Career: Biological Scientists
We have always been interested in the living world around us. To survive, we had to understand which animals and plants were dangerous to us and which were good to eat.
Today’s biologists still study living organisms, but they do so using the modern methods of science. These scientists of life look not only at plants and animals, but also at microbes, microscopic organisms invisible to the naked eye. Biologists work in such fields as biochemistry, aquatic biology, botany, microbiology, zoology, and ecology.
Biological scientists study living organisms like animals, plants, and microbes. They also examine their relationships to the environment and other living things.
Did You Know?
- Biological scientists use high-tech lab equipment like computers and electron microscopes.
Are You Ready To...?
- Work regular hours in a lab or office
- Conduct experiments involving lab animals or plants
- Do research out in the field; for example, as a botanist, you might conduct research in a national forest
- Write grant proposals to get funding for your research
It Helps to Be...
A person who loves nature, plants, and animals, and who wants to study and understand how organisms live and act.
Make High School Count
- Take plenty of advanced science courses, like AP® Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics.
- Learn how to work on computers, because biological scientists use them to analyze data and conduct research.
- Focus on your writing skills in English classes. You’ll need to write research papers and lab reports that make sense and communicate your ideas clearly.
- Try out for the Biology Olympiad.
- Keep up with the latest news in this fast-changing field. Try the links on the website of the National Biological Information Infrastructure.
Did You Know?
- Biological scientists often work in labs conducting basic research to create new medicines and vaccines.
Outlook
Government economists expect overall job growth for biological scientists to be as fast as the average for all careers through 2014. However, job prospects vary by field. While growth for zoologists and wildlife biologists should be average, growth for biochemists and biophysicists should be faster than average.
Compensation
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, biological scientists earned the following average wages in 2006:
- Biochemists and biophysicists: $80,900
- Microbiologists: $65,200
- Zoologists and wildlife biologists: $56,120
