Biotechnology offers a wider range of career choices than many other fields. You can choose among different types of employers, different roles within an organization, different work environments, and different paths for future advancement.
A Choice of Employers
The knowledge and skills required for a job in biotechnology are highly transferable. In industry, you can work for a pharmaceutical, medical device, food, agricultural, or chemical company. You might also work for a government agency or in a university.
Salaries
Whatever career path you choose, you can often earn a higher salary if you pursue that career in the field of biotechnology. That's because biotechnology companies often pay competitive salaries to attract and retain employees who have the specialized knowledge and skills they require. The career profiles, from the links on the left, provide information on salaries for specific careers in biotechnology.
A Choice of Work
Biotechnology careers have expanded well beyond the research laboratory as innovative ideas move to practical applications in the marketplace. Today there are many different jobs you can do in a biotechnology or related bioscience company:
As a scientist, you can research the structure of a human protein involved in disease.
As a laboratory technician, you can do exciting experiments to learn about that protein.
As an engineer, you can design, build, or supervise a biomanufacturing facility to make this new product.
As a process technician, you can operate a three-story-high bioreactor growing thousands of gallons of cells that make the new protein.
As a facilities technician, you can troubleshoot and repair equipment malfunctions to keep the process running smoothly.
As a clinical research associate, you can oversee a large clinical trial to investigate the safety of this new pharmaceutical.
A Choice of Environments
Jobs are available in many different types of industries, companies, and organizations:
You can work in a fast-paced business environment, a cutting-edge research lab, a high-tech manufacturing facility, or in a greenhouse or agricultural research station.
You can work exclusively at one location or travel—even globally—on a regular basis to meet with customers or inspect manufacturing operations.
You can wear a business suit, lab coat, protective gear, clean room gown, or coveralls and work boots.
You can work a traditional 9-to-5, Monday-through-Friday schedule or work on different shifts.
You can work in a city or small town. Biotechnology is a global industry—you can work anywhere in the world.
You can work in a classroom educating future scientists and technicians.
You can work mostly with your head to generate new ideas or solve problems; mostly with your hands to operate or fix things; or you can use mind and hands more or less equally.