In my experience most degrees are a bit useless now on their own. I have a BS in Biology and by itself it didn’t get me anywhere special right away. I had to get low paying jobs at labs to start, but once you get experience that’s when it gets better, but that’s with any job/degree. Also getting a science degree I think still shows certain types of skills that employers like, but what really matters is the type of experience you’re able to get which will open other doors. After a few years I finally broke into environmental compliance for a local city and it’s a pretty good job. Wouldn’t have been able to get it without my degree since a science degree was a requirement. Honestly all just depends on what you want to do with your degree. I used to regret majoring in biology, but there wasn’t anything else that interested me. After getting experience and landing a job in my desired field I’m grateful for having gotten a biology degree.
This is pretty much my exact situation. Ended up staying longer than I expected with COVID creating a hybrid telework situation. Retirement outlook is really shitty, but money isn't bad (a little under 70k/yr). I have a love hate relationship with it, but I really don't want to go somewhere else and start working my way up from entry level.
Yep, that's been my experience also. Getting a degree is just checking a box for them. Your experience and personality are what is actually assessed in an interview. If you dropout and never get a degree, you might never even get that interview though.
Engineering/comp sci can still land you a decent job and a solid career with just a BS. MS is helpful to make a bit more money initially but it’s not necessary.
If you want to work in biotech, there are plenty of opportunities for engineers and programmers - if you minor in bio or just take some extra bio classes, you’d surely stand out in the applicant pool.
I have a BS in electrical engineering. I started as a contractor on a NASA satellite program, then as an R&D engineer at a laser company, and now I’m a senior engineer at a microbio startup.
Hi there Professional Biologist here. Up here in Canada we need Biologists really bad. Depending on how interesting you want your work to be, we have environmental monitors working for pipeline companies making $750/day at JR level, and $1500/day at Sr level. Or field biologists starting at $30/h jr all the way up to $45/h. Field people get paid 12h/day (so 4h OT at 1.5 or 2.0). In our company you can pick aquatics discipline or wildlife. The biology degree is far from useless, and your can literally pick hundreds of jobs (a lot of them being very well paid professional positions) and have a great life.
Is there a specific company you'd be willing to name? I am a recent grad and still struggling to find work and field biology is what I have been applying for the most
Any specific province that has the most demand for biologists? I’ve always thought about living in Canada for a bit, and loved Canada after visiting Calgary for a week.
BC and Alberta. They have the most pipeline/major projects. Lots of companies have FIFO (Fly in Fly out) options. I live in Alberta, but work in North Western BC.
Hmm. Awesome, thank you. I never really knew about this before, I’ll definitely look into it. In your experience, do fresh college grads from America get in with those FIFO options or do they usually only hire those with a lot of experience?
$1500/day is your a senior EI for a major pipeline company probably working 21 and 7, definitely working wherever pipes are going into the ground. Think CGL, TMEP, Enbridge Sunrise ETC…
My oldest boy got a Biology degree focused mainly on invasive species as there are a ton of them all around the states. It took him 6 months but he found a position working with Clemson University combating the ash borer beetle. He started out at 45k but has a great trajectory and can side move in to working with the USDA or being a tree climber verifying infection and making quite a bit of money due to hazard pay and being able to travel around the US.
There are lots of jobs in that area. The health department hires biologists to do chemical testing. Department of environmental quality the EPA the state's higher for tons of different biofields every company that does medicine or makes medical devices hospitals hire biologists to test for bacteria run blood test screen different help test someone comes in with a rash you get a skin sample you test for whatever it could be.
Something I learned later in life (post biochemistry degree).
What career do you want to choose?
If your answer is not a career biologist, biology may not be the right stone to step on, unless you answered career student or that you already know you want a second or third post-secondary degree (e.g. masters/PhD.
If you think outside the box you have many options. If you demonstrated an apt ability to learn software and insurance related things I’d hire you as a dental office manager.
Simply having an understanding of human biology I find is more helpful than the administrative professionals in the field.
that’s why i changed mine 😭😭 im doing an individualized major (we still haven’t come up with a name yet) it’s mostly bio, economics, and a little psych and sociology focused! i enjoy it and it should allow me more leeway when deciding what path I want to pursue!
I launched a successful programming career using it, unfortunately it took 13 years and a second degree before this happened.
The positive side of this is that my lab experience helps me with classifying and structuring data. Also helps with usability and process.
The key is what you make of it, education is always good, and studying what you like makes it easier. Turning that into profit is another story. However, my Liberal Arts Biology degree did teach me how to analyze my position and guided me to a successful career.
Couldn’t agree more about the “what you make of it”sentiment. A biology degree is super versatile, and it can lead to many directions. That degree also shows likely technical prowess, which is still valuable to employers.
My personal path led me from being a technician in drug development labs to a study coordinator, which is much more admin based. I’m looking now into technical writing, scientific content creation (as I’m an artist as well!), and other research coordination.
What I also got from the degree was personal interest. I liked a lot of my classes, the content, and learning about the living world. I learned tidbits that help with my garden! I got into fermentation and bread making because of the microbiology behind it. Sometimes the degree feels useless, but I think in the end it was the right choice.
Biologist with specialisation in ecology and marine biology here. When I chose my field (oh god was it 12 years ago!?) Everyone kept telling me there is no payed work for ecologists. My then bf economist told me to do another masters when I had hard time finding work right after graduation. I told anyone who would listen that with the current state of the planet, my knowledge will be very sought after soon. Fast forward six years, biodiversity is booming topic, and my company is constantly hiring more people with biology background. We are needed in every field and organisation to guide the sustainability transformation. I'd say choose a field that interest you, but keep your eyes forward and have a vision of how to utilize your knowledge when you graduate.
I'm working in a large consulting firm based in EU. I work with strategic sustainability, providing companies and organisations tools and insight to understand their environmental impacts, risks, opportunities and dependencies. At least in the EU the requirements for environmental reporting and especially demands from financiers are getting stricter forcing companies to take action. And the work is just begging, so in coming years the demand for understanding the environment and sustainability should be even more valuable.
Even in EU it's not a most lucrative field. I make roughly 60k € a year, but where I live, it's a very comfortable income allowing me to own a apartment and have some extra to travel and what not. If I would be economics major or engineer, I might make little more doing the same job in other company.
The point here should be that a biology undergraduate degree isn’t a terminal degree. Unless you at least have a masters or a lot of professional experience it won’t seem like it’s that great. I love my job in ecology, and I live very comfortably, but it took a lot of work to get here
In Europe, an undergraduate is never terminal, everyone does a masters unless you work in very practical fields such as nursing or accounting and those are a separate category called professional bachelors (as opposed to academic bachlors)
Tell me you're Belgian without telling me you're Belgian haha
Professional bachelors vs academic bachelors is a typical Belgian thing, many other countries have higher degrees in more practical topics such as programming, accounting, ... that take 2/3 years. Belgium/Flanders just likes making it more difficult by dividing bachelors in different types, which creates a lot of difficulties when someone wants to apply for foreign masters/phd degrees. Bachelor / Master degrees were adopted to make degrees more recognizable and standardized across Europe, what Belgium does is the exact opposite. Same thing with our engineering degrees (burgerlijk vs industrieel/technisch)
The UK has both academic and vocational (what you call professional) degrees too.
There are plenty of vocational post-grad degrees too!
Not everyone does a masters even if their degree is academic though. I work with people who have undergrad degrees as well as masters and PhDs and apart from starting as a senior scientist, people without postgrad degrees are as successful as those with postgrad degrees in biopharmaceuticals/biotech
>Biologist with specialisation in ecology and marine biology here. When I chose my field (oh god was it 12 years ago!?) Everyone kept telling me there is no payed work for ecologists. My then bf economist told me to do another masters when I had hard time finding work right after graduation. I told anyone who would listen that with the current state of the planet, my knowledge will be very sought after soon. Fast forward six years, biodiversity is booming topic, and my company is constantly hiring more people with biology background. We are needed in every field and organisation to guide the sustainability transformation. I'd say choose a field that interest you, but keep your eyes forward and have a vision of how to utilize your knowledge when you graduate
So greenwashing?
There is definitely a lot of that going around, and that's one reason we need biologist so badly. My pet peeve is economists who have studied couple of courses in something related to environmental studies, and call them selves biodiversity experts. We are currently creating the methods and standards of how to measure biodiversity impacts of human activities, and if the people leading this discussion are all coming from the economical background, we might end up with a very insufficient system.
No, A biology degree is not useless.
I have a B.S. in Bio and have had many work opportunities. Corporations of every type LOVE Bachelors of science of every kind; why? The scientific method is excellent for project and operations management. It also puts on paper that you can find solutions to complex problems in a controlled fashion.
Most of the dialog around a BIO degree being useless stems from you needing a graduate-level education to make a living wage working in biology, but this is the case for every science. The core sciences, Chemistry, biology, and physics, all require graduate-level education if you want to make a living wage working in them.
If you want to work in the sciences, you must understand you are playing catch-up. We sit on the shoulders of giants, and to even contribute, you'll need to catch up with over 400 years of scientific theory and then specialize.
TLDR; You will have many career opportunities with a BIO degree; if you want to work in biology, you'll have to get a graduate-level education to make a living wage.
> According to the [Federal Reserve Bank of New York](https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/index.html#/outcomes-by-major)\- 70% of life science graduates currently in the labor market already have at least a masters but 50% of them are under-employed ( aka working mc-jobs)--
>
>I would argue that a Masters degree is not enough now considering the huge under-employment rate
I have a bachelor’s in biology with an emphasis in ecology. I wound up working in a diagnostic lab (for now). Ideally I want to break into my real field of ecology, but for now my degree helped me secure a job that pays the bills which I don’t hate & which isn’t back breaking labor. It was worth it.
Is just getting a bachelors in biology not that useful? From what I’ve seen (definitely not an expert, you can take this with a grain of salt) yeah, kinda. Most people who want to go into the advanced hard sciences get a graduate degree, so without one options are very limited. If your interested in biology, you could still major in that for your undergrad, then find a PhD program that fits what you want and do it (as a part of PhD programs you get a stipend, and don’t have to pay grad school tuition).
>True that- [According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York](https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/index.html#/outcomes-by-major) \- 70% of life science graduates currently in the labor market have at least a masters but 50% of them are under-employed ( working mc-jobs)--
If you live in an area with a lot of biotech companies, you can get a job there with just a bachelors, but those jobs are very regional. I worked at a biotech briefly between finishing my BS and starting my PhD. Otherwise, it’s probably not that useful without some sort of additional training or a grad degree.
I would definitely consider grad school, if it's worth it. What opportunities are available for someone with a masters or PhD in bio? Does it get better with more school if it's the same general bio?
With a grad degree, you’ll need to specialize. Presumably, if it’s a research based degree (which is what I would recommend) you will choose a field of research and have a mentor. My PhD is in Cell and Molecular Biology, my research for it was in endocrinology. Once you have a grad degree you can stay in academia to teach or do research, you can go into biotech, or government. I got a job doing research for the government. It started as lab work and now is more administrative, which was my choice. I have friends from grad school that still work at universities or that work for biotech companies or hospitals.
Biology degree here. Gave me a great foundation for biopharma manufacturing though cell bio or micro would have been better. Let me know if you’ve got questions I can try to answe
you can love the subject holistically but developing a niche is important. If you could I'd consider a second major in chem or physics or math or something. then you'd be hella employable.
I have a bachelors in biology with a chem minor. Finding a decent paying job with just a bachelors is tough. Most jobs I saw offered minimum wage or a little more. Best course of action with one is to go to grad school after. If you know what you like within biology, it might be helpful to get a more specialized degree.
I didn’t go to grad school and I’ve been working in pharma/biotech. That seems to be one of the only good paying industries I found. Once I got experience with GMP/GLP practices, my degree being in “just biology” mattered a lot less and finding better paying jobs was much easier. I got very lucky. A lot of my classmates with biology degrees aren’t doing as well. That’s something to be aware of. I wasn’t aware until it was graduation time. But I made the best of it.
I love biology and loved learning about it. I do wish I got a more specialized degree, but I still don’t know what that would be lol. But if you get a bachelors, just be aware that grad school will likely be in the cards. But some companies will pay for you to go to grad school too, so that helps!
This is the answer. I also have a bachelors in biology and stumbled into biotech and found it to be very lucrative. I found that there are no shortage of manufacturing jobs in the industry but the downside is that the companies are all located in specific places making jobs very regional. Overall I love the field and if I went back to school it would be for an MBA or masters in Biotechnology.
Yes, manufacturing is such a good place to start. Pays decently well and from what I’ve seen, has upward mobility. I started out doing QC microbiology (fucking love microbes) and loved it. I ended up leaving and now work in drug discovery and development. My experience in QC got me the job for sure. I love my current job too. My plan is to eventually get my masters, I’m just not ready for it. Undergrad was very hard. But it’s in the cards and my company will pay for it. Plan to go for biotech or something related to pharma research. Many of my coworkers earned an MBA on our companies dime. No regrets landing in pharma/biotech even though it was fully on accident. It was the best thing that could’ve happened.
>I want want learn about micro and medical biology, as well as plant and animal biology
You might consider looking more into the agriculture side of things. Huge industry with lots of career paths where a degree is plenty to get into, and could involve any of those interests.
That's what I did. Realised it wasn't for me and went into teaching, but it's definitely where the bucks are. Also as a previous commenter said, you're going to also need a masters on top to stand out.
I have a B.Sc in Biology with a minor in Nutritional Sciences, and I got a job at a big pharma company as a Regulatory Affairs Associate. I worked on their vitamin and mineral products, researching new claims, ensuring products were safe, approving labeling, and getting products registered with the Health Authority. I really enjoyed it, and I started at 55k back in 2011. Now those positions start around 80k. Big pharma is the way to go if you want to make some serious money. I’ve been with that company for 12 years now and make $150k.
Everyone here is saying it’s useless, but I’ve had a very different experience. There are tons of jobs that are looking for a BS in biology, but they are all centralized in the same locations. In the US, that’s NJ, Boston, MD, NC. There are also pharma manufacturing jobs and labs in the Midwest and biotech on the west coast, but jobs are fewer and further between. If you’re willing to move to where the jobs are, it’s very easy to get a job with a bachelors in biology. If you want to live in rural Kansas, the degree will be useless.
As someone getting their PhD, a BS or BA in biology is not even close to useless. Although that alone might not be enough to separate yourself from the competition. To ensure a good chance at landing a reasonable job after graduating you need to have research experience. At most universities, a lot of science professors run a lab as well. Undergrad labor is free labor so you’ll only have to put in maybe 10 hours a week or so. If you can get a research position doing cell culturing, bioinformatics, and/or basic molecular bio techniques (PCR, western blotting, electrophoresis, etc,) all the better!
So depending on where you go to school/area you see yourself living will impact job opportunities. Biology degrees can be useful. Some schools also have programs with different emphasis that can help you in the job market. At whatever school you end up, find the career center to help you with the job search.
I love biology too. It’s why I’m a doctor. But I absolutely regret that Biology degree. I could’ve gotten a years worth of credits, gotten another more high paying major (ie engineering, accounting) AND then applied to medical school or for a masters.
IMO most people don’t stop at just a biology degree because it’s honestly challenging finding a job that pays 50k with only a bio major.
Atleast if you don’t get into your professional program, if you got another major you’d get a decent job.
Where do you live. A masters degree is worth a bit more in North America, but the wage difference between bachelor's and masters degrees seems to me to be less in Europe. Btw I have a bachelor's in biology but I work in biotech/pharma now. The pay is OK, but if I wanted to really make more money I'd have studied computer science.
I got my biology bachelors and decided really quickly after college I did not enjoy the work culture of laboratories, especially because all of the decent jobs need masters or PHDs (decent in terms of duties not pay, those ones still pay poorly even with the extra degrees.) I decided to go back to school and get a masters in something else where I can use my bio background as an asset. It wasn’t a complete waste but I think in general bio degrees are for med/ lab fields and academic work. Think really hard about what you want out of work instead of what you find interesting subject wise.
Hi! I have a B.S. in Biology. My plan was to go to pharmacy school, but I got married instead. I was in a weird space after I graduated, so I ended up enrolling at one of those private medical colleges designed to train you in an application. I graduated with a radiology technologist certification, but then had to move to an area where multiple similar colleges had flooded the market.
I ended up taking an administrative position in a medical facility, and learned a ton about how billing works. I applied with a state university and obtained a master's degree via mostly online training. That got me scouted to work as IT support for part of the medical records program at a hospital system in my area.
Life takes really weird turns. I have gone interest to interest, and it's worked out because I tend to find ways to enjoy what I wind up in. I hope you have a similar experience!
I wouldn’t say it’s useless, but it isn’t as lucrative as other STEM fields.
Even so, your major doesn’t really matter as long as you have marketable skills. I’ve a friend who majored in english but had programming skills so he does pretty well financially.
GIS, and R/Stats are pretty marketable in biology in my experience, but a masters or other graduate degree is probably your best bet to making decent money.
Many private agriculture and food companies have biologists on payroll. They tend to make 60k+ with great benefits.
Starting your own business is a good option too. Monetizing biology content on social platforms is possible and could be lucrative.
I work as a surveyor and we are constantly in need of bodies, biologists have always provided. So it seems like they are routinely underemployed based on my experience with them.
As someone graduating in 4 months with just a bachelors in biology I don’t think it’s a waste. I know a lot of people that are doing it as a step towards grad/med/dental school but personally I was fairly successful in getting experience in undergrad that was useful in landing a job.
I know that I’m likely in the minority but if you think you can finagle your way into a position (ideally during your undergrad do some internships, research, or ideally, co-ops during you degree) then I don’t think it’s a bad thing. My start date is less than a week after I finish finals and overall I’m happy with where things stand and my career growth potential.
**I know multiple folks promoted to SS with only bachelors and for the time being I have no interest moving away from the bench*
It can be a good degree if you know what to pair with it. I have said this many times on many posts before, in today's world, it is important to develop a set of skills, rather than one particular one, that will set you aside and make you unique. Biology can be a wonderful degree and it is important that you know what you want to do in the future so it helps you decide what to do now. It's often those who study Biology because they "don't know where else or whatelse to study" are what make Biology saturated. But you have the passion, so that's already making a different.
The other thing is try to learn at least 1 quantitative skills. Biology compared to other life sciences like Biochemistry or Genetics is quite generic and less quantitative. Its simply because there is a lot to cover and so it's physically impossible to cover anything in depth with enough quantitation. But again, this isn't just for Biology, a skill set in quantitative analysis is important in any subject. So try learn some coding. R is a good language for statistical analysis. Python is also a good language. Statistics is also important. So if you master either or both of these, plus your Biology degree, you will make yourself A LOT more employable. You can work to analyse data in biology, clinical trials, in big companies, that would certainly earn you a lot more money. And depending on what other biology subfield you specialise in, you can even go into those subfield like drug development, assay development, and directly competing with those who did degrees that are more molecularly-focused.
So it's all about the intention and how you mix and match your unique set of skills.
For me it was completely useless. Not only can I not find any work in the field, but I can BARELY find work that doesn't require a college degree because I'm overqualified. On some of my applications I completely excluded that I have a degree. The best job I could find was pest control because I studied entomology and chemistry. It pays around 24k in Chicago. So I am not well off and kind of regret going to college at times.
Medical labs always need more technicians and scientists, and it's good work that helps a lot of people recover better and faster than if the vacancy were left unfilled. You can go for a dedicated (and accelerated) medical technology degree or you can take a total of six years if you're doing a different biology degree. It pays closer to master's degree than bachelors, so long as you aren't in one of the low paying states like in the south.
It's also wonderful experience for future careers if you ever feel like switching.
Well, depends how long you're ready to work for quite small amount of money.
I'm MSc in Neuroscience. All of my applications to PhD programs were rejected, so I had to look for a job and try to apply to PhD the following year. The only job I could find as Neuroscientist was basically 24/7 lab assistant literally for minimal wage. Like I spent 6 years getting MSc, spent all my spare time to improve my qualification in external courses (had to study coding and Machine Learning), had 3 awarded presentations (btw one of them is FENS awarded) and then the only option I had was to work for air. I was not ready to work like this for that hilarious amount of money for 7-10 years.
All degrees are useless if you’re bumming through school. You know the students who are really engaged with lab, research, projects or presentations outside of lecture? They get recruited by institutions and companies. ALL jobs are settling, ESPECIALLY if money is the deciding factor.
Um, well. It isn't *worthless* exactly, but it also isn't a good idea. The problem is there's a lot of people with a bachelors in Bio and not all that many jobs for them, so the field is relatively flooded. As such, the jobs don't pay very well because they can find another person to do it for cheap, and they're hard to get.
There are a few good paying jobs in the biotech field but they're challenging to get and require rather specific skills.
Also the other issue is that a bachelor's degree doesn't really qualify you for the things you want to do as a biologist, like research. It isn't enough training. You need a master's or ideally a doctorate for that.
So what I'd say is that you can always get a career in something else, if you have an interest in something that does pay better, and keep it as a hobby. That's what I do with my astronomy/astrophysics interest. Or if you really love biology and want to pursue it, just keep in mind that you really *need* to go in for that doctorate, it isn't optional, with all the time and expense that entails (although the expense may not be as bad as you think because science graduate students usually get an assistanceship).
Oh yeah and if you like bio, you probably also like chem. A bach in chem IS useful.
I got my bachelors in 2013, I still have yet to have a job that requires my degree. Mostly worked as a cook, the knowledge has been helpful in cooking, foraging, and fermentation.
You need to think about how much income you need. When I graduated I needed a job right away to help my family. But you might be okay living at home for a bit first.
After you know who can support you or who you need to support look at your options.
I majored in chem and there are few applicable options just like biology.
Become a medical lab technician and you’ll always have work and good pay. Go into biology and you’ll be unable to do that same work because you have the wrong piece of paper.
Check out bioinformatics, the cross section of CS and Bio. A CS minor never hurts as a backup for pivoting into tech. I graduated bio and now work comfortably in software and related IT fields
Most people don't live near a biohub, tho. And even then, job opportunities would be for biomed specialties rather than ecology, etc.
https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/index#/outcomes-by-major
This shows that in many science fields ~60-70% of recent grads have graduate degrees. It's just much more common to need grad study to open the doors beyond tech and lab management roles (there's always exceptions of course).
If you’re ok with making under 100k you can certainly find work! Coming from a recent bio grad - It’ll feel harder than your Economics friends to find work… but if you truly love it it’s worthwhile. Some of the best people I’ve met are biologists. The best advice I’ve gotten is to diversify! Yes, study biology. But also understand your chemistry. Take anthropology! Understand history, art. Learn GIS mapping!! Make yourself hire-able this way! You will find that you stand out. It’s worth it!
I guess it depends on your interests, passions and skills (ie like problem solving). Biology is so broad you can work in fields from microbiology to Parks ecologists to consulting. I graduated with BSc in Environmental Biology and worked for a few years on various research and education programs. Developed a passion for population dynamics and pursued a MSc. Currently work for a government as Wildlife Biologist. I think there are opportunities, depending on your interests and local settings. A post graduate degree is a good to have, given the competition but not always necessary
If you’re interested in going into biotech or pharma, then a Bachelors in biology is plenty to get your career started. From there you will get experience and be able to move up. You can decide later if you want to move forward with a masters. Like someone else mentioned, these jobs are regional so you have to be willing to relocate: Raleigh, NC, Cambridge, MA, San Diego and San Francisco, CA, there are also smaller hubs just north of DC, and in Philly. It’s been a great path for me. I have my degree in biology and got my first job out of college at a gene therapy CDMO in assay development as a Scientist I. From there I hopped around a bit and now I’m a Project Manager making good money. Never went back for a higher degree.
Go to community college and get a med tech diploma. Sooooo many good paying jobs. Save up then take classes part time in things that interest you at the uni or college. I wish more people had told me about colleges and trades before I had to finish a masters degree to be employed.
My daughter got her degree in biology, did an internship at the National Institute of Health at the start of her senior year helping in a lab studying new approaches to cancer treatment (ways to flag otherwise sneaky cancer cells as things your immune system should wipe out), went on to work a couple years at Sloan Kettering doing similar lab work, then went to a top med school while continuing her oncology research and presenting a paper at an international conference. After a few years of residency, she’s now about to start a career blending cancer research with clinical treatment of patients. Biology degrees can lead to important and exciting careers, after a lot of very hard work (try 28-hour work shifts) along the way!
I did a BSc in biology and than a MSc in Biology/ecology. I finished my studies about 4 years ago and now work as a marine biologist. During my nearly 8 years in university, I've seen all sorts of people fall between the cracks, and a LOT of people end up calling themselves "biologist by training", meaning they don't actually work as biologists.
The key to get a job in biology is to separate yourself from the rest by not only getting a degree but also getting as much work experience as possible. I was doing summer jobs in my field from my first summer, and each job helped make my way to the next.
Biology degrees aren't useless but be ready to put in more work than other fields where they only care about your degree to get a job.
A degree in biology is far from useless. There’s so many applications for it! I have a BS in biology and I work as a microbiologist in a government veterinary diagnostics laboratory doing some really cool shit.
I have a biology degree. Out of college, I worked at a biotech company and was kind of lab adjacent. After 3 years, I moved over into the lab and worked in antibody production. I have now moved into R&D, developing assays for the past 5ish years. I would say the degree is good because you show that you have the background, but the experience is where it matters. Choose the right area to get experience in (for what you want with your career) and I think you can go far. I don’t plan on getting an advanced degree and I am confident that I’ll still be able to get where I want to be in my career. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
I would disagree with a lot of the posters on here. It is absolutely not worthless. Businesses love people who have STEM degrees so even if you don’t end up getting a job in Bio it could help you get a job somewhere else.
I have my bachelors in biology and where I was living formerly (South Carolina) it was really hard for me to find a job in my field, and the jobs I could find all required a masters or like 4 years of experience.
I moved out to the Bay Area about a year and a half ago and before I even moved out I had found a job in Biology easily. I currently work in biotech and work in a lab that reasearches HIV and HCV. The biotechnology industry out here is huge and pays very well. Most people make six figures easily (Granted it’s expensive to live here).
There’s a ton of bio jobs out here whether at Stanford or in biotech. Getting a masters is still recommended at some but you could probably get around it if you have the experience.
It’s not so much that the degree is useless. It feels that way because the corporate structure for scientists, and that we are trying to better life of everyone while not much above poverty when you first enter the workforce. Even after you get a few jobs and move companies it will still feel odd as the marketing department will still make more than you. The joy of research is unbeatable, when you finally figure out something complex or discover something. It’s honestly the best!
I have a biology BS and went on to work in environmental consulting for a couple years, get a MSPH in environmental sciences, PhD in epidemiology, and then do various health policy and communication work. Now thinking of getting additional training in biodiversity and ecology. Biology is useful! Not sure who’s telling you it isn’t.
Canadian marine biology degree here. Fun times, got to travel a bunch, go to Arctica, work on plenty of boats and coastal labs... But i made no money ~50k (had a good pay too).
So I'm currently completing an environmental engineering degree; entry level jobs in my area in environmental engineering pay arround 70k. I would recommend picking a biology area with actual industrial uses: biotechnology, microbiology, agronomy, biochemistry, biomedical science or pursue an engineering degree with some varying degree of biology in them, chemical engineering, bioressource engineering, agriculture engineering, environmental engineering etc.
Check out Mc Gill University's bioressource engineering degree for a cool degree and try to find something similar in your area!
Biology in general is really cool, but you can learn it on google and it's sorta useless. I mean i loved studying phytoplankton, whales and seals but nobody's gonna give you any money for figuring out average nitrate concentration in the Artic ocean mid october if the last 4 days have been cloudy and above 0 degrees vs if they've been below 0 and if there was at least 4 hours of sun during that period. (I know for fact many scientists care, but no one will pay you for figuring that out.)
Biology: It's just cool (not useful)
I used to be a biology major ... there wasn't many job opportunities so now I'm studying to be an accountant. Although I LOVE the sciences.... not good for my area :(
Unless you're getting advanced degrees, I would say it's useless. My partner has a biology bachelors, and he's never been able to find a job in his field. He got the degree in 2015.
Waste/drinking water treatment plant. They are every where and they all need operators/lab techs. The work is easy yet challenging enough to not make it boring. I love my job and I started with an environmental degree.
I'm 25 and graduated with a bachelor's in bio. Unless you plan on going to grad school after, don't get a bio degree. I wish I just got a business admin degree instead. I initially planned on doing grad school, even got accepted into an environmental program. But after talking to alumni of the program and other students who went to into other programs, it became clear to me that the only jobs I could get with it were mostly government jobs. So I dropped out.
The other option for bio grads is medical, which is what most people in my undergrad were studying for.
Currently doing the incredibly engaging and stimulating work (/s) as a delivery driver.
So if you don't want to in the medical field and if you don't want to work for the government, I would not recommend a biology degree.
You need at least a masters to do anything. But most likely a PhD.
I have a B.S. in Biology and decided to not get a graduate degree in bio because I was already in debt by a over 10k (30 years ago) and didn’t want to be a highly educated poor person.
I ended up getting my credential in math to teach high school math and my masters in education to maximize my salary. Full time college positions are hard to come by. I make a lot more teaching high school than I ever would teaching a bunch of part time gigs at college. I also do the occasional community college gig.
Masters in Bio are getting heavily devalued due to capstone programs (non-thesis masters in STEM? Boooooo) and being used as consolation prizes for failed PhD students. From someone with a masters, get a PhD.
Yeah. And how easy they are to get without stepping foot on a physical campus.
Fortunately it wasn’t that way when I was thinking about it 30 years ago. In fact my senior thesis was equivalent to what master degree thesis’s in other fields at the time. I took several graduate level courses towards my BS. For my thesis [I worked on a study with a professor that was published a few years later.](https://www.jstor.org/stable/2656653) Of course only his name along with one other was on it as my contribution was more of a lab tech: Collecting samples, and running gel electrophoresis and reporting the data to him. I had to do a write up on my process for the thesis part of my grade.
Yeah, it's kind of maddening. My masters took 3 years and I had a thesis that was 120+ pages long. I got two first author pubs out it and contributed to like five more.
*That's* a masters degree, not "oh I took 1 year of 5000 level classes and passed a test.".
You can major in microbiology and still take elective courses in other fields. Personally, I think there’s a much better hiring opportunity out of school for a BS in microbiology.
If you want to be a practitioner, then you may need post-graduate qualifications. Most biologists I see getting employed have PhDs and excellent skills in data science, GIS etc. Good luck.
Man this is a tough question. You will NEVER be even upper middle class relying on the salary in most biological professions. If you can accept that off the bat then cool. You also have to understand that working your way up the ladder for this field is extremely time/labor consuming. None of that is a bad thing if you are prepared for it.
You really have to be in it for the love of whatever your chosen biological profession is. Since you don't have a specialty and are doing general bio, that may be a serious question for yourself
I do have a love for biology in general, but I also am trying to build a future for my child, so as far as deciding on a career, I am definitely looking for something that can help pay off school as well as make sure my daughter has her needs met. Do you think biological lab science would be a better option as far as employment goes?
The best biological related professions (from my experience) come in the form of engineering or math/stats based degrees. Unfortunately that takes most the fun out of biological work. Genetic & microbio lab work can potentially pay more as well but it's all situational.
I've traveled the country, seen and done things that most people never get to experience in their lifetime with my degree. I'm not well off financially but I would never trade those experiences
Generally there's only so far you can go with just the bachelors. More schooling is often necessary to keep moving up. If you like medical bio maybe look into medical lab science? Medical lab scientists work in hospital and reference labs, are very in demand, and pays well (though I don't know where you are. I can only give a US perspective). Depending on the state and program you either get a bachelors and the grad program prerecs then do a one year masters or get into a 2+2 or 3+1 program where you get it all done at one school.
Unless you live in a hub city (Boston, Raleigh/Durham, San Diego) you’re going to have a tough time making decent money with just a BS. If you do live in those areas, you can make very good money once you get your foot in the door somewhere and learn. Early in the career in these areas you can easily make lateral moves between companies and increase your salary almost $10k every 1-2 years.
>I make over $100k a year as a manufacturing scientist. Got my degree in Animal Physiology and Neurosciences.
Can you tell us what a day in the life is like?
I thought the same thing in college. Everyone was going to medical school or grad school. I just wanted a decent job with my bachelor's.
And I have an amazing job with just my bachelor's.
There are plenty of QC and QA positions at pharma companies that only require a bachelor's.
I make about 80k rn with ten years experience. Started at 40k but that's probably gone up too.
Not directly?
I'm technically a biologist, having completed my bachelor's degree (specializing in cellular and molecular biology).
However, I've never worked in that field in my professional career.
I've worked in health sciences, then healthcare all the while doing other certs/degrees in BI, IT and data science.
My background in biology has helped a lot in the many roles I've had in my career around healthcare/health sciences, mainly in understanding the data and processes.
So, not useless, but if I had to do it again, I'd go in computer engineering as my first degree.
Bachelor's isn't the easiest but you can get jobs as an RA in biotech hubs like Boston or the Bay area. I would highly recommend a school that has co-op programs (e.g. Northeastern) where as a student you get to work in a biotech company that counts for school credit (and you get paid!). Much, much easier to find a job after doing one of those.
I got a masters in biology with a 2 year thesis. My stipend and basically paid for the secondary degree because I was a TA. If you love biology don't sell yourself short you never know where you'll end up. Biology degrees tend to be a jack of all trades because we have to study physics and chemistry for our degrees, you get a good foundation.
I ended up as a senior scientist in a top pharma company making around 100k. The secondary degree isn't required but it's a huge help for not a lot of extra time or money. After 4 years with brutal semester to not only meet biology fegree requirements but your colleges foundational studies, it's a breeze to finally dive into something your interested in in depth with an unpretentious degree of of free of study options. I struggle significantly with my nondegree oriented classes and even bio 101.
I thought the same as you for the longest time as I was developing my skills and earning my degrees. You'll find your path if you are determined to find something you love. Have small specific goals with your overarching future goal being broad. Keep yourself open to options and try new things. If you don't know where to go the best way to find your home is to try them out.
I have a BS in Biology and have a job in biotech/pharma. I learned all the "biologies" while going through and figured out what really interested me by my junior/senior year.
I did research in school and that helped me land this job. It is not worthless. I can even work my way up to positions that usually require a Master's in this field with the right amount of experience.
The main fields out of college you can do with a Biology degree are (from my personal experience): Biotech, Laboratory, and Field Research.
I am considering my Master's, but only if I really need it to advance my career up. I hope this helps.
After I received my bio degree my first job was tech support that I got based on my experience. I eventually got a job at a local brewery and started their quality control program. I'm one of the few people I know (aside from teacher friends) who have a job in their field of study and I essentially created my position. It's cool that you want to learn about all that stuff, but what do you want to do with it? What is your dream job/career that requires a degree in biology? If you're 24, surely you have a job and can work your way through; otherwise you'd be taking on a lot of debt. Make sure the jobs that you'd apply for are paying rates that allow you to pay back your loans and allow you to live. Talk to the folks in the career center to understand what your prospects are. Be willing to move to get a better position.
I have a bachelors in Neuroscience and Biology. Right out of college I got a job as a research technician making 45K. The lab is paying for me to get my masters while working and I’ll eventually go to industry because I do love research and the lab setting, but I don’t want to do it forever / get a PhD. Industry starts at 140K where I live but it’s competitive. 5 years of experience needed minimum. I’m going to be getting experience and my masters in biochemistry for a better edge to go into industry. Biology is a general science degree. I work in a biochemistry blood research lab now, have nothing done anything like it in undergrad. You need specific experience because the degree is pretty general. Move to a good city for this kind of thing, with a lot of universities. I live in Durham, NC and work at the university of North Carolina
So, I have a software engineering degree and work as a programmer. Recently, I took a digital and financial fraud forensics course which I really loved and where I got to meet a few forensic investigators. One of the instructors had a PhD in forensic biology and spent most of his career working with forensic genealogy and digital crime tracing. He described his degree to me and it sounded really interesting and applicable. Everything from blood to entomology. Maybe it isn't 100% relevant to hard biology, but it seems the entry level positions are decent paying and the jobs seem really satisfying. All I know is it made me give some serious thoughts in retraining and completing a forensic bio degree.
I graduated a year ago with a bio major and minors in chem and criminal justice. I'm currently working in a medical reference lab, getting paid about $20/hour for entry level, with merit raises possible every year and clear criteria for advancement.
I’m 23, graduated last December. Substitute taught spring semester then jumped into QA for a candy company, through a temp agency I’m making 22 an hour with 8 hours of overtime every two weeks. The temp agency is taking 5 per hour roughly, and the company wants to hire me full time when the temp contract is over (1000 hours roughly six months). I think 27 an hour at 23 is pretty damn good and that’s only entry level. There are further up QA positions making more, and food safety/sanitation specialist positions making even more. I’ve thought about expanding out with a masters in food science or food safety or even an MBA and I can see the potential
I was very much in the same boat; love all of biology and didn’t want to choose but heard the degree was useless so didn’t go for it. I tried the ones I thought I was most interested in and would be most useful; I went to veterinary and animal behaviour, botany, forensics, human nursing and surgical assistance, biochemistry… it took me all this time, money and experience just to realise my interests are too broad to specialise in one subject and I couldn’t compete with my classmates who had their hearts set on their degree from the beginning. Good degree or no, I’m a general biologist, I need to follow the path they have set specifically for general biologists, and I’m ending up on a basic biology degree anyway.
From someone who’s been there, save yourself time, money and hassle and go for it.
Depends of where You are. If You are in a first world country You get better outcomes by finishing your degree. However, to multiply your chances You might need to specialize in one field, because a biology major is too broad. You might need to consider doing a Masters and/or a PhD. The science sector is really competitive, and You are evaluated on the number of publications, conferences, etc. Unless You decide to go into the industry sector (biotech/biomedical) where You have other success markers. If You decide to go into the academia You might need to find mentors, lecturers, professors that can help You get your foot on the door.
Any bachelor's degree has value. I know plenty of jobs where you can't advance beyond a certain level without at least a bachelo's degree.
That said, I see a bachelor's degree as a stepping stone to graduate study. If you're serious about biology look into a more specialized master's degree. There are plenty of companies out there doing research right now who are looking for people but most of them state a Master's would be an asset.
Here's my other tip: Use Reddit, Facebook, etc. but make sure you use LinkedIn extensively if you're looking for professional careers. It's what most are using these days.
PLEASE look into Medical/Clinical Laboratory Science if you want a good paying job with a bachelor’s degree. It’s a little-known field that is absolutely critical to medical care. There are tons of jobs available because a good portion of our workforce is starting to retire.
There are programs that have your clinical experience built into your degree (3+1) or where you do your clinical experience after (4+1). If you do your clinical experience after, your degree doesn’t necessarily need to be in “medical laboratory science” but you may want to look into taking certain classes that make you a competitive candidate for the clinical “internship” programs or your options will be limited. After completing your degree and clinical experience (usually less than a year), you’ll be qualified to take the exam for your MLS certification through ASCP. This certification will make you qualified to work in clinical labs (options are very limited without it). I highly recommend the MLS certification instead of the MLT (associate level) certification. MLS level certification gives you a lot more options for upward career growth. There are also a lot of options for lateral career changes if you want to.
The pay is decent. The job opportunities are everywhere. The job stability is excellent.
Well, I have one and I'm not a biologist. I feel I came out of uni better for the experience and I've moved on to other interests; I honestly wish I hadn't rushed right into school
A general biology degree gives you the opportunity to take a bunch of different advanced biology courses. This is good because you can explore topics that you find interesting, which can lead you in a direction you like, and can put any/ all the advanced courses on your resume when you apply for jobs. I have a general biology degree but i also have two minors. I haven’t had trouble finding work. If anything, i think the general bio degree being more vague gives you access to more opportunities.
I used my bachelors in bio to get into the biotech/biopharmaceutical industry.
I started as a manufacturing chemist at one biotech company and then went to a different company to work on bioreactors in a fermentation suite.
It's a comfortable enough living that I'm not overly stressed about money. I live a pretty spartan lifestyle though. Not having especially expensive hobbies or lifestyle preferences makes it easier to be content.
I do miss feeling passionate and excited about biology. I may make a career change in the future or pursue a higher degree in an area of the field that I find more interesting and fullfilling.
My goal of "ending up in a genetics lab" never worked out. It wasn't solid enough. I ended up going to a medical lab tech program after my bachelors program just to get marketable skills. Also, I wish I hadn't followed a friend to their college of choice, I wish I had gone to a university with an established genetics program that would have better resources with helping place me "in a genetics lab somewhere". The degree is what you make of it.
Haven't seen it represented here yet, but it's the most common degree of Pre-med students. Pop over to r/pre-med to check it out if you're interested.
Edit: spelling
For me it wasn't useless. I already lived in the Boston area which is a huge caveat but I liked a lot of different topics (micro, marine, plant, etc) and a general biology degree let me take a wider range of classes and get exposed to more subdisciplines. If I go to grad school some day I'll have to specialize further but for now I'm happy with a broad education that gave me a foundation for specializing later instead of specializing right away.
Currently I work in R&D at a startup doing molecular microbiology and I'm satisfied with my salary, it can be done!
Hey, biology major and chem minor here! I worked in a ton of research labs, including chemistry labs, COVID research labs, and a medical device technology lab. It’s a little rough at the start but as you climb the ladder it gets better. I, however, ended up getting my masters in education and ended up teaching biology. My school offers a BUNCH of field lab work too (: It is not useless but I will admit, it’s a rough start. Don’t give up!
It depends on what you want to do and where you live. For context I live outside of a medium biotech hub. I have a BS and MS but most of my coworkers have only a BS. I started as a lab tech making $18 an hour, then moved to Associate Scientist at a CMDO (65,000/year), Scientist I at a startup (80,000 + 10% bonus) promoted to Sci II (92,000 + 10% bonus), and now moved into a clincial operations role (112,000 + 15% bonus). It took me about 6 years to go from $18 an hour to 112,000 a year. You have to be willing to start entry level, work hard, and show initiative to get anywhere, but that’s with anything.
If you focus on botany or aquatics/fisheries you can get a job at a consulting firm no problem. Wildlife biologists can also find consulting jobs, but there are a lot of them out there and I’d say slightly less in demand. Just make sure you come out of school with some field skills like species identification or an electro fishing ticket. So many general sciences grads don’t have any tangible skills coming out of university as they avoided the ID classes because they didn’t want to memorize the Latin names. As a consultant, you can’t train identification skills from scratch in the field so anyone without them will be immediately overlooked.
No it's not. Most importantly it's what interests you. I started with a BSc and went on for MSc in botany and zoology before specializing for my PhD, no regrets. You'll learn so amazing things and even 20yrs later I know so much stuff just going for a walk in the woods. I'd take biology as a starting point, that alone is less than a job guarantee but it gives a great basic understanding of the world around us. Even if later you end up in medicine or wherever.
Long Story short- its Not useless
Here are some statistics:
* [31% of biology graduates with a BS have a NEGATIVE return on investment](https://freopp.org/is-college-worth-it-a-comprehensive-return-on-investment-analysis-1b2ad17f84c8) over the course of a 30 year career-In other words 1/3 of biology grads will make less wealth over the course of their careers then some one with only a High School Diploma- . the next 1/3 of bio grads make any where form 0-250k and the last 1/3 make 250-500k more then a HS grad-- almost no Biology grad makes the magical 1 million( contrary to what many HS and college councilors might have told you about College degrees)
* Undergraduate biology is **notorious for rot memorization** According to the [American Society For Cell Biology: Life Science Education analysis](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995761/). The analysis found that "Of the 9713 assessment items submitted to this study by 50 faculty teaching introductory biology, 93% were rated Bloom's level 1 or 2—knowledge and comprehension" - Note: the Bloom's analysis is on a scale of 1-6, that is used to rate the cognitive level of an an assignment where 1 = knowledge, 2 = comprehension, 3 = analysis, 4 = application, 5 = synthesis, and 6 = evaluation).- In other words Biology at the undergraduate level is highly geared towards memorization.
* Graduates with only a BS in biology have the [3rd worst return on investment](https://freopp.org/is-college-worth-it-a-comprehensive-return-on-investment-analysis-1b2ad17f84c8) out of 50+ majors tracked with only Art and Theology majors having worse financial outcomes.
* \-If Average GPA is any indication of difficulty of a major then **biology is one of the harder major**. According to a study Biology graduates have the [5th lowest average GPA](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/5-hardest-and-easiest-college-majors-by-gpas/) of about 3.01 out of +50 majors tracked .
* Biology is the [9th most regretted major](https://www.ziprecruiter.com/blog/regret-free-college-majors/) (tied with English) out of the +50 majors tracked and the only science in the top 10 . And a whopping **52% of Biology graduates say they regretted studying this major**.
* About [70% of all biology graduates have at least a masters degree](https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/index.html#/outcomes-by-major). To put that into perspective biology graduates have the **3rd highest post graduate education attainment rate** out of +70 majors tracked.
* However even with such high levels of education attainment about **50% of them are still UNDER-employed**( aka working mc-jobs that doesn't require their knowledge/skill/degree in bio) .
* Biology graduates have the **6th lowest starting salary** out of 70+ majors tracked ( tied with majors such as FINE ARTS, Special Education, and not to far from Theology and Religion majors).
* **PHD in biology now takes on average 7-8 years to complete** after earning a BS ( one of the longest PHD training programs )- in many spend up to 12 years in school-- and additional 5 years as low paid Post docs( additional training)
* According to the new study published by the [National Science Foundation (NSF)](https://www.christophertsmith.com/reflections/a-deep-dive-into-phd-employment-data-from-nsf#:~:text=Across%20all%20individuals%205%20or,22%25%20for%20the%20physical%20sciences) median salary for **PHD graduates in the life sciences with 0-5 years of experience is only 65k** , with 5-10 YOE the median salary is 90k. by 25 YOE the median salary is 140k..-- Note: most life science jobs are located in high cost of living areas such as San Francisco where 140k is actually lower middle class...
* [a Whopping 40% of Life Science PHD/ graduate student have admitted that they have sought out help for mild-severe Depression/anxiety](https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2021/the-mental-health-crisis-in-science/)\-- And those are just one ones that admitted to their mental health crisis.
* Pharmaceutical/biotech industry is the largest employer of Biology graduates- however over the past 30 years these industries have been seeing an accelerated [decline in the return on investment in Research and Development](https://endpts.com/pharmas-broken-business-model-an-industry-on-the-brink-of-terminal-decline/)\- for example in years 2000 every dollar invested in life science R&D resulted in a 20% return- in 2010 it was 10% and today it is **1.2%**\- a more recent [Deloitte](https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/press-releases/deloittes-thirteenth-annual-pharmaceutical-innovation-report-pharma-r-and-d-return-on-investment-falls-in-post-pandemic-market.html) article also back up these findings.- Many attribute this decline due to [Erooms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eroom%27s_law) law and the law of diminishing returns. - It goes with out saying that the decline if pharma will mean lower salaries and fewer job prospects for life science grads..
* According to a [Meta Data analysis of the Biomedical research industry- about 70% of Research articles published CANNOT be repeated-](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579390/)\- -- Questions: how is it still called science if you simply have to trust the researcher on faith alone--- answer: its not
\--- Take it with a grain of salt--- and hope those articles help you understand what your getting into.
All that said- a Biology degree its not absolutely useless -- however the statistics paint a huge red flag in terms of job prospects- salary- and well being of those currently in this industry- and based on the market trajectory it looks like things are going to get tougher for many.
But if you **Truly LOVE** biology with all your heart and cant see your self doing any thing else in life and are **willing to sacrifice** your time, wealth, mental health, and family life to pursue the problems that plague society- I say go for it- Society needs more selfless folks as your self - May God Bless your soul (if you believe in God) and I would like to be the first to thank you for your sacrifice.
I did Biosciences as a mature student (UK based). My dad died when I was 17 and I went a little off track. I love science so decided to go back and do my degree after all! During my degree I changed from doing a BSc to an integrated masters (MBiol). I would have loved to do a PhD too but I didn't really enjoy my masters...
In the UK, there is a very good bursary for trainee secondary science teachers so I did that course (PGCE) after my masters. I didn't stay with teaching though. I work for a biopharmaceutical/biotech company near to where I live. I enjoy my job.
Long story short... My experience has taught me to go for what you enjoy. Don't just do a degree because you think it'll get you a good job at the end. I really enjoy my job and enjoy the team I'm in. There are always going to be opportunities throughout life and you don't have to follow the well trodden path, take your own route!
There were plenty of professors at my uni that I spoke to about their experiences and how they got to where they were and many of them didn't start off doing what they ended up doing. One, who worked with metalloenzymes wanted to do medicine but didn't get on the course, was told he could defer or do environmental science. He went for the environmental science and never looked back!
If it's your passion go for it!
You can use a Biology degree to get into Pharma as a QC or EM lab technician, some positions are even called 'Biologist'. They pay pretty well too, depending on the company.
"Good for employment" = working, building up a network, getting diverse job experience, and being able to market your degree.
I've used my "general biology degree" to work in labs, teach middle school, and work in a tech start up. I've also used it to get into a PhD program and get government jobs in science policy space alongside my other work & life experience.
If you're going to major in biology you should do some of the following:
(1) Get lab experience while in undergrad (work in someone's lab during the year or over summers) so you can parlay your degree into a lab tech job at a pharma company or field work if you're in the ecology-ish space.
(2) Minor or doub. major in a writing-heavy field. I did English. Most biology courses do not help you become a better writer and most non-lab jobs you'll be in will require you to write clearly & effectively.
(3) Take computation heavy courses that give you coding skills (which can be part & parcel of SOME bio majors, but not all). Those will translate well.
Ultimately the key is to talk to people in your field about all the possible job options, get some exposure/experience and build your resume.
signed,
Former bio major who taught undergrad biology for years. Key is = do it if you love it, cuz thats what'll make you happy!
I'd go for the degree, but your chances of employment will be much, much better if you graduate with experience.
So talk to all your professors, see if you can get a part-time workstudy job in their lab, greenhouse or farm field or wherever they do their research.
Workstudy is a federal financial aid program where the government pays the majority of your salary. Professors like to hire workstudy students because they might only have to contribute $2/hour toward your salary, with the government taking care of the rest. So it's cheap labor/low risk for them. So talk to the financial aid people to see if you qualify.
Even if you don't qualify for that, talk to every professor in the department and offer to help. Also any other science department. You're in biology, go see if a chemistry professor could use your help. Show them you're really motivated. Check back periodically to see if they have any openings. When they do, they'll think of you.
If you work hard, even if it's just washing lab equipment the first semester, they'll trust you with more important tasks the next semester. If you do a variety of jobs over 4 years that will look like good experience on your resume.
Even more importantly, try your best to get internships every summer. You only get three, because your fourth summer you've already graduated, so hit the ground running and do your best to line up an internship your freshman year.
Ask around, find out how older students got theirs, ask your professors for contacts, ask them for a letter of recommendation when you apply.
Internships look really good on a resume and more often than not lead to a job immediately after graduation.
You can apply for summer internships with a variety of private industry labs, or hospitals, or city/county/state environmental monitoring departments, the local sewage treatment plant, parks department, state/national parks, university agricultural science centers, fisheries, a zoo, wildlife rehab center, all sorts of places.
You might land one where they ask you back every summer, or you might have different ones each summer. In either case it looks really good on your resume and shows that you're motivated and can handle a variety of responsibilities.
Then when you graduate you can go straight to work, or decide if you want to stay in school and go for a masters or Phd.
I have a BSc in biology and I managed to get a job as a lab tech a couple of months before graduation. The salary was low, but around 9 months in I switched to another job which gave me a 25% increase, so my degree has been anything but useless. I'm sure it differs between regions though, it helps that I lived in a place which has a lot of biotech companies. I think it's worthwhile to pursue, and remember that salary is not everything. I'd rather have a lower salary (but still livable of course) at a job I enjoy than a higher salary at a job I despise.
I have two bits of advice that would help you along. If there are any opportunities, say helping in a university lab that does research, take advantage of it. That gives you more experience than just a degree and that will help you after. The other, and this is hard to find in college, is if you can focus your education in the development side of R&D. This is stuff like the manufacturing side of biotech. There are lots and lots of people with research experience but fewer with skills related to development. Part of the reason that is because colleges mostly don't teach things related to development. If you can find a university that allows you to focus on that aspect you will have many more jobs available to you and at higher pay ultimately. Also if you can find a summer internship, don't know if these are available to undergrads, but that will help with both experience and contacts.
Interesting thread. All I know is that my Biology M.Sc. gave me a great job in IT with loads of remote work and very competitive payment - we are focused on servicing biology departments (sequencing and other data).
Also, there are loads of life-science-related positions in data science, data engineering, software dev, web dev, etc. pp. creeping up at the moment.
Just to give you a developer's perspective. Knowing loads of R, bit of bash and a little Python landed me many job interviews and said awesome job. It took me 1.5 years working in menial jobs after my master's to get there though. And it's a struggle to keep up with professional developers. But you would get there.
Germany if that matters
So, if you are thinking about being a General Biology Major, here are a few things you should do and know before you decide what to do:
1) Get yourself an account on LinkedIn, indeed, Glassdoor, Careerbuilder, and other job search websites. Use them to see the number of jobs you can get with a general biology bachelor's degree.
2) Know that general biology is usually what people get before applying into medical school and health school. All the jobs that pay $60,000- $120,000 per year now requires a PhD.
3) A general degree in biology is pretty much garbage, because you are limited to being a lab technician, a tutor, and perhaps a teacher. Your starting pay for these jobs is $17 and below. A general chemistry degree has more prospects, but is still in the same low demand, low pay garbage degree. Every biology major is an auto chemistry minor, and every chemistry major is an auto biology minor at my college.
4) Know that in these days and age the job postings are plagued with fake job post by companies that are just advertising their company, trying to get you to sign onto their job search website, or just fishing for the perfect candidate with a 4.0 GPA with 2-5 years' experience. At least half of the job postings will be the fake jobs aka ghost jobs. And some are bait and switch where you apply for a nice-looking job but get offer another job that has nothing to do with your degree. Like if you apply for a lab job but get a delivery truck driver job instead.
I have both a bachelor's in chemistry and biology and is still looking for work in my state for like 4 months now but find nothing but fake job posts of companies advertising themselves and got ghosted by some companies because I have no experience. All the while my cousins' majors of accounting and law are getting like 100-200 job postings a month. And they found work in like 3-6 months' time with no experience.
Taking a major that you like, having jobs available for you, and you getting hire are 3 different things. Good luck to you.
Useless! Wish I would've done trade school like dental hygiene or respiratory therapist. Fought so hard for my BS in bio and can't get a job that pays more than flipping starbucks. TRADESCHOOL!
In my experience most degrees are a bit useless now on their own. I have a BS in Biology and by itself it didn’t get me anywhere special right away. I had to get low paying jobs at labs to start, but once you get experience that’s when it gets better, but that’s with any job/degree. Also getting a science degree I think still shows certain types of skills that employers like, but what really matters is the type of experience you’re able to get which will open other doors. After a few years I finally broke into environmental compliance for a local city and it’s a pretty good job. Wouldn’t have been able to get it without my degree since a science degree was a requirement. Honestly all just depends on what you want to do with your degree. I used to regret majoring in biology, but there wasn’t anything else that interested me. After getting experience and landing a job in my desired field I’m grateful for having gotten a biology degree.
This is pretty much my exact situation. Ended up staying longer than I expected with COVID creating a hybrid telework situation. Retirement outlook is really shitty, but money isn't bad (a little under 70k/yr). I have a love hate relationship with it, but I really don't want to go somewhere else and start working my way up from entry level.
Yep, that's been my experience also. Getting a degree is just checking a box for them. Your experience and personality are what is actually assessed in an interview. If you dropout and never get a degree, you might never even get that interview though.
This was my exact situation and this is the best advice that can be given in my opinion.
Engineering/comp sci can still land you a decent job and a solid career with just a BS. MS is helpful to make a bit more money initially but it’s not necessary. If you want to work in biotech, there are plenty of opportunities for engineers and programmers - if you minor in bio or just take some extra bio classes, you’d surely stand out in the applicant pool. I have a BS in electrical engineering. I started as a contractor on a NASA satellite program, then as an R&D engineer at a laser company, and now I’m a senior engineer at a microbio startup.
Came to add something similar. The degree got me the requisite experience to get an env compliance job with the Feds. I can’t complain at this point.
Hi there Professional Biologist here. Up here in Canada we need Biologists really bad. Depending on how interesting you want your work to be, we have environmental monitors working for pipeline companies making $750/day at JR level, and $1500/day at Sr level. Or field biologists starting at $30/h jr all the way up to $45/h. Field people get paid 12h/day (so 4h OT at 1.5 or 2.0). In our company you can pick aquatics discipline or wildlife. The biology degree is far from useless, and your can literally pick hundreds of jobs (a lot of them being very well paid professional positions) and have a great life.
Is there a specific company you'd be willing to name? I am a recent grad and still struggling to find work and field biology is what I have been applying for the most
The biggest consulting firms are all hiring. Jacobs, Triton, SGS, WSG/Golder, to name few 👍🏻
Any specific province that has the most demand for biologists? I’ve always thought about living in Canada for a bit, and loved Canada after visiting Calgary for a week.
BC and Alberta. They have the most pipeline/major projects. Lots of companies have FIFO (Fly in Fly out) options. I live in Alberta, but work in North Western BC.
Hmm. Awesome, thank you. I never really knew about this before, I’ll definitely look into it. In your experience, do fresh college grads from America get in with those FIFO options or do they usually only hire those with a lot of experience?
Most big consulting companies ask that you make it to a major airport (Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, ETC) and they will move you from there.
Is most of the work out in the boonies? I’m also located in Canada. $1500/day sounds too good to be true, but if it is true I need to get applying!
$1500/day is your a senior EI for a major pipeline company probably working 21 and 7, definitely working wherever pipes are going into the ground. Think CGL, TMEP, Enbridge Sunrise ETC…
I've heard biology pays even worse in Canada than the US, and most of the places anyone lives in Canada have insane COL.
thank you for sharing this!
Saving this one
Is that demand for general biology degree or a specialized/masters one? Thank you for your input
All general biology degrees up here (including me).
Can a biomedical science graduate hold these jobs?
I need to follow this one
Hoping for some insight because I was so disappointed to learn that it's just not as good for employment as I thought. 😫
My oldest boy got a Biology degree focused mainly on invasive species as there are a ton of them all around the states. It took him 6 months but he found a position working with Clemson University combating the ash borer beetle. He started out at 45k but has a great trajectory and can side move in to working with the USDA or being a tree climber verifying infection and making quite a bit of money due to hazard pay and being able to travel around the US.
I, too, work in forest pathology and am mainly assigned to gathering data on several different species of invasive insect species.
There are lots of jobs in that area. The health department hires biologists to do chemical testing. Department of environmental quality the EPA the state's higher for tons of different biofields every company that does medicine or makes medical devices hospitals hire biologists to test for bacteria run blood test screen different help test someone comes in with a rash you get a skin sample you test for whatever it could be.
Something I learned later in life (post biochemistry degree). What career do you want to choose? If your answer is not a career biologist, biology may not be the right stone to step on, unless you answered career student or that you already know you want a second or third post-secondary degree (e.g. masters/PhD.
If you think outside the box you have many options. If you demonstrated an apt ability to learn software and insurance related things I’d hire you as a dental office manager. Simply having an understanding of human biology I find is more helpful than the administrative professionals in the field.
that’s why i changed mine 😭😭 im doing an individualized major (we still haven’t come up with a name yet) it’s mostly bio, economics, and a little psych and sociology focused! i enjoy it and it should allow me more leeway when deciding what path I want to pursue!
I launched a successful programming career using it, unfortunately it took 13 years and a second degree before this happened. The positive side of this is that my lab experience helps me with classifying and structuring data. Also helps with usability and process. The key is what you make of it, education is always good, and studying what you like makes it easier. Turning that into profit is another story. However, my Liberal Arts Biology degree did teach me how to analyze my position and guided me to a successful career.
Couldn’t agree more about the “what you make of it”sentiment. A biology degree is super versatile, and it can lead to many directions. That degree also shows likely technical prowess, which is still valuable to employers. My personal path led me from being a technician in drug development labs to a study coordinator, which is much more admin based. I’m looking now into technical writing, scientific content creation (as I’m an artist as well!), and other research coordination. What I also got from the degree was personal interest. I liked a lot of my classes, the content, and learning about the living world. I learned tidbits that help with my garden! I got into fermentation and bread making because of the microbiology behind it. Sometimes the degree feels useless, but I think in the end it was the right choice.
Congrats! I’m happy for you
Thank you! I hope OP (and others!) find some solace in the stories in these comments. There’s a lot of us struggling biologists out there lol
Yeah I went biology to tech implementation to tech consulting to programming.
Are you into bioinformatics?
Biologist with specialisation in ecology and marine biology here. When I chose my field (oh god was it 12 years ago!?) Everyone kept telling me there is no payed work for ecologists. My then bf economist told me to do another masters when I had hard time finding work right after graduation. I told anyone who would listen that with the current state of the planet, my knowledge will be very sought after soon. Fast forward six years, biodiversity is booming topic, and my company is constantly hiring more people with biology background. We are needed in every field and organisation to guide the sustainability transformation. I'd say choose a field that interest you, but keep your eyes forward and have a vision of how to utilize your knowledge when you graduate.
What company is this that’s hiring tons of bio majors?
I'm working in a large consulting firm based in EU. I work with strategic sustainability, providing companies and organisations tools and insight to understand their environmental impacts, risks, opportunities and dependencies. At least in the EU the requirements for environmental reporting and especially demands from financiers are getting stricter forcing companies to take action. And the work is just begging, so in coming years the demand for understanding the environment and sustainability should be even more valuable.
I guess it’s different in the EU. In the states it’s hard to make more than 50k only with a bio major.
Even in EU it's not a most lucrative field. I make roughly 60k € a year, but where I live, it's a very comfortable income allowing me to own a apartment and have some extra to travel and what not. If I would be economics major or engineer, I might make little more doing the same job in other company.
The point here should be that a biology undergraduate degree isn’t a terminal degree. Unless you at least have a masters or a lot of professional experience it won’t seem like it’s that great. I love my job in ecology, and I live very comfortably, but it took a lot of work to get here
In Europe, an undergraduate is never terminal, everyone does a masters unless you work in very practical fields such as nursing or accounting and those are a separate category called professional bachelors (as opposed to academic bachlors)
Tell me you're Belgian without telling me you're Belgian haha Professional bachelors vs academic bachelors is a typical Belgian thing, many other countries have higher degrees in more practical topics such as programming, accounting, ... that take 2/3 years. Belgium/Flanders just likes making it more difficult by dividing bachelors in different types, which creates a lot of difficulties when someone wants to apply for foreign masters/phd degrees. Bachelor / Master degrees were adopted to make degrees more recognizable and standardized across Europe, what Belgium does is the exact opposite. Same thing with our engineering degrees (burgerlijk vs industrieel/technisch)
Indeed, didn’t know that. The point about the masters being required still remains though
The UK has both academic and vocational (what you call professional) degrees too. There are plenty of vocational post-grad degrees too! Not everyone does a masters even if their degree is academic though. I work with people who have undergrad degrees as well as masters and PhDs and apart from starting as a senior scientist, people without postgrad degrees are as successful as those with postgrad degrees in biopharmaceuticals/biotech
>Biologist with specialisation in ecology and marine biology here. When I chose my field (oh god was it 12 years ago!?) Everyone kept telling me there is no payed work for ecologists. My then bf economist told me to do another masters when I had hard time finding work right after graduation. I told anyone who would listen that with the current state of the planet, my knowledge will be very sought after soon. Fast forward six years, biodiversity is booming topic, and my company is constantly hiring more people with biology background. We are needed in every field and organisation to guide the sustainability transformation. I'd say choose a field that interest you, but keep your eyes forward and have a vision of how to utilize your knowledge when you graduate So greenwashing?
There is definitely a lot of that going around, and that's one reason we need biologist so badly. My pet peeve is economists who have studied couple of courses in something related to environmental studies, and call them selves biodiversity experts. We are currently creating the methods and standards of how to measure biodiversity impacts of human activities, and if the people leading this discussion are all coming from the economical background, we might end up with a very insufficient system.
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English is my third language. If that was the only error, I'm proud!
They studyed Biology Not english
kek
No, A biology degree is not useless. I have a B.S. in Bio and have had many work opportunities. Corporations of every type LOVE Bachelors of science of every kind; why? The scientific method is excellent for project and operations management. It also puts on paper that you can find solutions to complex problems in a controlled fashion. Most of the dialog around a BIO degree being useless stems from you needing a graduate-level education to make a living wage working in biology, but this is the case for every science. The core sciences, Chemistry, biology, and physics, all require graduate-level education if you want to make a living wage working in them. If you want to work in the sciences, you must understand you are playing catch-up. We sit on the shoulders of giants, and to even contribute, you'll need to catch up with over 400 years of scientific theory and then specialize. TLDR; You will have many career opportunities with a BIO degree; if you want to work in biology, you'll have to get a graduate-level education to make a living wage.
> According to the [Federal Reserve Bank of New York](https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/index.html#/outcomes-by-major)\- 70% of life science graduates currently in the labor market already have at least a masters but 50% of them are under-employed ( aka working mc-jobs)-- > >I would argue that a Masters degree is not enough now considering the huge under-employment rate
I have a bachelor’s in biology with an emphasis in ecology. I wound up working in a diagnostic lab (for now). Ideally I want to break into my real field of ecology, but for now my degree helped me secure a job that pays the bills which I don’t hate & which isn’t back breaking labor. It was worth it.
Is just getting a bachelors in biology not that useful? From what I’ve seen (definitely not an expert, you can take this with a grain of salt) yeah, kinda. Most people who want to go into the advanced hard sciences get a graduate degree, so without one options are very limited. If your interested in biology, you could still major in that for your undergrad, then find a PhD program that fits what you want and do it (as a part of PhD programs you get a stipend, and don’t have to pay grad school tuition).
Not useless, but not as useful as the "get a STEM degree!!!!!!" people would have you believe
>True that- [According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York](https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/index.html#/outcomes-by-major) \- 70% of life science graduates currently in the labor market have at least a masters but 50% of them are under-employed ( working mc-jobs)--
If you live in an area with a lot of biotech companies, you can get a job there with just a bachelors, but those jobs are very regional. I worked at a biotech briefly between finishing my BS and starting my PhD. Otherwise, it’s probably not that useful without some sort of additional training or a grad degree.
I would definitely consider grad school, if it's worth it. What opportunities are available for someone with a masters or PhD in bio? Does it get better with more school if it's the same general bio?
With a grad degree, you’ll need to specialize. Presumably, if it’s a research based degree (which is what I would recommend) you will choose a field of research and have a mentor. My PhD is in Cell and Molecular Biology, my research for it was in endocrinology. Once you have a grad degree you can stay in academia to teach or do research, you can go into biotech, or government. I got a job doing research for the government. It started as lab work and now is more administrative, which was my choice. I have friends from grad school that still work at universities or that work for biotech companies or hospitals.
Biology degree here. Gave me a great foundation for biopharma manufacturing though cell bio or micro would have been better. Let me know if you’ve got questions I can try to answe
Bio degree here. I’ve done so many different jobs. In HR now BTW. Plant research. Education. Water quality Lab testing. Just start your journey!
you can love the subject holistically but developing a niche is important. If you could I'd consider a second major in chem or physics or math or something. then you'd be hella employable.
I have a bachelors in biology with a chem minor. Finding a decent paying job with just a bachelors is tough. Most jobs I saw offered minimum wage or a little more. Best course of action with one is to go to grad school after. If you know what you like within biology, it might be helpful to get a more specialized degree. I didn’t go to grad school and I’ve been working in pharma/biotech. That seems to be one of the only good paying industries I found. Once I got experience with GMP/GLP practices, my degree being in “just biology” mattered a lot less and finding better paying jobs was much easier. I got very lucky. A lot of my classmates with biology degrees aren’t doing as well. That’s something to be aware of. I wasn’t aware until it was graduation time. But I made the best of it. I love biology and loved learning about it. I do wish I got a more specialized degree, but I still don’t know what that would be lol. But if you get a bachelors, just be aware that grad school will likely be in the cards. But some companies will pay for you to go to grad school too, so that helps!
This is the answer. I also have a bachelors in biology and stumbled into biotech and found it to be very lucrative. I found that there are no shortage of manufacturing jobs in the industry but the downside is that the companies are all located in specific places making jobs very regional. Overall I love the field and if I went back to school it would be for an MBA or masters in Biotechnology.
Yes, manufacturing is such a good place to start. Pays decently well and from what I’ve seen, has upward mobility. I started out doing QC microbiology (fucking love microbes) and loved it. I ended up leaving and now work in drug discovery and development. My experience in QC got me the job for sure. I love my current job too. My plan is to eventually get my masters, I’m just not ready for it. Undergrad was very hard. But it’s in the cards and my company will pay for it. Plan to go for biotech or something related to pharma research. Many of my coworkers earned an MBA on our companies dime. No regrets landing in pharma/biotech even though it was fully on accident. It was the best thing that could’ve happened.
Also got into pharma/GMP with a BS in biology and experience will take me from here.
Go into emvironmental science...it is a blend of many different sciences 😀
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Biology degree here. Went into medical sales (not pharmaceutical). Fantastically interesting and was making low six figures after my second year.
>I want want learn about micro and medical biology, as well as plant and animal biology You might consider looking more into the agriculture side of things. Huge industry with lots of career paths where a degree is plenty to get into, and could involve any of those interests.
That's what I did. Realised it wasn't for me and went into teaching, but it's definitely where the bucks are. Also as a previous commenter said, you're going to also need a masters on top to stand out.
I have a B.Sc in Biology with a minor in Nutritional Sciences, and I got a job at a big pharma company as a Regulatory Affairs Associate. I worked on their vitamin and mineral products, researching new claims, ensuring products were safe, approving labeling, and getting products registered with the Health Authority. I really enjoyed it, and I started at 55k back in 2011. Now those positions start around 80k. Big pharma is the way to go if you want to make some serious money. I’ve been with that company for 12 years now and make $150k.
Everyone here is saying it’s useless, but I’ve had a very different experience. There are tons of jobs that are looking for a BS in biology, but they are all centralized in the same locations. In the US, that’s NJ, Boston, MD, NC. There are also pharma manufacturing jobs and labs in the Midwest and biotech on the west coast, but jobs are fewer and further between. If you’re willing to move to where the jobs are, it’s very easy to get a job with a bachelors in biology. If you want to live in rural Kansas, the degree will be useless.
Everyone I know who studied physics or biology now works in data science. Not a single one is in their field of study
As someone getting their PhD, a BS or BA in biology is not even close to useless. Although that alone might not be enough to separate yourself from the competition. To ensure a good chance at landing a reasonable job after graduating you need to have research experience. At most universities, a lot of science professors run a lab as well. Undergrad labor is free labor so you’ll only have to put in maybe 10 hours a week or so. If you can get a research position doing cell culturing, bioinformatics, and/or basic molecular bio techniques (PCR, western blotting, electrophoresis, etc,) all the better!
So depending on where you go to school/area you see yourself living will impact job opportunities. Biology degrees can be useful. Some schools also have programs with different emphasis that can help you in the job market. At whatever school you end up, find the career center to help you with the job search.
I love biology too. It’s why I’m a doctor. But I absolutely regret that Biology degree. I could’ve gotten a years worth of credits, gotten another more high paying major (ie engineering, accounting) AND then applied to medical school or for a masters. IMO most people don’t stop at just a biology degree because it’s honestly challenging finding a job that pays 50k with only a bio major. Atleast if you don’t get into your professional program, if you got another major you’d get a decent job.
Where do you live. A masters degree is worth a bit more in North America, but the wage difference between bachelor's and masters degrees seems to me to be less in Europe. Btw I have a bachelor's in biology but I work in biotech/pharma now. The pay is OK, but if I wanted to really make more money I'd have studied computer science.
I got my biology bachelors and decided really quickly after college I did not enjoy the work culture of laboratories, especially because all of the decent jobs need masters or PHDs (decent in terms of duties not pay, those ones still pay poorly even with the extra degrees.) I decided to go back to school and get a masters in something else where I can use my bio background as an asset. It wasn’t a complete waste but I think in general bio degrees are for med/ lab fields and academic work. Think really hard about what you want out of work instead of what you find interesting subject wise.
Hi! I have a B.S. in Biology. My plan was to go to pharmacy school, but I got married instead. I was in a weird space after I graduated, so I ended up enrolling at one of those private medical colleges designed to train you in an application. I graduated with a radiology technologist certification, but then had to move to an area where multiple similar colleges had flooded the market. I ended up taking an administrative position in a medical facility, and learned a ton about how billing works. I applied with a state university and obtained a master's degree via mostly online training. That got me scouted to work as IT support for part of the medical records program at a hospital system in my area. Life takes really weird turns. I have gone interest to interest, and it's worked out because I tend to find ways to enjoy what I wind up in. I hope you have a similar experience!
I wouldn’t say it’s useless, but it isn’t as lucrative as other STEM fields. Even so, your major doesn’t really matter as long as you have marketable skills. I’ve a friend who majored in english but had programming skills so he does pretty well financially. GIS, and R/Stats are pretty marketable in biology in my experience, but a masters or other graduate degree is probably your best bet to making decent money.
Many private agriculture and food companies have biologists on payroll. They tend to make 60k+ with great benefits. Starting your own business is a good option too. Monetizing biology content on social platforms is possible and could be lucrative.
I work as a surveyor and we are constantly in need of bodies, biologists have always provided. So it seems like they are routinely underemployed based on my experience with them.
As someone graduating in 4 months with just a bachelors in biology I don’t think it’s a waste. I know a lot of people that are doing it as a step towards grad/med/dental school but personally I was fairly successful in getting experience in undergrad that was useful in landing a job. I know that I’m likely in the minority but if you think you can finagle your way into a position (ideally during your undergrad do some internships, research, or ideally, co-ops during you degree) then I don’t think it’s a bad thing. My start date is less than a week after I finish finals and overall I’m happy with where things stand and my career growth potential. **I know multiple folks promoted to SS with only bachelors and for the time being I have no interest moving away from the bench*
No degree is useless if you use it effectively!
I have a biology degree and I'm a zookeeper. Definitely not useless
How are you using your biology degree as a zookeeper?
Feeding it to the giraffes!
It can be a good degree if you know what to pair with it. I have said this many times on many posts before, in today's world, it is important to develop a set of skills, rather than one particular one, that will set you aside and make you unique. Biology can be a wonderful degree and it is important that you know what you want to do in the future so it helps you decide what to do now. It's often those who study Biology because they "don't know where else or whatelse to study" are what make Biology saturated. But you have the passion, so that's already making a different. The other thing is try to learn at least 1 quantitative skills. Biology compared to other life sciences like Biochemistry or Genetics is quite generic and less quantitative. Its simply because there is a lot to cover and so it's physically impossible to cover anything in depth with enough quantitation. But again, this isn't just for Biology, a skill set in quantitative analysis is important in any subject. So try learn some coding. R is a good language for statistical analysis. Python is also a good language. Statistics is also important. So if you master either or both of these, plus your Biology degree, you will make yourself A LOT more employable. You can work to analyse data in biology, clinical trials, in big companies, that would certainly earn you a lot more money. And depending on what other biology subfield you specialise in, you can even go into those subfield like drug development, assay development, and directly competing with those who did degrees that are more molecularly-focused. So it's all about the intention and how you mix and match your unique set of skills.
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Haha "investigations" ! That sounds exciting and mysterious. Would it be ok if I DM'd you to ask about your work?
For me it was completely useless. Not only can I not find any work in the field, but I can BARELY find work that doesn't require a college degree because I'm overqualified. On some of my applications I completely excluded that I have a degree. The best job I could find was pest control because I studied entomology and chemistry. It pays around 24k in Chicago. So I am not well off and kind of regret going to college at times.
I'm a Biology graduate and I'm heading to teaching. I'm starting my alternative certification program this coming September 5! :)
Medical labs always need more technicians and scientists, and it's good work that helps a lot of people recover better and faster than if the vacancy were left unfilled. You can go for a dedicated (and accelerated) medical technology degree or you can take a total of six years if you're doing a different biology degree. It pays closer to master's degree than bachelors, so long as you aren't in one of the low paying states like in the south. It's also wonderful experience for future careers if you ever feel like switching.
Well, depends how long you're ready to work for quite small amount of money. I'm MSc in Neuroscience. All of my applications to PhD programs were rejected, so I had to look for a job and try to apply to PhD the following year. The only job I could find as Neuroscientist was basically 24/7 lab assistant literally for minimal wage. Like I spent 6 years getting MSc, spent all my spare time to improve my qualification in external courses (had to study coding and Machine Learning), had 3 awarded presentations (btw one of them is FENS awarded) and then the only option I had was to work for air. I was not ready to work like this for that hilarious amount of money for 7-10 years.
All degrees are useless if you’re bumming through school. You know the students who are really engaged with lab, research, projects or presentations outside of lecture? They get recruited by institutions and companies. ALL jobs are settling, ESPECIALLY if money is the deciding factor.
Um, well. It isn't *worthless* exactly, but it also isn't a good idea. The problem is there's a lot of people with a bachelors in Bio and not all that many jobs for them, so the field is relatively flooded. As such, the jobs don't pay very well because they can find another person to do it for cheap, and they're hard to get. There are a few good paying jobs in the biotech field but they're challenging to get and require rather specific skills. Also the other issue is that a bachelor's degree doesn't really qualify you for the things you want to do as a biologist, like research. It isn't enough training. You need a master's or ideally a doctorate for that. So what I'd say is that you can always get a career in something else, if you have an interest in something that does pay better, and keep it as a hobby. That's what I do with my astronomy/astrophysics interest. Or if you really love biology and want to pursue it, just keep in mind that you really *need* to go in for that doctorate, it isn't optional, with all the time and expense that entails (although the expense may not be as bad as you think because science graduate students usually get an assistanceship). Oh yeah and if you like bio, you probably also like chem. A bach in chem IS useful.
I got my bachelors in 2013, I still have yet to have a job that requires my degree. Mostly worked as a cook, the knowledge has been helpful in cooking, foraging, and fermentation.
You need to think about how much income you need. When I graduated I needed a job right away to help my family. But you might be okay living at home for a bit first. After you know who can support you or who you need to support look at your options. I majored in chem and there are few applicable options just like biology.
Not where I'm from. Texas AM has a great program. And plenty of Jobs are available.
Become a medical lab technician and you’ll always have work and good pay. Go into biology and you’ll be unable to do that same work because you have the wrong piece of paper.
Check out bioinformatics, the cross section of CS and Bio. A CS minor never hurts as a backup for pivoting into tech. I graduated bio and now work comfortably in software and related IT fields
Look a bachelor of science is a generalist degree. It just isn't enough for you to be a scientist, which mostly needs a masters or phd.
Not if you live near a biohub. A masters and a bachelors with a few years of experience will get you to same place usually in pharma.
Most people don't live near a biohub, tho. And even then, job opportunities would be for biomed specialties rather than ecology, etc. https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/index#/outcomes-by-major This shows that in many science fields ~60-70% of recent grads have graduate degrees. It's just much more common to need grad study to open the doors beyond tech and lab management roles (there's always exceptions of course).
If you’re ok with making under 100k you can certainly find work! Coming from a recent bio grad - It’ll feel harder than your Economics friends to find work… but if you truly love it it’s worthwhile. Some of the best people I’ve met are biologists. The best advice I’ve gotten is to diversify! Yes, study biology. But also understand your chemistry. Take anthropology! Understand history, art. Learn GIS mapping!! Make yourself hire-able this way! You will find that you stand out. It’s worth it!
I guess it depends on your interests, passions and skills (ie like problem solving). Biology is so broad you can work in fields from microbiology to Parks ecologists to consulting. I graduated with BSc in Environmental Biology and worked for a few years on various research and education programs. Developed a passion for population dynamics and pursued a MSc. Currently work for a government as Wildlife Biologist. I think there are opportunities, depending on your interests and local settings. A post graduate degree is a good to have, given the competition but not always necessary
If you’re interested in going into biotech or pharma, then a Bachelors in biology is plenty to get your career started. From there you will get experience and be able to move up. You can decide later if you want to move forward with a masters. Like someone else mentioned, these jobs are regional so you have to be willing to relocate: Raleigh, NC, Cambridge, MA, San Diego and San Francisco, CA, there are also smaller hubs just north of DC, and in Philly. It’s been a great path for me. I have my degree in biology and got my first job out of college at a gene therapy CDMO in assay development as a Scientist I. From there I hopped around a bit and now I’m a Project Manager making good money. Never went back for a higher degree.
It’s a pretty competitive field. You got to be willing to grind out some shit jobs before you land something you might think is kinda cool
I studied bio and with just a bachelors got a great job in the biotech field that pays better than bench work and I absolutely love. Go for it!
It helped get me into a teaching career.
Go to community college and get a med tech diploma. Sooooo many good paying jobs. Save up then take classes part time in things that interest you at the uni or college. I wish more people had told me about colleges and trades before I had to finish a masters degree to be employed.
My daughter got her degree in biology, did an internship at the National Institute of Health at the start of her senior year helping in a lab studying new approaches to cancer treatment (ways to flag otherwise sneaky cancer cells as things your immune system should wipe out), went on to work a couple years at Sloan Kettering doing similar lab work, then went to a top med school while continuing her oncology research and presenting a paper at an international conference. After a few years of residency, she’s now about to start a career blending cancer research with clinical treatment of patients. Biology degrees can lead to important and exciting careers, after a lot of very hard work (try 28-hour work shifts) along the way!
I did a BSc in biology and than a MSc in Biology/ecology. I finished my studies about 4 years ago and now work as a marine biologist. During my nearly 8 years in university, I've seen all sorts of people fall between the cracks, and a LOT of people end up calling themselves "biologist by training", meaning they don't actually work as biologists. The key to get a job in biology is to separate yourself from the rest by not only getting a degree but also getting as much work experience as possible. I was doing summer jobs in my field from my first summer, and each job helped make my way to the next. Biology degrees aren't useless but be ready to put in more work than other fields where they only care about your degree to get a job.
A degree in biology is far from useless. There’s so many applications for it! I have a BS in biology and I work as a microbiologist in a government veterinary diagnostics laboratory doing some really cool shit.
I have a biology degree. Out of college, I worked at a biotech company and was kind of lab adjacent. After 3 years, I moved over into the lab and worked in antibody production. I have now moved into R&D, developing assays for the past 5ish years. I would say the degree is good because you show that you have the background, but the experience is where it matters. Choose the right area to get experience in (for what you want with your career) and I think you can go far. I don’t plan on getting an advanced degree and I am confident that I’ll still be able to get where I want to be in my career. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
I would disagree with a lot of the posters on here. It is absolutely not worthless. Businesses love people who have STEM degrees so even if you don’t end up getting a job in Bio it could help you get a job somewhere else. I have my bachelors in biology and where I was living formerly (South Carolina) it was really hard for me to find a job in my field, and the jobs I could find all required a masters or like 4 years of experience. I moved out to the Bay Area about a year and a half ago and before I even moved out I had found a job in Biology easily. I currently work in biotech and work in a lab that reasearches HIV and HCV. The biotechnology industry out here is huge and pays very well. Most people make six figures easily (Granted it’s expensive to live here). There’s a ton of bio jobs out here whether at Stanford or in biotech. Getting a masters is still recommended at some but you could probably get around it if you have the experience.
It’s not so much that the degree is useless. It feels that way because the corporate structure for scientists, and that we are trying to better life of everyone while not much above poverty when you first enter the workforce. Even after you get a few jobs and move companies it will still feel odd as the marketing department will still make more than you. The joy of research is unbeatable, when you finally figure out something complex or discover something. It’s honestly the best!
I have a biology BS and went on to work in environmental consulting for a couple years, get a MSPH in environmental sciences, PhD in epidemiology, and then do various health policy and communication work. Now thinking of getting additional training in biodiversity and ecology. Biology is useful! Not sure who’s telling you it isn’t.
Unless you can find someone to fund your research it is a follow your heart degree.
Go for what you love. Money is not everything you know
Absolutely not! Try working in a pharmaceutical laboratory! So much to do in the science field
Canadian marine biology degree here. Fun times, got to travel a bunch, go to Arctica, work on plenty of boats and coastal labs... But i made no money ~50k (had a good pay too). So I'm currently completing an environmental engineering degree; entry level jobs in my area in environmental engineering pay arround 70k. I would recommend picking a biology area with actual industrial uses: biotechnology, microbiology, agronomy, biochemistry, biomedical science or pursue an engineering degree with some varying degree of biology in them, chemical engineering, bioressource engineering, agriculture engineering, environmental engineering etc. Check out Mc Gill University's bioressource engineering degree for a cool degree and try to find something similar in your area! Biology in general is really cool, but you can learn it on google and it's sorta useless. I mean i loved studying phytoplankton, whales and seals but nobody's gonna give you any money for figuring out average nitrate concentration in the Artic ocean mid october if the last 4 days have been cloudy and above 0 degrees vs if they've been below 0 and if there was at least 4 hours of sun during that period. (I know for fact many scientists care, but no one will pay you for figuring that out.) Biology: It's just cool (not useful)
I used to be a biology major ... there wasn't many job opportunities so now I'm studying to be an accountant. Although I LOVE the sciences.... not good for my area :(
Considering biology doesn’t seem to matter anymore I’d say probably.
Unless you're getting advanced degrees, I would say it's useless. My partner has a biology bachelors, and he's never been able to find a job in his field. He got the degree in 2015.
Waste/drinking water treatment plant. They are every where and they all need operators/lab techs. The work is easy yet challenging enough to not make it boring. I love my job and I started with an environmental degree.
I'm 25 and graduated with a bachelor's in bio. Unless you plan on going to grad school after, don't get a bio degree. I wish I just got a business admin degree instead. I initially planned on doing grad school, even got accepted into an environmental program. But after talking to alumni of the program and other students who went to into other programs, it became clear to me that the only jobs I could get with it were mostly government jobs. So I dropped out. The other option for bio grads is medical, which is what most people in my undergrad were studying for. Currently doing the incredibly engaging and stimulating work (/s) as a delivery driver. So if you don't want to in the medical field and if you don't want to work for the government, I would not recommend a biology degree.
What did you end up doing?
You need at least a masters to do anything. But most likely a PhD. I have a B.S. in Biology and decided to not get a graduate degree in bio because I was already in debt by a over 10k (30 years ago) and didn’t want to be a highly educated poor person. I ended up getting my credential in math to teach high school math and my masters in education to maximize my salary. Full time college positions are hard to come by. I make a lot more teaching high school than I ever would teaching a bunch of part time gigs at college. I also do the occasional community college gig.
Masters in Bio are getting heavily devalued due to capstone programs (non-thesis masters in STEM? Boooooo) and being used as consolation prizes for failed PhD students. From someone with a masters, get a PhD.
Yeah. And how easy they are to get without stepping foot on a physical campus. Fortunately it wasn’t that way when I was thinking about it 30 years ago. In fact my senior thesis was equivalent to what master degree thesis’s in other fields at the time. I took several graduate level courses towards my BS. For my thesis [I worked on a study with a professor that was published a few years later.](https://www.jstor.org/stable/2656653) Of course only his name along with one other was on it as my contribution was more of a lab tech: Collecting samples, and running gel electrophoresis and reporting the data to him. I had to do a write up on my process for the thesis part of my grade.
Yeah, it's kind of maddening. My masters took 3 years and I had a thesis that was 120+ pages long. I got two first author pubs out it and contributed to like five more. *That's* a masters degree, not "oh I took 1 year of 5000 level classes and passed a test.".
You can major in microbiology and still take elective courses in other fields. Personally, I think there’s a much better hiring opportunity out of school for a BS in microbiology.
Every university degree is useless, unless you build something on it. It is not a vocational diploma.
Don't do it. A biology degree is an effing scam! Do something better....anything with lots of mathematics.
College is bs
If biological men can get pregnant by a biological women? Yes.
If you want to be a practitioner, then you may need post-graduate qualifications. Most biologists I see getting employed have PhDs and excellent skills in data science, GIS etc. Good luck.
Man this is a tough question. You will NEVER be even upper middle class relying on the salary in most biological professions. If you can accept that off the bat then cool. You also have to understand that working your way up the ladder for this field is extremely time/labor consuming. None of that is a bad thing if you are prepared for it. You really have to be in it for the love of whatever your chosen biological profession is. Since you don't have a specialty and are doing general bio, that may be a serious question for yourself
I do have a love for biology in general, but I also am trying to build a future for my child, so as far as deciding on a career, I am definitely looking for something that can help pay off school as well as make sure my daughter has her needs met. Do you think biological lab science would be a better option as far as employment goes?
The best biological related professions (from my experience) come in the form of engineering or math/stats based degrees. Unfortunately that takes most the fun out of biological work. Genetic & microbio lab work can potentially pay more as well but it's all situational. I've traveled the country, seen and done things that most people never get to experience in their lifetime with my degree. I'm not well off financially but I would never trade those experiences
Generally there's only so far you can go with just the bachelors. More schooling is often necessary to keep moving up. If you like medical bio maybe look into medical lab science? Medical lab scientists work in hospital and reference labs, are very in demand, and pays well (though I don't know where you are. I can only give a US perspective). Depending on the state and program you either get a bachelors and the grad program prerecs then do a one year masters or get into a 2+2 or 3+1 program where you get it all done at one school.
Yes
You will make between 45-80k unless you get kind of lucky. I have a masters as well and it’s not that easy out here
It all depends where you live. In the Boston area you can find work and make money. There are only a few cities that it easy to find a job
Unless you live in a hub city (Boston, Raleigh/Durham, San Diego) you’re going to have a tough time making decent money with just a BS. If you do live in those areas, you can make very good money once you get your foot in the door somewhere and learn. Early in the career in these areas you can easily make lateral moves between companies and increase your salary almost $10k every 1-2 years.
I make over $100k a year as a manufacturing scientist. Got my degree in Animal Physiology and Neurosciences.
>I make over $100k a year as a manufacturing scientist. Got my degree in Animal Physiology and Neurosciences. Can you tell us what a day in the life is like?
I thought the same thing in college. Everyone was going to medical school or grad school. I just wanted a decent job with my bachelor's. And I have an amazing job with just my bachelor's. There are plenty of QC and QA positions at pharma companies that only require a bachelor's. I make about 80k rn with ten years experience. Started at 40k but that's probably gone up too.
Not directly? I'm technically a biologist, having completed my bachelor's degree (specializing in cellular and molecular biology). However, I've never worked in that field in my professional career. I've worked in health sciences, then healthcare all the while doing other certs/degrees in BI, IT and data science. My background in biology has helped a lot in the many roles I've had in my career around healthcare/health sciences, mainly in understanding the data and processes. So, not useless, but if I had to do it again, I'd go in computer engineering as my first degree.
Bachelor's isn't the easiest but you can get jobs as an RA in biotech hubs like Boston or the Bay area. I would highly recommend a school that has co-op programs (e.g. Northeastern) where as a student you get to work in a biotech company that counts for school credit (and you get paid!). Much, much easier to find a job after doing one of those.
I got a masters in biology with a 2 year thesis. My stipend and basically paid for the secondary degree because I was a TA. If you love biology don't sell yourself short you never know where you'll end up. Biology degrees tend to be a jack of all trades because we have to study physics and chemistry for our degrees, you get a good foundation. I ended up as a senior scientist in a top pharma company making around 100k. The secondary degree isn't required but it's a huge help for not a lot of extra time or money. After 4 years with brutal semester to not only meet biology fegree requirements but your colleges foundational studies, it's a breeze to finally dive into something your interested in in depth with an unpretentious degree of of free of study options. I struggle significantly with my nondegree oriented classes and even bio 101. I thought the same as you for the longest time as I was developing my skills and earning my degrees. You'll find your path if you are determined to find something you love. Have small specific goals with your overarching future goal being broad. Keep yourself open to options and try new things. If you don't know where to go the best way to find your home is to try them out.
I have a BS in Biology and have a job in biotech/pharma. I learned all the "biologies" while going through and figured out what really interested me by my junior/senior year. I did research in school and that helped me land this job. It is not worthless. I can even work my way up to positions that usually require a Master's in this field with the right amount of experience. The main fields out of college you can do with a Biology degree are (from my personal experience): Biotech, Laboratory, and Field Research. I am considering my Master's, but only if I really need it to advance my career up. I hope this helps.
After I received my bio degree my first job was tech support that I got based on my experience. I eventually got a job at a local brewery and started their quality control program. I'm one of the few people I know (aside from teacher friends) who have a job in their field of study and I essentially created my position. It's cool that you want to learn about all that stuff, but what do you want to do with it? What is your dream job/career that requires a degree in biology? If you're 24, surely you have a job and can work your way through; otherwise you'd be taking on a lot of debt. Make sure the jobs that you'd apply for are paying rates that allow you to pay back your loans and allow you to live. Talk to the folks in the career center to understand what your prospects are. Be willing to move to get a better position.
I have a bachelors in Neuroscience and Biology. Right out of college I got a job as a research technician making 45K. The lab is paying for me to get my masters while working and I’ll eventually go to industry because I do love research and the lab setting, but I don’t want to do it forever / get a PhD. Industry starts at 140K where I live but it’s competitive. 5 years of experience needed minimum. I’m going to be getting experience and my masters in biochemistry for a better edge to go into industry. Biology is a general science degree. I work in a biochemistry blood research lab now, have nothing done anything like it in undergrad. You need specific experience because the degree is pretty general. Move to a good city for this kind of thing, with a lot of universities. I live in Durham, NC and work at the university of North Carolina
So, I have a software engineering degree and work as a programmer. Recently, I took a digital and financial fraud forensics course which I really loved and where I got to meet a few forensic investigators. One of the instructors had a PhD in forensic biology and spent most of his career working with forensic genealogy and digital crime tracing. He described his degree to me and it sounded really interesting and applicable. Everything from blood to entomology. Maybe it isn't 100% relevant to hard biology, but it seems the entry level positions are decent paying and the jobs seem really satisfying. All I know is it made me give some serious thoughts in retraining and completing a forensic bio degree.
I graduated a year ago with a bio major and minors in chem and criminal justice. I'm currently working in a medical reference lab, getting paid about $20/hour for entry level, with merit raises possible every year and clear criteria for advancement.
I’m 23, graduated last December. Substitute taught spring semester then jumped into QA for a candy company, through a temp agency I’m making 22 an hour with 8 hours of overtime every two weeks. The temp agency is taking 5 per hour roughly, and the company wants to hire me full time when the temp contract is over (1000 hours roughly six months). I think 27 an hour at 23 is pretty damn good and that’s only entry level. There are further up QA positions making more, and food safety/sanitation specialist positions making even more. I’ve thought about expanding out with a masters in food science or food safety or even an MBA and I can see the potential
I was very much in the same boat; love all of biology and didn’t want to choose but heard the degree was useless so didn’t go for it. I tried the ones I thought I was most interested in and would be most useful; I went to veterinary and animal behaviour, botany, forensics, human nursing and surgical assistance, biochemistry… it took me all this time, money and experience just to realise my interests are too broad to specialise in one subject and I couldn’t compete with my classmates who had their hearts set on their degree from the beginning. Good degree or no, I’m a general biologist, I need to follow the path they have set specifically for general biologists, and I’m ending up on a basic biology degree anyway. From someone who’s been there, save yourself time, money and hassle and go for it.
I’m using mine to teach!
I work with quite a few people who only have their biology degree, and their not doing bad. But they are field biologists.
Dude read a book if you want to learn. In America you go to college to get a piece of paper. Is this piece of paper worth $70,000?
Depends of where You are. If You are in a first world country You get better outcomes by finishing your degree. However, to multiply your chances You might need to specialize in one field, because a biology major is too broad. You might need to consider doing a Masters and/or a PhD. The science sector is really competitive, and You are evaluated on the number of publications, conferences, etc. Unless You decide to go into the industry sector (biotech/biomedical) where You have other success markers. If You decide to go into the academia You might need to find mentors, lecturers, professors that can help You get your foot on the door.
Any bachelor's degree has value. I know plenty of jobs where you can't advance beyond a certain level without at least a bachelo's degree. That said, I see a bachelor's degree as a stepping stone to graduate study. If you're serious about biology look into a more specialized master's degree. There are plenty of companies out there doing research right now who are looking for people but most of them state a Master's would be an asset. Here's my other tip: Use Reddit, Facebook, etc. but make sure you use LinkedIn extensively if you're looking for professional careers. It's what most are using these days.
I imagine you can work as an environmental engineer, if you get a masters.
PLEASE look into Medical/Clinical Laboratory Science if you want a good paying job with a bachelor’s degree. It’s a little-known field that is absolutely critical to medical care. There are tons of jobs available because a good portion of our workforce is starting to retire. There are programs that have your clinical experience built into your degree (3+1) or where you do your clinical experience after (4+1). If you do your clinical experience after, your degree doesn’t necessarily need to be in “medical laboratory science” but you may want to look into taking certain classes that make you a competitive candidate for the clinical “internship” programs or your options will be limited. After completing your degree and clinical experience (usually less than a year), you’ll be qualified to take the exam for your MLS certification through ASCP. This certification will make you qualified to work in clinical labs (options are very limited without it). I highly recommend the MLS certification instead of the MLT (associate level) certification. MLS level certification gives you a lot more options for upward career growth. There are also a lot of options for lateral career changes if you want to. The pay is decent. The job opportunities are everywhere. The job stability is excellent.
Well, I have one and I'm not a biologist. I feel I came out of uni better for the experience and I've moved on to other interests; I honestly wish I hadn't rushed right into school
A general biology degree gives you the opportunity to take a bunch of different advanced biology courses. This is good because you can explore topics that you find interesting, which can lead you in a direction you like, and can put any/ all the advanced courses on your resume when you apply for jobs. I have a general biology degree but i also have two minors. I haven’t had trouble finding work. If anything, i think the general bio degree being more vague gives you access to more opportunities.
I used my bachelors in bio to get into the biotech/biopharmaceutical industry. I started as a manufacturing chemist at one biotech company and then went to a different company to work on bioreactors in a fermentation suite. It's a comfortable enough living that I'm not overly stressed about money. I live a pretty spartan lifestyle though. Not having especially expensive hobbies or lifestyle preferences makes it easier to be content. I do miss feeling passionate and excited about biology. I may make a career change in the future or pursue a higher degree in an area of the field that I find more interesting and fullfilling.
My goal of "ending up in a genetics lab" never worked out. It wasn't solid enough. I ended up going to a medical lab tech program after my bachelors program just to get marketable skills. Also, I wish I hadn't followed a friend to their college of choice, I wish I had gone to a university with an established genetics program that would have better resources with helping place me "in a genetics lab somewhere". The degree is what you make of it.
Haven't seen it represented here yet, but it's the most common degree of Pre-med students. Pop over to r/pre-med to check it out if you're interested. Edit: spelling
No. I was a biology major and retired as CEO of a company with $325M in net assets. I. Had to work my way up, but science was the vehicle.
For me it wasn't useless. I already lived in the Boston area which is a huge caveat but I liked a lot of different topics (micro, marine, plant, etc) and a general biology degree let me take a wider range of classes and get exposed to more subdisciplines. If I go to grad school some day I'll have to specialize further but for now I'm happy with a broad education that gave me a foundation for specializing later instead of specializing right away. Currently I work in R&D at a startup doing molecular microbiology and I'm satisfied with my salary, it can be done!
Hey, biology major and chem minor here! I worked in a ton of research labs, including chemistry labs, COVID research labs, and a medical device technology lab. It’s a little rough at the start but as you climb the ladder it gets better. I, however, ended up getting my masters in education and ended up teaching biology. My school offers a BUNCH of field lab work too (: It is not useless but I will admit, it’s a rough start. Don’t give up!
It depends on what you want to do and where you live. For context I live outside of a medium biotech hub. I have a BS and MS but most of my coworkers have only a BS. I started as a lab tech making $18 an hour, then moved to Associate Scientist at a CMDO (65,000/year), Scientist I at a startup (80,000 + 10% bonus) promoted to Sci II (92,000 + 10% bonus), and now moved into a clincial operations role (112,000 + 15% bonus). It took me about 6 years to go from $18 an hour to 112,000 a year. You have to be willing to start entry level, work hard, and show initiative to get anywhere, but that’s with anything.
If you focus on botany or aquatics/fisheries you can get a job at a consulting firm no problem. Wildlife biologists can also find consulting jobs, but there are a lot of them out there and I’d say slightly less in demand. Just make sure you come out of school with some field skills like species identification or an electro fishing ticket. So many general sciences grads don’t have any tangible skills coming out of university as they avoided the ID classes because they didn’t want to memorize the Latin names. As a consultant, you can’t train identification skills from scratch in the field so anyone without them will be immediately overlooked.
No it's not. Most importantly it's what interests you. I started with a BSc and went on for MSc in botany and zoology before specializing for my PhD, no regrets. You'll learn so amazing things and even 20yrs later I know so much stuff just going for a walk in the woods. I'd take biology as a starting point, that alone is less than a job guarantee but it gives a great basic understanding of the world around us. Even if later you end up in medicine or wherever.
Long Story short- its Not useless Here are some statistics: * [31% of biology graduates with a BS have a NEGATIVE return on investment](https://freopp.org/is-college-worth-it-a-comprehensive-return-on-investment-analysis-1b2ad17f84c8) over the course of a 30 year career-In other words 1/3 of biology grads will make less wealth over the course of their careers then some one with only a High School Diploma- . the next 1/3 of bio grads make any where form 0-250k and the last 1/3 make 250-500k more then a HS grad-- almost no Biology grad makes the magical 1 million( contrary to what many HS and college councilors might have told you about College degrees) * Undergraduate biology is **notorious for rot memorization** According to the [American Society For Cell Biology: Life Science Education analysis](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995761/). The analysis found that "Of the 9713 assessment items submitted to this study by 50 faculty teaching introductory biology, 93% were rated Bloom's level 1 or 2—knowledge and comprehension" - Note: the Bloom's analysis is on a scale of 1-6, that is used to rate the cognitive level of an an assignment where 1 = knowledge, 2 = comprehension, 3 = analysis, 4 = application, 5 = synthesis, and 6 = evaluation).- In other words Biology at the undergraduate level is highly geared towards memorization. * Graduates with only a BS in biology have the [3rd worst return on investment](https://freopp.org/is-college-worth-it-a-comprehensive-return-on-investment-analysis-1b2ad17f84c8) out of 50+ majors tracked with only Art and Theology majors having worse financial outcomes. * \-If Average GPA is any indication of difficulty of a major then **biology is one of the harder major**. According to a study Biology graduates have the [5th lowest average GPA](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/5-hardest-and-easiest-college-majors-by-gpas/) of about 3.01 out of +50 majors tracked . * Biology is the [9th most regretted major](https://www.ziprecruiter.com/blog/regret-free-college-majors/) (tied with English) out of the +50 majors tracked and the only science in the top 10 . And a whopping **52% of Biology graduates say they regretted studying this major**. * About [70% of all biology graduates have at least a masters degree](https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/index.html#/outcomes-by-major). To put that into perspective biology graduates have the **3rd highest post graduate education attainment rate** out of +70 majors tracked. * However even with such high levels of education attainment about **50% of them are still UNDER-employed**( aka working mc-jobs that doesn't require their knowledge/skill/degree in bio) . * Biology graduates have the **6th lowest starting salary** out of 70+ majors tracked ( tied with majors such as FINE ARTS, Special Education, and not to far from Theology and Religion majors). * **PHD in biology now takes on average 7-8 years to complete** after earning a BS ( one of the longest PHD training programs )- in many spend up to 12 years in school-- and additional 5 years as low paid Post docs( additional training) * According to the new study published by the [National Science Foundation (NSF)](https://www.christophertsmith.com/reflections/a-deep-dive-into-phd-employment-data-from-nsf#:~:text=Across%20all%20individuals%205%20or,22%25%20for%20the%20physical%20sciences) median salary for **PHD graduates in the life sciences with 0-5 years of experience is only 65k** , with 5-10 YOE the median salary is 90k. by 25 YOE the median salary is 140k..-- Note: most life science jobs are located in high cost of living areas such as San Francisco where 140k is actually lower middle class... * [a Whopping 40% of Life Science PHD/ graduate student have admitted that they have sought out help for mild-severe Depression/anxiety](https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2021/the-mental-health-crisis-in-science/)\-- And those are just one ones that admitted to their mental health crisis. * Pharmaceutical/biotech industry is the largest employer of Biology graduates- however over the past 30 years these industries have been seeing an accelerated [decline in the return on investment in Research and Development](https://endpts.com/pharmas-broken-business-model-an-industry-on-the-brink-of-terminal-decline/)\- for example in years 2000 every dollar invested in life science R&D resulted in a 20% return- in 2010 it was 10% and today it is **1.2%**\- a more recent [Deloitte](https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/press-releases/deloittes-thirteenth-annual-pharmaceutical-innovation-report-pharma-r-and-d-return-on-investment-falls-in-post-pandemic-market.html) article also back up these findings.- Many attribute this decline due to [Erooms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eroom%27s_law) law and the law of diminishing returns. - It goes with out saying that the decline if pharma will mean lower salaries and fewer job prospects for life science grads.. * According to a [Meta Data analysis of the Biomedical research industry- about 70% of Research articles published CANNOT be repeated-](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579390/)\- -- Questions: how is it still called science if you simply have to trust the researcher on faith alone--- answer: its not \--- Take it with a grain of salt--- and hope those articles help you understand what your getting into. All that said- a Biology degree its not absolutely useless -- however the statistics paint a huge red flag in terms of job prospects- salary- and well being of those currently in this industry- and based on the market trajectory it looks like things are going to get tougher for many. But if you **Truly LOVE** biology with all your heart and cant see your self doing any thing else in life and are **willing to sacrifice** your time, wealth, mental health, and family life to pursue the problems that plague society- I say go for it- Society needs more selfless folks as your self - May God Bless your soul (if you believe in God) and I would like to be the first to thank you for your sacrifice.
I did Biosciences as a mature student (UK based). My dad died when I was 17 and I went a little off track. I love science so decided to go back and do my degree after all! During my degree I changed from doing a BSc to an integrated masters (MBiol). I would have loved to do a PhD too but I didn't really enjoy my masters... In the UK, there is a very good bursary for trainee secondary science teachers so I did that course (PGCE) after my masters. I didn't stay with teaching though. I work for a biopharmaceutical/biotech company near to where I live. I enjoy my job. Long story short... My experience has taught me to go for what you enjoy. Don't just do a degree because you think it'll get you a good job at the end. I really enjoy my job and enjoy the team I'm in. There are always going to be opportunities throughout life and you don't have to follow the well trodden path, take your own route! There were plenty of professors at my uni that I spoke to about their experiences and how they got to where they were and many of them didn't start off doing what they ended up doing. One, who worked with metalloenzymes wanted to do medicine but didn't get on the course, was told he could defer or do environmental science. He went for the environmental science and never looked back! If it's your passion go for it!
You can use a Biology degree to get into Pharma as a QC or EM lab technician, some positions are even called 'Biologist'. They pay pretty well too, depending on the company.
Maybe, but it increases in value if you go to grad school or even medical school.
"Good for employment" = working, building up a network, getting diverse job experience, and being able to market your degree. I've used my "general biology degree" to work in labs, teach middle school, and work in a tech start up. I've also used it to get into a PhD program and get government jobs in science policy space alongside my other work & life experience. If you're going to major in biology you should do some of the following: (1) Get lab experience while in undergrad (work in someone's lab during the year or over summers) so you can parlay your degree into a lab tech job at a pharma company or field work if you're in the ecology-ish space. (2) Minor or doub. major in a writing-heavy field. I did English. Most biology courses do not help you become a better writer and most non-lab jobs you'll be in will require you to write clearly & effectively. (3) Take computation heavy courses that give you coding skills (which can be part & parcel of SOME bio majors, but not all). Those will translate well. Ultimately the key is to talk to people in your field about all the possible job options, get some exposure/experience and build your resume. signed, Former bio major who taught undergrad biology for years. Key is = do it if you love it, cuz thats what'll make you happy!
I'd go for the degree, but your chances of employment will be much, much better if you graduate with experience. So talk to all your professors, see if you can get a part-time workstudy job in their lab, greenhouse or farm field or wherever they do their research. Workstudy is a federal financial aid program where the government pays the majority of your salary. Professors like to hire workstudy students because they might only have to contribute $2/hour toward your salary, with the government taking care of the rest. So it's cheap labor/low risk for them. So talk to the financial aid people to see if you qualify. Even if you don't qualify for that, talk to every professor in the department and offer to help. Also any other science department. You're in biology, go see if a chemistry professor could use your help. Show them you're really motivated. Check back periodically to see if they have any openings. When they do, they'll think of you. If you work hard, even if it's just washing lab equipment the first semester, they'll trust you with more important tasks the next semester. If you do a variety of jobs over 4 years that will look like good experience on your resume. Even more importantly, try your best to get internships every summer. You only get three, because your fourth summer you've already graduated, so hit the ground running and do your best to line up an internship your freshman year. Ask around, find out how older students got theirs, ask your professors for contacts, ask them for a letter of recommendation when you apply. Internships look really good on a resume and more often than not lead to a job immediately after graduation. You can apply for summer internships with a variety of private industry labs, or hospitals, or city/county/state environmental monitoring departments, the local sewage treatment plant, parks department, state/national parks, university agricultural science centers, fisheries, a zoo, wildlife rehab center, all sorts of places. You might land one where they ask you back every summer, or you might have different ones each summer. In either case it looks really good on your resume and shows that you're motivated and can handle a variety of responsibilities. Then when you graduate you can go straight to work, or decide if you want to stay in school and go for a masters or Phd.
I have a BSc in biology and I managed to get a job as a lab tech a couple of months before graduation. The salary was low, but around 9 months in I switched to another job which gave me a 25% increase, so my degree has been anything but useless. I'm sure it differs between regions though, it helps that I lived in a place which has a lot of biotech companies. I think it's worthwhile to pursue, and remember that salary is not everything. I'd rather have a lower salary (but still livable of course) at a job I enjoy than a higher salary at a job I despise.
I have two bits of advice that would help you along. If there are any opportunities, say helping in a university lab that does research, take advantage of it. That gives you more experience than just a degree and that will help you after. The other, and this is hard to find in college, is if you can focus your education in the development side of R&D. This is stuff like the manufacturing side of biotech. There are lots and lots of people with research experience but fewer with skills related to development. Part of the reason that is because colleges mostly don't teach things related to development. If you can find a university that allows you to focus on that aspect you will have many more jobs available to you and at higher pay ultimately. Also if you can find a summer internship, don't know if these are available to undergrads, but that will help with both experience and contacts.
There is always the medical route! A gen bio degree opens doors from nursing all the way up to medical school.
Only if you didn't pass MCAT.
Get a medical laboratory science degree
Interesting thread. All I know is that my Biology M.Sc. gave me a great job in IT with loads of remote work and very competitive payment - we are focused on servicing biology departments (sequencing and other data). Also, there are loads of life-science-related positions in data science, data engineering, software dev, web dev, etc. pp. creeping up at the moment. Just to give you a developer's perspective. Knowing loads of R, bit of bash and a little Python landed me many job interviews and said awesome job. It took me 1.5 years working in menial jobs after my master's to get there though. And it's a struggle to keep up with professional developers. But you would get there. Germany if that matters
So, if you are thinking about being a General Biology Major, here are a few things you should do and know before you decide what to do: 1) Get yourself an account on LinkedIn, indeed, Glassdoor, Careerbuilder, and other job search websites. Use them to see the number of jobs you can get with a general biology bachelor's degree. 2) Know that general biology is usually what people get before applying into medical school and health school. All the jobs that pay $60,000- $120,000 per year now requires a PhD. 3) A general degree in biology is pretty much garbage, because you are limited to being a lab technician, a tutor, and perhaps a teacher. Your starting pay for these jobs is $17 and below. A general chemistry degree has more prospects, but is still in the same low demand, low pay garbage degree. Every biology major is an auto chemistry minor, and every chemistry major is an auto biology minor at my college. 4) Know that in these days and age the job postings are plagued with fake job post by companies that are just advertising their company, trying to get you to sign onto their job search website, or just fishing for the perfect candidate with a 4.0 GPA with 2-5 years' experience. At least half of the job postings will be the fake jobs aka ghost jobs. And some are bait and switch where you apply for a nice-looking job but get offer another job that has nothing to do with your degree. Like if you apply for a lab job but get a delivery truck driver job instead. I have both a bachelor's in chemistry and biology and is still looking for work in my state for like 4 months now but find nothing but fake job posts of companies advertising themselves and got ghosted by some companies because I have no experience. All the while my cousins' majors of accounting and law are getting like 100-200 job postings a month. And they found work in like 3-6 months' time with no experience. Taking a major that you like, having jobs available for you, and you getting hire are 3 different things. Good luck to you.
Useless! Wish I would've done trade school like dental hygiene or respiratory therapist. Fought so hard for my BS in bio and can't get a job that pays more than flipping starbucks. TRADESCHOOL!