Biology Careers: In-Depth Guide

Biology careers are for people interested in all sorts of life sciences jobs. Biologists are highly analytical. They study problems, evaluate evidence, ask questions, and make determinations based upon their findings. They understand how living things--humans, animals, insects, marine life--function and interact with one another and evolve.

Biologist may work at the cellular level, studying organisms under a microscope, or they could study how viruses attack the human body. Biologist help the world understand effects of global warming, rain forest depletion and things that endanger human health.

From working in a laboratory setting to traipsing a remote rain forest, from studying pods of killer whales to schools of jellyfish, the many fields of biology offer a wide range of career choices from the safe and steady to the exotic.

Which Types of Jobs Are Available For Those Interested in Biology?

Jobs fields that someone with a degree in biology could pursue include:

• Pharmacology
• Genetics
• Environmental science
• Botany
• Agriculture
• Anatomy
• Veterinary medicine
• Marine science
• Medicine

New careers for biologists who can blend their learning with other careers include jobs in forensic biology, politics and environmental policy, business, math, science, and even art--the detailed drawings of the human body found in textbooks were created by people with a solid understanding of the human body.

Formal Training Required to Work in Biology

A solid understanding of math and science can better prepare you for the challenges of earning a degree in biology. Biological scientists and researchers often need a PhD, although a master's degree can suffice for product development, management, teaching, and inspection positions.

Coursework includes classes in chemistry, biology, anatomy, mathematics, physics, and engineering. Other classes could include study in cellular biology, genetics, ecology, and evolution.

Required coursework for biology degree programs might include courses labeled:

• Organisms and Populations
• Biological Chemistry
• Functional Genomics
• Molecular Biology
• Plant Physiology
• Neuroscience
• Vertebrate Cell Biology
• Immunology

Biology students can expect a mix of classroom and detailed laboratory learning.

The Typical Career Path of Someone Interested in Biology

A biology degree could eventually land you a job leading a research team in a laboratory that raises monkeys for study or perhaps a gig as a pharmaceutical salesman. Or you could lead quality control at a drug manufacturer. People with a degree in biology also pursue teaching and tutoring positions.

Most career paths follow one of these branches:

• Health Care: Biologists help develop the medicinal tools necessary to combat AIDS, cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. Other biologist in the health care field study diseases such as the Ebola virus, or more recently, the H1N1 flu and SARS.
• Clinical Research: These biologists study our world in the lab and in the field to understand how the ecosystem functions. Some research is conducted in some of the most remote regions on the planet.
• Environmental Conservation and Environmental Management: Biologist in this field work on environmental problems such as global warming and the effects of mass deforestation of the world's rain forests. Or they could work on preserving endangered animal and marine species.
• Education: Educators typically have a passion for people and for sharing knowledge. Some biologist run museums, others zoos, while others work as guides, imparting geographical knowledge about a region and its ecological systems.

Job Outlook and Salary Information for Biology Jobs

Pay and demand for jobs that touch on biology depends greatly on education. Demand for biological scientists is expected to increase greatly, with research and advances in biotechnology driving growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics points out that marine biology students greatly outnumber the possible openings for research positions.

Biochemists and biophysicists earned average salaries of almost $83,000 in 2008--but top earners with biochemistry jobs averaged salaries exceeding $140,000. Half of the almost 17,000 people holding microbiology jobs in 2008 earned between $49,750 and $89,110. Zoologists and wildlife biologists earned $56,500 annually, but some pulled down salaries greater than $90,000 a year.

Due to a large number of older retirees, demand is expected to be high in the fields of conservation science for government work. Average wages for this field topped $60,000 in 2008. Demand is projected even higher for environmental scientists--28 percent job growth through 2018. Private consulting firms should be the biggest employer. Annual salaries range from $37,120 for entry-level positions to more than $100,000 for top wage earners.

A career in biology could take you around the world, from studying melting ice to examining tiny insects in South America. From private consulting on environmental issues to advances in medicine, biology offers a diverse range of career choices for people interested in science, the human body, and the world around them.