Life Science Careers
How to Become a Life Scientist
Biological or life scientists study living organisms. They often perform research with the goal of either understanding the life processes of these organisms or developing products using that knowledge. Life scientists almost always specialize in one area of science. These are some career options:
Aquatic biologist career
Aquatic biologists study plants, animals, and microorganisms that live in water. Within this field, marine biologists study saltwater organisms, and limnologists study fresh water organisms.
Biochemist career
Biochemists study the chemistry of living things. They are interested in metabolism, reproduction, and growth on the molecular level. Biochemists often work in the biotechnology industry.
Botanist career
Botanists study plants and their environments. They may specialize in particular types of plants, such as algae, fungi, lichens, mosses, ferns, conifers, or flowering plants. Some botanists identify and classify plants. Others study the structures and functions of plants, the biochemistry of plants, or plant diseases.
Microbiologist career
Microbiologists study microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, or fungi. Some specialties in microbiology are environmental, food, agricultural, or industrial microbiology. Other areas include virology (the study of viruses), immunology (the study of processes for fighting infections), and bioinformatics (using computers to work with biological information, usually at the molecular level).
Physiologist career
Physiologists study life functions of plants and animals. They may specialize in growth, reproduction, photosynthesis, respiration, or movement, or a certain area or system of the organism.
Biophysicist career
Biophysicists study how physical principles apply to living cells and organisms. They often work in the fields of neuroscience or bioinformatics.
Zoologist or wildlife biologist career
Zoologists and wildlife biologists study the behavior, origin, diseases, and life processes of animals. This may involve working with animals in their natural habitat or dissecting dead animals to study them. Zoologists often specialize by the type of animal they study. For example, ornithologists study birds; mammalogists study mammals; herpetologists study reptiles; and ichthyologists study fish.
Ecologist career
Ecologists study how organisms interact with one another and their environments. They are interested in how population size, pollutants, rainfall, temperature, and altitude affect ecosystems. Part of their work involves collecting data on the quality of air, food, soil, and water.
Degree Programs and Training for Life Science Career
The higher your level of education, the more opportunities you'll have for advancement in the life sciences. For example, an associate degree may qualify you to work as a science technician, but a PhD, in a scientific discipline enables you to teach at the university level and direct research programs.
Completing coursework or an associate degree in fire science may also improve your chances of being hired as a fire fighter. Some departments may require you to complete EMT training on your own as well.
Life Sciences Certification and Licensing
Certification and licensing are not generally required in this field.
Life Scientists' Earnings
The median 2006 salaries for some life science careers were:
| Job | Salary |
|---|---|
| Biochemist and biophysicist | $76,000 |
| Microbiologist | $58,000 |
| Zoologist and wildlife biologist | $53,000 |
Life Scientists' Employment Outlook
After an expansion in the 1980s due to growth in biotechnology, employment growth for life scientists is now average. Life scientists experience competition for jobs, especially in the field of marine biology. Science-related jobs in sales, marketing, and research management are more abundant than independent research positions. Many life science specialists become high school biology teachers.
Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition; Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.