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Job outlook for public health microbiologists in the United States
Are public health microbiologist jobs in demand?
Public health microbiologist job and salary trends over time
Public health microbiologist jobs over time
Public health microbiologist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 150 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 152 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 141 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 155 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 169 | 0.00% |
Average public health microbiologist salary over time
Public health microbiologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $64,113 | $30.82 | +11.6% |
| 2024 | $57,467 | $27.63 | +5.6% |
| 2023 | $54,428 | $26.17 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $53,144 | $25.55 | +4.7% |
| 2021 | $50,782 | $24.41 | --1.0% |
Public health microbiologist jobs by state
Most common states for public health microbiologists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 311 | 45% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,065 | 30% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 149 | 24% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,057 | 19% |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 168 | 16% |
| 6 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 999 | 15% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 917 | 15% |
| 8 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,422 | 14% |
| 9 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,411 | 14% |
| 10 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 236 | 14% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 79 | 14% |
| 12 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,523 | 13% |
| 13 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,108 | 13% |
| 14 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 889 | 13% |
| 15 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 818 | 13% |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 747 | 13% |
| 17 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 414 | 13% |
| 18 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 368 | 13% |
| 19 | Delaware | 961,939 | 122 | 13% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 88 | 12% |
Most common cities for public health microbiologists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $86,711 |
Public Health Microbiologist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of public health microbiologist experts
University of California, Irvine
California State University - Long Beach
San Jose State University
University of Wisconsin - Madison
North Dakota State University
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Seattle University
Saint Peter's University
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
Beloit College
University of North Alabama
Christopher Newport University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Colorado State University
Eastern Washington University
University of Pittsburgh
Adelphi University
Kansas State University
North Central College
What general advice would you give to a Public Health Microbiologist?
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 Public Health Microbiologist 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 Public Health Microbiologists 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.
Renaud Berlemont Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorCalifornia State University - Long Beach
Microbiological Sciences And Immunology
What general advice would you give to a Public Health Microbiologist?
Renaud Berlemont Ph.D.: Being a microbiologist helps you understand many of the things we take for granted. Antibiotics, vaccines, many chemicals, fermented food, infectious diseases, etc. Sometimes it seems “unnatural” because we can’t directly see them. However, we can see the result of their actions everywhere!
What Public Health Microbiologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Renaud Berlemont Ph.D.: Microbiology has so many applications that there is no such thing as a typical microbiologist. Food microbiology, clinical microbiology, biotechnology, environmental monitoring, … some microbiologists want to promote microbes, others want to detect and inhibit them, and some just want to control/engineer them!
What will help Public Health Microbiologists increase their earning potential?
Renaud Berlemont Ph.D.: Microbiology is a very exciting field to get in because, as shown by the COVID pandemic, we live in a microbial world and these tiny things can have a huge impact on human populations. However, detecting, controlling, responding to these potential threats also require microbiologists to design vaccine, detection methods, etc.
Rachael French
Professor and ChairSan Jose State University
Natural Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Public Health Microbiologist?
Rachael French: The Biology Department does not generally provide content for for-profit websites.
What Public Health Microbiologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Rachael French: The Biology Department does not generally provide content for for-profit websites.
What will help Public Health Microbiologists increase their earning potential?
Rachael French: The Biology Department does not generally provide content for for-profit websites.
Bradley Bolling
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin - Madison
Food Science And Technology
What general advice would you give to a Public Health Microbiologist?
Bradley Bolling: Get as broad of a set of experiences as you can. If you haven't completed an internship before graduation, seek one out immediately. Spend at least one semester gaining research experience. Learn about consumer trends and product development. Attend professional conferences and volunteer to network.
What Public Health Microbiologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Bradley Bolling: Getting an advanced degree, like a master's, can help move up the career ladder. Consider additional coursework outside your field. Develop a network for career advancement. Consider getting an MBA for a different career track.
What will help Public Health Microbiologists increase their earning potential?
Bradley Bolling: Develop an understanding of microbial ecology, molecular detection, AI, and data management. Build a network of trusted professionals for problem-solving. Develop detailed writing skills and consider advanced degrees like an MBA for career advancement.
Dr. Birgit Pruess Ph.D.
ProfessorNorth Dakota State University
Microbiological Sciences
What soft skills should all Public Health Microbiologists possess?
Dr. Birgit Pruess Ph.D.: Soft skills seem more important today than hard skills. I disagree with that. In the end, the job still needs to get done, and that requires technical skills. Among the soft skills, the ability to communicate and work as a team probably stands out. You need to communicate with your direct supervisor and coworkers, and permanent misunderstandings and conflict just wear everybody down. You may also be asked to present your work at a larger meeting or conference. Written communication is important too. You will have to record data and write reports. Possible write lengthy papers. Listening is part of communication as well, not just talking. If you don't listen to your supervisor, you may not understand the instructions and get yourself into trouble when you do something differently that invalidates the data. Make sure you list previous activities and accomplishments in these areas. Pick recommenders that can comment on these activities (see above).
What skills will help Public Health Microbiologists earn the most?
Dr. Birgit Pruess Ph.D.: That depends on the job ad. While you are in college, read job ads and find out where your interest is. Then, align your course work and research opportunities with the direction you wanna go into. Be flexible as well. The perfect job may not exist when you start with college.
Dr. Melissa Christopherson
Faculty AssociateUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
Department of Bacteriology
What soft skills should all Public Health Microbiologists possess?
Dr. Melissa Christopherson: The ability to effectively communicate about science is one of the most important skills that a microbiologist can hone. Microbiologists are often at the intersection of many different fields, combining molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, and bioinformatics with different applications in industrial fields like biotechnology, agriculture, medicine, biodefense, renewable energy, and the food industry. A successful microbiologist will be able to understand the foundations of each of these fields to foster collaboration. A successful microbiologist will also realize that diverse teams of people often are the most productive and innovative and will seek out an array of perspectives within their team as they pursue the answers to a biological question. Right now, with misinformation about vaccines, COVID, public health, and antibiotics widespread, scientific communication in microbiology is more important than ever.
The ability to critically think about scientific findings is another important skill. The power of microbiology is that many universal biological principles can be tested in controlled experiments at the bench with a carefully designed and controlled experiment. There are many pressing questions in microbiology right now, for instance, a better and more detailed understanding of different microbiomes and the metabolic underpinnings that dictate their function, better understanding of conditions that allow for pathogens to emerge, spread and cause disease, and microbial strategies that can be used to combat climate change. These big ideas are being met with new technology, like next-generation DNA and RNA sequencing, CRISPR, and a host of emerging bioinformatics platforms to analyze the large amounts of data generated by such complex questions. Right now, analyzing these large data sets requires collaboration between bioinformaticists and microbiologists, as few people have sufficiently deep knowledge of both fields to answer these questions on their own. Amid a large cloud of data, the discerning microbiologist will be able to work as part of a team to focus on a simple, controlled, and testable question to move the field forward as a whole.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Public Health Microbiologists?
Dr. Melissa Christopherson: Although I am not a medical microbiologist, there are foundational techniques in microbiology that are critically important right now as we face the COVID-19 pandemic. Basic skills like PCR, nucleic acid sequencing, aseptic technique, serological testing like ELISAs, and microscopy are essential for testing for and identifying pathogens like SARS-COV2. New innovations, CRISPR and LAMP-PCR, are rapidly changing the possible ways to diagnose pathogens. Milestone advances in deep sequencing, among other advances, have led to faster-than-ever vaccine development for emerging pathogens. As an instructor at a top-ranked microbiology program, we teach undergraduates how to use these tools.
Outside of medical microbiology, these tools are being used to understand climate change, solve problems in agriculture, develop renewable energy solutions, and describe a variety of soil, air, and host microbiomes that underpin healthy hosts and ecosystems.
Harriet Phinney Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorSeattle University
Department of Anthropology and Sociology
What soft skills should all Public Health Microbiologists possess?
Harriet Phinney Ph.D.: Understanding human diversity, effective communication (speaking and writing: the ability to convey complex ideas respectfully to a diverse audience) across differences, adept at working in groups, yet also independent thinkers.
Dr. Katherine Wydner Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology and Health Careers AdvisorSaint Peter's University
Biology Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Public Health Microbiologist job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Katherine Wydner Ph.D.: COVID-19 has focused worldwide attention on the importance of public health, so jobs that relate to healthcare services and wellness will be on the rise. Even before the pandemic, employment in healthcare occupations was expected to experience greater job growth in the next decade than other occupations. There have been losses in healthcare jobs during the pandemic, but fewer losses than in jobs outside of healthcare. In the short term, many medical specialist practices and dentist offices that offer nonemergency services have taken a hit with losses of jobs and revenue.
Here are some examples of specific careers that should be in demand for the foreseeable future. Epidemiologists are public health scientists who investigate patterns and causes of disease. Mental Health Professionals include clinical and counselling psychologists and therapists. Public Health Educators are professionals who spread health information and counter misinformation. Public Health Policy Makers are people who work in government and make decisions toward healthcare goals in a community.
Jobs related to Food Services are also expected to grow faster compared to many other job sectors. These include Nutritionists and Dieticians as well as those involved in food safety and menu planning. This is part of the growing attention on wellness and preventative medicine.
Healthcare will remain an essential field. Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, and medical laboratory scientists will continue to be very important in our workforce, especially due to the aging population in the US.
What technical skills for a Public Health Microbiologist stand out to employers?
Shelly Lesher: Employers value our graduates for their ability to independently solve complex problems, whether in or out of the lab. This skill has not and will not change regardless of instructional mode.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Public Health Microbiologists?
Tawnya Cary Ph.D.: Yes, I think there will be an enduring impact of the coronavirus on biology graduates. The impact will likely be multifaceted, but two things come to mind: 1) I think the demand for more professionals in public health and epidemiology will increase and graduate interest to fill that demand will follow, and 2) graduates have been given a 'pause button' for the past year while hiring has decreased, programs have been cancelled, etc. This time to reflect on what they want and need for their careers moving forward will hopefully help them re-evaluate the plans they have for themselves in a positive way.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Public Health Microbiologists?
Dr. Eric Becraft: In the long run, there will probably be very little, if any, impact on graduates. At least in my experience, professors and staff have done an amazing job adapting to the new environment so students do not lose out on any education. Even in STEM laboratories, where social distancing is difficult, professors have managed to still provide the essential hands-on experiences that graduates will use in the future. If anything, the experience of the pandemic may make graduates more adaptable to different settings of higher learning.
What technical skills for a Public Health Microbiologist stand out to employers?
Dr. Eric Becraft: In today's world the number one skill that stands out is computer science/programming. Every STEM field requires knowledge of computers now, and the more knowledge the better. Also important in the biological sciences is the ability to work with and analyze DNA in the laboratory and on the computer, respectively. DNA sequencing science is the only science moving faster than computer science, and soon all biologists, and maybe most STEM scientists, will need some experience in the field of genetics.
Janet Steven Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorChristopher Newport University
Organismal and Environmental Biology
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Public Health Microbiologist job market given the pandemic?
Janet Steven Ph.D.: Clearly the pandemic will create a demand for biology graduates working in human health and health care. Not just as care providers like doctors and nurses, but also in epidemiology, public health policy, emergency planning, medical ethics, and many other allied fields.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Public Health Microbiologists?
Max Haggblom Ph.D.: No and yes. At Rutgers-School of Environmental and Biological Sciences we have worked hard to ensure in-person lab experiences during the pandemic, especially for graduating seniors. This includes core laboratory courses to learn key skills, but also the ability to continue work in the research laboratories, even if partly remotely. We currently also have students with lab jobs in the field or internships. One positive impact of having to adjust to remote learning is that students will be well prepared to host and engage in meetings and presentations online; this is definitely a skill that will be beneficial for future jobs/travel/collaborations both nationally and internationally.
Sebsnjaesnew
Living through a pandemic will have an enduring impact on everyone, but very much microbiologists. The quote "Never underestimate the power of the microbe" (Jackson Foster) became very real.
What's a day at work look like for a Public Health Microbiologist?
Max Haggblom Ph.D.: Work that has to be done in the lab needs to be in-person. This will not change, once labs can be safely re-populated, but meetings, etc. are now remotely and will likely continue in this mode for some time.
What technical skills for a Public Health Microbiologist stand out to employers?
Max Haggblom Ph.D.: For microbiologists it is important to have broad laboratory skills, microbiological technique of course, but also proficiency in biochemical and molecular assays. Knowledge in the use of relevant lab instrumentation, such as PCR. The ability to analyze and interpret data is a must, as are strong writing and presentation skills. Critical thinking and the ability to troubleshoot experimental methods as well as analytical instrumentation are important.
Sara Church
Lecturer of PsychologySaint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Public Health Microbiologists?
Sara Church: Absolutely, yes. We may not even know all the ways this pandemic will impact graduates professionally and personally. Students have experienced tremendous stress because of this pandemic. Classes have gone virtual, loved ones or they themselves have gotten sick, some are battling anxiety and depression-all the while they are trying to complete their coursework and stay engaged. I think it's important for us to acknowledge that along with this collective traumatic experience has come some incredible resilience. Graduates will have become flexible and adaptable; they will be ready to use technology in the field. Also, empathy! There is a depth of compassion for others that comes from living this together.
I will also say that qualified helping professionals are needed now more than ever. Counselor caseloads are packed, and people are reaching out for help at high rates. People were universally stressed before this pandemic happened. This sent some people over the edge and straight to their local therapist. We are working to get our psychology and human services students ready to make an immediate impact in this field.
What type of skills will young Public Health Microbiologists need?
Sara Church: Young graduates should be thinking about trauma competency that includes somatic approaches. Somatic approaches include a person's mind AND body, which is so important when treating stress of any kind. Young graduates also need self-awareness. Young graduates need to know how to interview! They should set up mock interviews to practice. Interviews are important in our field, because the interviewer is getting a feel for what the person would be like in a helping relationship. They need to be well versed in professionalism and be able to set healthy boundaries within their work. Finally, they need to be culturally responsive and open to learning. This field is broad and can act as one, big difficult conversation. Conversations about differences-about behaviors, about people, about groups and institutions. They need to be ready to have these. SMWC has been very intentional about setting their students up for success in this way.
Jennifer McLean Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Associate Department Head for Undergraduate EducationColorado State University
Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Public Health Microbiologists?
Jennifer McLean Ph.D.: Thinking in terms of silver linings, one enduring impact the pandemic will have on graduates, especially in the fields of microbiology, immunology and vaccine development, is the realization that communicating basic science to the general public is crucial to the health of the world's population. I also hope the team effort and open communication among scientists during the quest for an effective vaccine will be the new norm as these graduates enter the scientific community.
What type of skills will young Public Health Microbiologists need?
Jennifer McLean Ph.D.: Graduates entering the workforce will need to be able to think like scientists to solve problems like the COVID-19 pandemic. Graduates will need to apply what they have learned to new problems and situations. They will need familiarity with new technologies that are developing more rapidly than ever before and an understanding of methods used for analyzing vast amounts of data. They will also need collaborative skills that will allow them to work effectively in an interdisciplinary fashion to solve some of the world's toughest scientific health problems.
What experience really stands out on Public Health Microbiologist resumes?
Jennifer McLean Ph.D.: This can really depend, but I have to believe that moving forward, students who persisted in college during the pandemic will be able to tout on their resumes their own ability to be nimble in how they learn, collaborate and work. During the pandemic they likely had to learn under a variety of circumstances (hybrid, online, synchronous, asynchronous, face-to-face, etc.) and use a variety of platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoogleMeet, etc.). I think graduates should highlight their flexibility, persistence, and ability to quickly pivot away from what was comfortable and known and come out the other side smarter, stronger and inarguably more resilient.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Public Health Microbiologist job market given the pandemic?
Terrance MacMullan Ph.D.: I am not a market analyst, but my informal sense is that industries like hotels and restaurants will continue to be severely depressed by the pandemic, but others such a grocery stores, storage and logistics will continue to expand. I think that once we get the "all clear" some time in later Summer/early fall of 2021, we will see a slow but steady job growth across just about all sectors with a huge boom in the hardest hit markets, like entertainment and restaurants. The pandemic would seem to have accelerated the Boomers' 50-year dominance in the job market making room for younger workers to finally increase their suppressed wages.
What Public Health Microbiologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Terrance MacMullan Ph.D.: I took a gap year after college. When I started undergrad I wanted to be a lawyer. I majored in philosophy (which, contrary to misconceptions, is the single best performing major for graduate school placement tests like the GRE or LSAT and have much higher-than-average employment rates and salaries after 10 years) to prepare me for law school. Then my dad got cancer and died after a terrible 6-month fight. In my last few conversations with him, he told me not to do what everyone else expects me to do and to instead create a life that is meaningful. I sent rejection letters back to the law schools that had accepted me (nearly giving my poor mother a heart-attack!) and then waited tables in D.C. for a year while I researched PhD programs in Philosophy and applied to schools that interested me. Seven years later I got the job that I have grown into over the last 20 years teaching philosophy at a regional state university. I would have made more money as a lawyer. I doubt I would have been as fulfilled. I would not have had the time to readjust my trajectory without that gap year.
So to answer your question, I would tell students to feel free to take a gap year if they are anything less than absolutely committed to clear path towards a life that holds meaning for them. If they take a gap year I would encourage them to do whatever they can to not incur pointless debt. I would then encourage them to look at a gap year not so much as a year to develop skills so much as a year to take stock of what they want to become. If that is to work in a particular industry, then find people 5 or 10 years ahead of you in that industry and ask them their advice. Finally, I think we, as a civilization, are returning to older ways of understanding ourselves. The idea that a person is just a vessel for marketable skills and that a human being's purpose is to sell themselves on a labor market is a very, very recent one. It is also unsustainable, both in terms of the environment and the fact that productivity has become detached from wages, so that now the overwhelming majority of people are working more but making less in terms of spending power. Younger people will have to live in a world that is witnessing the shortcomings of globalization's promise that never came to pass and an environment that is crumbling under the weight of a consumer-focused civilization. They will need to figure out new ways to live, not just fit themselves into a waning system. So they should use that gap year to figure out what kind of person they want to be and what kind of world they want to live in and find a way to make it come to pass.
Dr. Christopher Nygren Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Pittsburgh
History of Art and Architecture Department
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Public Health Microbiologists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Christopher Nygren Ph.D.: Med/Ren is focused mostly where there is a high concentration of museums, universities, and libraries. This means urban center, mostly (though not exclusively) on the coasts. Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and other historic cities in the center of the country have a ton to offer. There are also major centers for Med/Ren in some unexpected places like Kalamazoo, MI; South Bend, IN; and Sewanee, TN.
What general advice would you give to a Public Health Microbiologist?
Brian Wygal: For students graduating with a degree in the social sciences the job market is always a bit tricky. Fortunately, anthropology and similar disciplines prepare students with technical and social skills useful for navigating difficult terrain-and these skills do not go out of date. First, if you are interested in pursuing a research or teaching position, then obviously graduate school is the necessary choice. However, many of my students chose to enter the workforce following their undergraduate degree. With an archaeological field school or other technical training (like GIS) under your belt and a willingness to move around, recent graduates can almost always find entry level jobs as a field technicians, conducing survey, or excavation work with private sector consulting firms. This is also true of certain environmental sectors. A better route would be to secure an internship with federal or state government agency to begin building job experience but this strategy is easier as a current student rather than after graduating so keep this in mind during your junior and senior years. Try applying specifically to planning departments or a nearby NGO to use your skills working with maps or conducting research. Clearly, there is a lot of funding right now for public health departments and there may soon be funding for climate change related fields. With recent reductions in work forces and shrinking budgets, look to economies of the future like preparation work related to solar panel or wind farm installations and support sites.
Above all, follow your passion. Eventually a niche you love will open up and you'll find your place. The world needs anthropologists now more than ever before. Remember that anthropology is ultimately about helping people. Find the best way for you to be contribute and eventually a professional path will emerge.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Public Health Microbiologist job market given the pandemic?
Brian Wygal: For students graduating in the next few years, the pandemic has clearly altered the job market and will further shift research and priorities of companies, governments, and our society. Public health, and similar specializations like medical anthropology, will obviously in high demand. Likewise, we are entering a period of racial reckoning so employers will be looking to create "anti-racist" institutions and workspaces. Students with a background in the social sciences, including anthropology, already know the importance of fostering and supporting cultural and biological diversity. The difficulty will also be translating those skills into a narrative prospective employers understand. They want to know, what will you bring to their table.
Your skills should be useful in HR departments, research and development, state and local governments, and many other sectors of our economy. The secret is, find those entry level positions, volunteer, and network so that you can better learn what types of jobs you qualify for and would enjoy. Remember that most opportunities are not labeled specifically for "anthropologists", so you need to find these spaces and figure out how the employer can benefit from the skills you have. That includes an ability to research, analyze, think critically, and write articulately. Skills that are still in high demand and not easily replaced by robots or computers.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Public Health Microbiologist job market given the pandemic?
Michael Krysko: Graduate Students: When it comes to graduate education, references to the job market often means the academic job market. Here, I believe the pandemic accelerated existing trends: severe budgetary pressures, especially at state institutions, contributed to a decline in the number of tenure-track positions with many programs choosing to rely more heavily on more poorly compensated adjunct and term instructors, who often teach more for less pay and benefits. The pandemic, of course, has compounded and intensified the existing and already severe fiscal woes at so many colleges and universities (including at my own institution), and I would only expect a continuation and acceleration of that trend. Indeed, given that the pandemic has also had the effect of depressing enrollments, I would assume that even as tenure-track positions are eliminated there will also be fewer adjunct and term instructor positions to be filled as well. None of this is specific to those focusing on topics with an international relations element, though, but certainly applies to such students.
Undergraduates: I am not really in a position to speak about trends in the job market given the pandemic as it pertains to our undergraduates for two reasons. 1) Our undergraduates are not separated out by interest in international relations vs other areas of interest; 2) undergraduate history majors are not necessarily pigeon-holed into select markets. The advice I give to incoming students is that the history degree is not just one for teaching history/social studies and that the skillset of critical thinking, analytical writing, and argumentation based on evidence are skills that apply to any number of jobs and professions. I often point them to a piece published by the American Historical Association in 2017 called "History is not a Useless Major" (Historians!), which shows the wide array of positions and professions history majors get after graduation in which teaching positions are not necessarily the dominant landing spot, but that history majors have great success in landing positions in business, management, and the law (to name a few). Once again, this is not specific to undergraduates who might be interested in international relations type topics. Positions for historians/analysts in the State Department, Defense Department or Central Intelligence Agency are also options I have long suggested to students, and would continue to do so going forward in our pandemic world. To the extent that reports of career officers in these agencies have been demoralized and left their jobs during the previous presidential administration are valid, one might speculate that such positions could become available offer viable landing spot for recent graduates as a new administration takes over (pure speculation on my part, as I have no numbers on hand about how many people left and what effect that might have on filling new entry level positions).
What skills stand out on Public Health Microbiologist resumes?
Dr. Jelena Sanchez Ph.D.: Currently, multilingual skills shine bright in resumes. Finally, the pandemic reality will validate the global currency of languages.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Public Health Microbiologist job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Jelena Sanchez Ph.D.: Translators and interpreters are highly sought after to work in public health, health systems, social services, and human resource management due to the disproportionate numbers of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths among persons identifying as Hispanic or Latino, according to the CDC. Bilingual language skills are urgently needed in disaster response jobs for example, attorneys, credit analysis, loan officers, mortgage underwriters, and paralegals for loan processing, mortgage underwriting and credit analysis. There is a growing demand for bilingual graduates headed for government jobs in immigration and citizenship. Furthermore, according to a recent study by Stanford University, an astounding 42% of the U.S. labor force is working from home, this has caused a change in many careers. Spanish graduates have embraced remote work and flexible global jobs in customer service, social media, and customer service.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Public Health Microbiologists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Jelena Sanchez Ph.D.: The pandemic has blurred geographical boundaries. A successful bilingual graduate today will find access to the global employment from their computer at home anywhere in the world.