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Science

Biologist

Biologists research how life works — from cells to ecosystems — in labs, field sites, and industry. Foundational science with paths into medicine, research, and biotech.

Median salary

$87,000

Typical range

$55k – $140k

Job outlook

+7% (faster than average)

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Bachelor's for technician roles; master's/PhD for research.

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Typical progression

  1. Biologist Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Biologist

    Entry / Junior

    $55,000

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Biologist

    Established

    $87,000

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Biologist

    Senior

    $113,500

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

Research methodsLab techniqueData analysisWriting

A typical day

  • Design and run experiments
  • Collect and analyze data
  • Publish findings

Fields of study

Biology · Biochemistry · Microbiology

Top colleges for Science

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.

Related careers

Other careers from this field of study

Mapped by field-of-study code (Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology), not by job-title guessing.