |
| 27 | Indiana | 14 | $58,069 |
| 28 | Michigan | 13 | $60,864 |
| 29 | Montana | 12 | $70,311 |
| 30 | Maine | 11 | $65,951 |
| 31 | Idaho | 9 | $58,813 |
| 32 | Connecticut | 8 | $73,260 |
| 33 | Kansas | 8 | $58,447 |
| 34 | Mississippi | 7 | $65,527 |
| 35 | Iowa | 7 | $59,898 |
| 36 | Louisiana | 7 | $52,653 |
| 37 | Tennessee | 7 | $53,097 |
| 38 | South Carolina | 7 | $49,125 |
| 39 | Utah | 6 | $77,762 |
| 40 | Wyoming | 5 | $62,609 |
| 41 | Kentucky | 5 | $58,422 |
| 42 | South Dakota | 4 | $67,807 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 4 | $68,740 |
| 44 | Minnesota | 4 | $63,072 |
| 45 | Arkansas | 4 | $50,016 |
| 46 | North Dakota | 3 | $72,307 |
| 47 | New Hampshire | 3 | $73,410 |
| 48 | Rhode Island | 2 | $73,772 |
| 49 | Delaware | 2 | $70,585 |
| 50 | Vermont | 1 | $69,344 |
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 7.4% of biologists listed data collection on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and emotional stamina and stability are important as well.
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Biologist templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Biologist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
1. GIS Data Formats, Design and Quality
In this course, the second in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialization, you will go in-depth with common data types (such as raster and vector data), structures, quality and storage during four week-long modules: Week 1: Learn about data models and formats, including a full understanding of vector data and raster concepts. You will also learn about the implications of a data’s scale and how to load layers from web services. Week 2: Create a vector data model by using vector...
See More on Coursera2. Introduction to Biology: Ecology, Evolution, & Biodiversity
In this 3-course specialization, you will learn to see nature the way a biologist does. You will gain an understanding and appreciation for the incredible diversity of life and the interdependence of all living things. You will explore what we know about the origins of life and how biologists have advanced the science of evolution since Charles Darwin's lifetime, as well as the many applications of evolutionary biology to our everyday lives; you will examine the characteristics, functions,...
See More on Coursera3. Total Data Quality
This specialization aims to explore the Total Data Quality framework in depth and provide learners with more information about the detailed evaluation of total data quality that needs to happen prior to data analysis. The goal is for learners to incorporate evaluations of data quality into their process as a critical component for all projects. We sincerely hope to disseminate knowledge about total data quality to all learners, such as data scientists and quantitative analysts, who have not had...
See More on CourseraSome places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a biologist. The best states for people in this position are New York, California, Utah, and Alaska. Biologists make the most in New York with an average salary of $81,167. Whereas in California and Utah, they would average $78,351 and $77,762, respectively. While biologists would only make an average of $76,565 in Alaska, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Alaska
$76,565
Avg. Salary
2. California
$78,351
Avg. Salary
3. Nevada
$72,877
Avg. Salary
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eli Lilly and Company | $92,302 | $44.38 | 22 |
| 2 | Merck | $80,583 | $38.74 | 32 |
| 3 | SRI International | $71,574 | $34.41 | 10 |
| 4 | National Institutes of Health | $70,945 | $34.11 | 33 |
| 5 | ATCC | $70,024 | $33.67 | 44 |
| 6 | Centers For Disease Control And Prevention | $69,394 | $33.36 | 46 |
| 7 | National Cancer Institute | $69,232 | $33.28 | 10 |
| 8 | National Park Foundation | $66,633 | $32.04 | 17 |
| 9 | Eurofins | $66,083 | $31.77 | 13 |
| 10 | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | $66,044 | $31.75 | 11 |
Yes, biologists get paid well. The average salary for a biologist in the United States is around $69,000 in a year. The bottom 10% of biologists may only make $40,000 a year in the role; however, the top 10% of biologists make over $120,000 in a year.
No, you do not need a Ph.D. to be a biologist. While the best paying jobs typically go to people who have a Ph.D., this is not a requirement to work in a position as a biologist.
Biology is a fast-growing field with a wide range of high-paying positions. While the highest-paid positions require an extensive amount of training and education, they are also considered highly rewarding jobs both emotionally and financially.
