Biologists
Research or study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and functions.
Also known as: Aquatic Biologist, Aquatic Scientist, Bioanalytical Scientist, Biological Operations Scientist (Biological Ops Scientist), Biological Scientist, Biologist, Biology Scientist, Botanist, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Slower than average)
What You'd Do
- Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings.
- Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.
- Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment.
- Communicate test results to state and federal representatives and general public.
- Identify, classify, and study structure, behavior, ecology, physiology, nutrition, culture, and distribution of plant and animal species.
- Represent employer in a technical capacity at conferences.
- Teach or supervise students and perform research at universities and colleges.
- Supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists.
- Study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and function.
- Prepare requests for proposals or statements of work.
- Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.
- Review reports and proposals, such as those relating to land use classifications and recreational development, for accuracy, adequacy, or adherence to policies, regulations, or scientific standards.
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for biological research.
- Study aquatic plants and animals and environmental conditions affecting them, such as radioactivity or pollution.
- Plan and administer biological research programs for government, research firms, medical industries, or manufacturing firms.
- Research environmental effects of present and potential uses of land and water areas, determining methods of improving environmental conditions or such outputs as crop yields.
- Measure salinity, acidity, light, oxygen content, and other physical conditions of water to determine their relationship to aquatic life.
- Study and manage wild animal populations.
- Prepare plans for management of renewable resources.
- Develop methods and apparatus for securing representative plant, animal, aquatic, or soil samples.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.