STEM

Biologist

Study living things, from tiny cells to whole ecosystems, in labs and outdoors to learn how life works

Open interactive guide

What does a Biologist do?

Biologists work in labs, in nature, and in offices at universities, government agencies, and companies. They collect samples, run tests, and study how plants, animals, and cells live and change. Careful observers who like both science and detail do well.

A day in the life

8:00 AMFeed and check the cell samples or lab organisms
9:30 AMRun an experiment and write down every step
11:30 AMLook at samples under a microscope and take photos
1:30 PMEnter results into a spreadsheet and look for patterns
3:00 PMTalk with teammates about what to test next
4:30 PMOrder supplies and update the lab notebook

What's great

  • Many areas to choose from
  • Mix of lab, field, and computer work
  • Work that helps people, animals, and nature
  • A bachelor's degree can start your career

The hard parts

  • Best research jobs often need a graduate degree
  • Entry jobs may be short-term or seasonal
  • Lab work can be repetitive
  • Field work can mean bugs and bad weather

What is a Biologist's salary and outlook?

$45k – $113k
Salary Range
Bachelor's degree
Typical Education
Growing

Typical pay in this guide runs from about $45,000 to $112,500 a year, with a midpoint around $75,000. These are planning figures for students, not a job offer or an official wage.

CareerLens rates the outlook as Growing.

For the official national outlook, see BLS Occupational Data.

How do you become a Biologist?

A common path is Bachelor's degree in biology; many jobs prefer a master's or PhD. The ladder often runs from Research Technician to Biologist, then Senior Biologist or Lab Manager, and Director of Research. Other routes: Associate degree, then lab technician work; Master's degree for project leader roles; Internships with wildlife or public health agencies.

  • Associate degree, then lab technician work
  • Master's degree for project leader roles
  • Internships with wildlife or public health agencies

Career path

Entry level
Research Technician
Mid career
Biologist
Senior
Senior Biologist or Lab Manager
Executive
Director of Research

Will AI replace a Biologist?

How much will AI change this job?

A lot

AI will change many everyday tasks in this job. The work shifts toward judgment, checking, and people.

AI takes over data crunching, biologists focus more on discovery.

AI tools can now scan huge amounts of data, spot patterns, and even suggest experiments faster than before. This means biologists spend less time on repetitive lab tasks and more time asking big questions, designing studies, and making sense of results. The core work of exploring living things still needs a curious human mind.

AI can help with

  • Analyzing large sets of genetic or ecological data
  • Spotting patterns in images like cells or species
  • Writing quick summaries of research papers

What stays human

  • Designing experiments that test real scientific questions
  • Making judgment calls about unexpected or messy results
  • Working with other scientists to plan research goals

Skills to build now

  • Join a science club or do biology experiments at home
  • Practice writing clear lab notes and observations
  • Learn basic computer skills like spreadsheets or simple coding

Based on public research from Anthropic and OpenAI, drafted with AI, checked automatically, and read by a person. How we know

This describes how the work may change. It is not a prediction that the job will disappear.