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Job outlook for cell biologists in the United States
Are cell biologist jobs in demand?
Cell biologist job and salary trends over time
Cell biologist jobs over time
Cell biologist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 552 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 520 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 513 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 513 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 492 | 0.00% |
Average cell biologist salary over time
Cell biologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $68,698 | $33.03 | +4.6% |
| 2024 | $65,693 | $31.58 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | $64,017 | $30.78 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $61,879 | $29.75 | +4.3% |
| 2021 | $59,345 | $28.53 | --0.5% |
Cell biologist jobs by state
Most common states for cell biologists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 739,795 | 21 | 3% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 115 | 2% |
| 3 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 27 | 2% |
| 4 | California | 39,536,653 | 349 | 1% |
| 5 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 50 | 1% |
| 6 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 48 | 1% |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 39 | 1% |
| 8 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 33 | 1% |
| 9 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 15 | 1% |
| 10 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 12 | 1% |
| 11 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 12 | 1% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 11 | 1% |
| 13 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 11 | 1% |
| 14 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 9 | 1% |
| 15 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 8 | 1% |
| 16 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 4 | 1% |
| 17 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 4 | 1% |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 38 | 0% |
| 19 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 8 | 0% |
| 20 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 7 | 0% |
Most common cities for cell biologists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bethesda | 2 | 3% | $65,203 |
| 2 | Fremont | 1 | 0% | $80,671 |
Cell Biologist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of cell biologist experts
SUNY Stony Brook
University of Northern Iowa
Washburn University of Topeka
Pepperdine University
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of San Diego
Northwestern University
Pennsylvania State University - Berks
Lake Superior State University
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Washington State University
Coastal Carolina University
University of Kentucky
University of Rhode Island
Stockton University
Macalester College
Camellia Okpodu
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Camellia Okpodu: Adatation and fundamental knowledge of botanical terms will always be pivotal to the discipline; however new technologies and applications will move the bountiful the discipline. Bioinformatics, genomics; Machine learning, Remote Sensing and VR (both for instruction and field application) will be necessay skills. Also, Botanists will collaborate with experts from diverse fields (ecology, computer science, engineering) thus making effective communication and teamwork critical.skills of the future
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Vicki Singer Ph.D.: The biggest difference in what one would do on a daily basis as a bioscientist is between someone entering professional life with an undergraduate versus a graduate degree rather than on the specific discipline one chooses to study.
What Cell Biologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Vicki Singer Ph.D.: Most scientists are bored by routine because they don’t get to exercise creativity. Finding the parts of the job that you like and that energize you is what gives rise to successful, fulfilled employees, with long, productive careers.
What will help Cell Biologists increase their earning potential?
Vicki Singer Ph.D.: Postdoctoral training may become more and more essential, to allow new entrants to effectively compete with other highly trained professionals re-entering the workforce after recent pharma/biopharma layoffs.
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Dr. Vitaly Citovsky: One cannot get high salaries with a bachelor's degree in biology. To maximize your future salary you need to get a terminal degree such as PhD or MD. Alternatively one could go to law school. If you still want to begin working after BSc, look for industry jobs; these would be low-level technicians but make much more money than in academia.
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Theresa Spradling: All of the jobs that biologists do help other people, and that brings biologists personal satisfaction with their job.
What Cell Biologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Theresa Spradling: The world needs more people who are prepared to work in healthcare, who can understand and protect nature, who can research diseases, or teach. All of the fields that biologists work in are experiencing job growth.
Susan Bjerke
Associate Professor of BiologyWashburn University of Topeka
Biological And Physical Sciences
What Cell Biologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Susan Bjerke: Maximizing your salary is important, but don’t forget that jobs can come with other benefits that may compensate for a lower starting salary. For instance, maybe you get to work out in the field instead of being tied to a desk all day. Maybe you have the opportunity to work from home some of the time. Some employers offer matches for retirement plans or discounted health insurance for spouses. Negotiating for the best salary you can makes sense, but also look into those intangibles!
What will help Cell Biologists increase their earning potential?
Susan Bjerke: Some of the skills that will be important in the next 3-5 years will be general critical thinking skills and the ability to adapt to changing technology. Almost all science fields are increasingly dependent on technology, so being able to learn new skills and change the way you do things in your job will be important. Being an effective communicator, both in writing and orally, is an overlooked skill in the sciences and is always an important asset.
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Rachel Tan Ph.D.: I do not have an answer for this. My response would be to be proactive during undergraduate studies, to discern where you find joy and curiosity. Pursue that topic. I do not think that the salary should be the priority when considering careers.
What Cell Biologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Qing Li: AI will become more important and prevalent in the field in the next 3-5 years but laboratory experiments will continue to make new discoveries.
What Cell Biologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nicole Danos PhD: In the next 3-5 years techniques in Biotech will constantly improve. Which will mean three things:
a) there will be much more data to sort through! It will be important to let the questions being asked direct data analyses.
b) workers will need to be nimble to improve their lab skills. The same principles of good practices will apply!
c) AI tools will be in the workplace. Workers will need to understand these tools and know whether or not they are appropriate for what they are trying to use, and not trust them blindly.
What will help Cell Biologists increase their earning potential?
Nathaniel Stern: Within academic physics, your potential can be maximized by doing impactful work in graduate school that matters to other people. The next step is to communicate this impact broadly, and then figure out how to take the next step in the field. That is a lot of steps, but if one can successfully do those things in graduate school, they can build the profile, community, and intellectual leadership to demand the highest salary. Outside of academic physics, the requirements are probably not that different, but I do not have explicit knowledge of them myself. So I would fall back on the standard goals of innovation and communication, which should help one succeed in any knowledge-related career.
Maureen Dunbar PhD
Program Chair/Associate Professor of BiologyPennsylvania State University - Berks
Information Science/Studies
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Maureen Dunbar PhD: The most important skill is flexibility and the ability to be a self-learner. Laboratory sciences change incredibly fast, and it is important to keep up with the changes and to be willing and able to learn new techniques and skills.
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Dr. Kevin Kapuscinski Ph.D.: Traditional fisheries skills such as setting and lifting nets, and collecting biological data from fish will continue to be important. Managing, analyzing, and interpreting data using spreadsheets and statistical software are also essential in fisheries. Other skills such as acoustic telemetry (deploying & maintaining receivers, implanting fish with transmitters), analyzing spatial data or other 'big data' sets, and laboratory skills (e.g., eDNA, water quality, emerging contaminants) are likely to increase in demand as technologies continue to develop.
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Jennifer Slate PhD: Because there are so many types of jobs in biology, there is a job to suit everyone! Jobs may be people-oriented, focus primarily on labwork, or even allow one to spend time outdoors. Many (but not all) jobs in biology require further education after finishing the bachelor’s degree. Biology graduates often go on to health professional programs, to obtain teaching certification, or to obtain a master’s or PhD degree.
What Cell Biologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jennifer Slate PhD: There is currently a huge demand for workers in biology and other STEM professions. Healthcare workers are especially needed in nursing, medicine, and physical therapy. There is a shortage of teachers, particularly those who can teach biology or other sciences. The huge amount of biological data that is available, such as in genetics and environmental biology, means that scientists with analytical skills have great job opportunities.
What will help Cell Biologists increase their earning potential?
Jennifer Slate PhD: There are so many different types of jobs in biology, to suit people of different interests. Biologists work in health care, in research labs, in environmental protection, and in teaching- just to name a few fields. Responsibilities on a day-to-day basis will depend upon the particular job field. Common skills required on a daily basis include use of computer software, ability to make and record detailed observations, and teamwork/communication skills.
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Falk Huettmann: FH Many problems these days are complex in nature, and involve aspects of the living world. To be fluent on those aspects is essential and expertise is needed. A Biology degree can provide that skill set.
What Cell Biologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Falk Huettmann: FH Some people might dismiss education overall, others do not like to acknowledge, or work on, environmental or biological aspects. But reality remains, we are living beings and surrounded by the living world. We are part of the world's biology; so it's best to be fluent on those matters and well educated.
What will help Cell Biologists increase their earning potential?
Lindsey du Toit: Take every opportunity you can to learn, network, and build an effective team of people that bring a greater breadth and depth of skills and expertise to the work on which you will be focusing. Cultivate a life-long sense of intellectual curiosity and learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Treat ignorance as an opportunity to learn. Questions demonstrate you want to understand the situation/problem effectively and that you are paying attention. Always demonstrate integrity in your work. It is one of the most valuable traits you can bring to your career. Be kind and supportive of your colleagues.
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Danielle Silvia: There are many emerging trends and changes in the natural world making biology a fascinating career to embark on. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of biology is predicted to see a 5% increase in job growth through 2032, as biologists are in high demand across areas such as healthcare, environmental science, sustainability, biotechnology, and more. Due to pressing issues like climate change, the disappearance of species and nature, public health crises, drug development, and genetic engineering, becoming a biologist today will provide career advancement tomorrow. You’ll have the opportunity to make a difference in important areas of society while pursuing an intellectually stimulating career for the long-term.
What Cell Biologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Danielle Silvia: A day in the life of a biologist typically involves researching various forms of life, such as bacteria, animals, plants, how they impact the world around them, and vice versa. Biologists may run experiments to work towards answering these questions, using some of the latest and greatest scientific tools and techniques in a laboratory setting. The job scope also includes collecting and reviewing data from research and experiments, and creating reports based on findings to solve important problems. Biologists work at all levels on organisms from the molecular to the whole organism to populations.
Derek Crane Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorCoastal Carolina University
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, And Population Biology
What will help Cell Biologists increase their earning potential?
Derek Crane Ph.D.: Some of our greatest challenges as a global society, such as food security under a changing climate, predicting, preventing, and handling of future pandemics, and rapid loss of biodiversity are based in biology. We need smart, energetic, and motivated people to address these issues.
Dr. David Harmon
Professor of Animal & Food SciencesUniversity of Kentucky
Animal Sciences
What Cell Biologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. David Harmon: Opportunities abound. The job opportunities outnumber current graduates. Decide what you want to be good at and then be good at it.
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Brian Plouffe PhD: Recent graduates in the biological sciences traditionally have a broad education in the many aspects of biology. Recent graduates are well prepared to enter the fields of pharmaceuticals, healthcare, agriculture, food processing and safety, environmental, and biotechnology. Graduates in the biological sciences may work outside in the field collecting samples for analysis or farms growing crops. Others may work in a research lab doing bench work in cell biology, microbiology, or genetics. Many graduates work in healthcare assisting with disease diagnostics and therapeutics. Given the broad nature of the field, the possibilities are endless on what someone could do with their career. No two days may be the same, and it is a very dynamic field to enter.
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Dr. Adam Aguiar Ph.D.: Biology offers a variety of career opportunities in labs, industry, journalism, environmental organizations, policy-making, teaching, etc. The field is essential for addressing societal challenges and is stable in society.
What Cell Biologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Adam Aguiar Ph.D.: Biologists enjoy different aspects such as fieldwork, lab work, data analysis, and communicating scientific concepts. Some find fulfillment in teaching and public seminars, while others may have preferences for specific tasks within the field.
What general advice would you give to a Cell Biologist?
Elena Tonc: Big data analysis is becoming an increasingly important skill in both ecology and molecular biology fields so getting as much experience through classes and internships will be valuable, as well as bioinformatic experience specifically with genomics and proteomics for graduates interested in biomedical research. Further, the ability to collaborate across disciplines within biology and outside are becoming increasingly important for tackling complex biological challenges.
What will help Cell Biologists increase their earning potential?
Elena Tonc: Having a specialized skillset is one way to increase your compensation potential early in your career as those jobs are high in demand and companies might offer bigger salary incentives as a recruitment tool. Of course, negotiation is a big part too-don't be afraid to ask for higher compensation after researching salary ranges for similar positions in your location.