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Job outlook for microbiology soil scientists in the United States
Are microbiology soil scientist jobs in demand?
Microbiology soil scientist job and salary trends over time
Microbiology soil scientist jobs over time
Microbiology soil scientist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 274 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 245 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 248 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 264 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 249 | 0.00% |
Average microbiology soil scientist salary over time
Microbiology soil scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $71,895 | $34.56 | +4.6% |
| 2024 | $68,720 | $33.04 | --1.2% |
| 2023 | $69,535 | $33.43 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $67,883 | $32.64 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | $67,741 | $32.57 | +3.7% |
Microbiology soil scientist jobs by state
Most common states for microbiology soil scientists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | 961,939 | 140 | 15% |
| 2 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 849 | 14% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,036 | 12% |
| 4 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 108 | 12% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 729 | 11% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 80 | 11% |
| 7 | Vermont | 623,657 | 66 | 11% |
| 8 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 938 | 10% |
| 9 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 874 | 9% |
| 10 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 372 | 9% |
| 11 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 178 | 9% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 126 | 9% |
| 13 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 95 | 9% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,056 | 8% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 273 | 8% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 90 | 8% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 49 | 8% |
| 18 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 943 | 7% |
| 19 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 214 | 7% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 87 | 7% |
Most common cities for microbiology soil scientists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlsbad | 1 | 1% | $80,696 |
| 2 | South San Francisco | 1 | 1% | $92,681 |
Microbiology Soil Scientist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of microbiology soil scientist experts
University of California, Irvine
San Jose State University
Texas Tech University
Quinnipiac University
Tufts University
Creighton University
Doverspike Consulting/HR LItehouse
Tiffin University
What general advice would you give to a Microbiology Soil Scientist?
Rachael Barry Ph.D.: Microbiologists can work in a wide variety of different professions. Because microbes are very diverse, there are many academic, clinical, and industrial areas where training in microbiology is advantageous. For example, in addition to the importance of microbes in a world recovering from a recent global viral pandemic, microbes can be a source of molecules with clinical uses such as antibiotics, can help us perform environmental remediation, and can serve as living reactors to produce biofuels.
What Microbiology Soil Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Rachael Barry Ph.D.: Microbiologists work with microscopic organisms such as bacteria and fungi as well as with viruses. They can work in healthcare and clinical settings, in basic research, and industry. There are roles for microbiologists in the cosmetics and personal care industry, the food and beverage industry, as well as the energy and biofuels industry, among others. Many microbiologists spend their days culturing organisms and studying their traits or manipulating those traits to perform useful tasks. Some microbiologists work in the field collecting samples, others are at the bench performing research, and some perform clinical and other types of testing. An entry-level microbiologist may be involved in preparing media for growing microbes, creating and maintaining new versions of microbes, and testing the properties of these organisms. Common methods used by microbiologists include aseptic technique, cell culture, microscopy, and sequencing.
What will help Microbiology Soil Scientists increase their earning potential?
Rachael Barry Ph.D.: Microbiology is a very hands-on science. Many microbes are straightforward to manipulate genetically and can be propagated quickly, leading to quicker results and innovations than other areas of biology. The relevance to healthcare and industrial applications also means that microbiology skills are often in demand. However, with the diverse nature of the field, this can mean that extensive training may be needed for some positions, including graduate study.
Rachael French
Professor and ChairSan Jose State University
Natural Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Microbiology Soil Scientist?
Rachael French: The Biology Department does not generally provide content for for-profit websites.
What general advice would you give to a Microbiology Soil Scientist?
Daniel Hirmas: Quantitative skills and computer scripting language skills. Quantitative skills include math and especially statistics. Take as many statistics classes as you can. Develop efficient skills in common scripting languages like Python or R. These are highly sought after skills and are becoming more and more important in soil and environmental science.
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.
Professor of Biomedical SciencesQuinnipiac University
Microbiological Sciences And Immunology
What Microbiology Soil Scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.: The first and foremost would be Critical Thinking. We live in a world where facts can be easily acquired, sometimes even by asking Siri/Alexa/ChatGPT/Google/etc. But critical thinking is timeless and priceless. I can ask anyone on the street what xyz is and they can look it up, but can they provide advice or interpret.
Also being a good steward towards science and being willing and able to communicate not just with peers as we are trained, but also with the public, the politicians, the board members. John Holdren*, stated that Scientists should be tithing at least 10 percent of their time to public service ... including activism. In the ever growing science denialism that is happening in our country being able to communicate science with the public is important. As Peter Hotaz states, "Anti-science propaganda is "killing Americans in unprecedented numbers,""
*Holdren is an American scientist who served as the senior advisor to President Barack Obama on science and technology issues through his roles as assistant to the president for science and technology, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a Research Professor in Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government
What will help Microbiology Soil Scientists increase their earning potential?
Andrew Camilli: For scientists interested in industry careers, earning a PhD in areas of research that are of interest to biomedical R&D companies is most important. Also networking with people in industry while in graduate school is important. For careers in academia, publishing several quality peer-reviewed papers as a graduate student is important. For either industry or academia research careers, getting postdoctoral research training can increase your competitiveness for jobs and ultimately your earning potential.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Microbiology Soil Scientist job market given the pandemic?
April Buschelman: Teacher shortage was an issue before the pandemic, and I see this increasing tenfold in the next year. I get weekly notices or requests for graduates that could fill roles in different schools and districts, some are immediate, and others are for the next semester.
Besides only needing more teachers, I think there will be a great demand for teachers with instructional technology concentrations. The pandemic highlighted the need to think outside the traditional brick and mortar "box" of school systems. While newer teachers are being educated in ways to use technology in the classroom, it's rare students are being educated to make the technology the classroom.
One final trend to be aware of is educator burnout and the need for self-preservation. I could see (and hope we will see) schools and districts focusing on the educators' mental health. Inservice days could become more laid back and focus on mental well-being as much as the newest trends and requirements. If we want students to have the best experience and education with school, we need to focus on the educators' mental and physical well-being first.
What type of skills will young Microbiology Soil Scientists need?
Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.: Seemingly a paradox, there will continue to be a need for very general, but highly fungible, skills and demand for too specialized skills, requiring advanced education. Coding, statistics, and data analysis related skills will remain a hot growth area. The aging of the baby boomers will create demand for medical and healthcare-related regions, especially nursing, nursing aides, and emergency services. Despite the automation of many people facing jobs, there will continue to be a demand for interpersonal and people skills, including various types of sales. The switch to remote work, due to COVID, will create a substantial future market to fill the leadership and managerial skills gap. In many areas of Technology and engineering, it is already challenging to find a combination of technical knowledge and people skills, and this demand will intensify.
Sami Mejri Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Science, Assistant Dean, Graduate ProgramsTiffin University
School of Arts & Sciences
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Microbiology Soil Scientists to find work opportunities?
Sami Mejri Ph.D.: With the rising cost of living, a college graduate's ideal first job may not be in their home state or favorite vacation town. According to Business Insider, MidWestern cities like Columbus-Ohio, Cincinnati-Ohio, Madison-Wisconsin, Milwaukee-Wisconsin, and Indianapolis-Indiana were some of the best geographical areas to live for college graduates. The cost of living in these Midwestern states remains relatively lower than coastal areas, making these locations ideal for college graduates entering the workforce. However, college graduates with degrees in healthcare, computer science, and data analytics may not be limited to these geographical areas, given employers' incentives to these in-demand jobs.