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What is a public health microbiologist and how to become one
A public health microbiologist is a laboratory researcher specializing in recognizing, detecting, and maintaining microscopic organisms that are susceptible to disease or dangerous to the general public.
As a public health microbiologist, you have an opportunity to participate in clinical decision making by providing critical information to healthcare teams. You also contribute to public health by providing information essential for detecting and characterizing pathogens of public health concern.
For this position, you will require a bachelor's degree in biology, microbiology, or epidemiology. Additionally, some posts even require you to have an advanced degree, such as a master's degree in public health.
The current median pay for a public health microbiologist is around $66,000 annually. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience, skills, or organization.
What general advice would you give to a public health microbiologist?
Matthew Wright Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Physics Department Chair, Director of the Business of Science, Adelphi University
Avg. Salary $64,113
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 9%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.58%
Asian 11.13%
Black or African American 2.31%
Hispanic or Latino 6.35%
Unknown 4.95%
White 74.69%
Genderfemale 70.73%
male 29.27%
Age - 39American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 39Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Public health microbiologist career paths
Key steps to become a public health microbiologist
Explore public health microbiologist education requirements
Start to develop specific public health microbiologist skills
Skills Percentages Extraction 17.31% Quality Control Procedures 15.62% Body Fluids 10.01% Pathogens 9.06% Proficiency Testing 6.06% Complete relevant public health microbiologist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New public health microbiologists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a public health microbiologist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real public health microbiologist resumes.Research public health microbiologist duties and responsibilities
- Job duties begin in a general microbiology/ infectious disease laboratory focuse on cultivating and managing infectious strains of microbes.
- Extract DNA from patient samples using complex laboratory equipment.
- Perform high-complexity public health testing including ELISA, PCR, DFA/IFA, viral and bacterial cultures, serologies and drug susceptibilities.
- Secure database entry within FDA compliance regulations and laboratory notebook entries.
Prepare your public health microbiologist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your public health microbiologist resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a public health microbiologist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable public health microbiologist resume templates
Build a professional public health microbiologist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your public health microbiologist resume.
Apply for public health microbiologist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a public health microbiologist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first public health microbiologist job
Are you a public health microbiologist?
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Average public health microbiologist salary
The average public health microbiologist salary in the United States is $64,113 per year or $31 per hour. Public health microbiologist salaries range between $45,000 and $90,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do public health microbiologists rate their job?
Public health microbiologist reviews
I have always pushed for safe and more natural remedies to health problems. The use of microorganisms in research to solve problems is beautiful
None
I like to explore more in community health related field and benefit the future generations from avoidable diseases and help them with information related to health aspects.
None
Language barrier can be a problem,because communication needs to be formed in the language that each community you interact with understands.
Updated January 8, 2025
