Biologists

Employers

Approximately 133,050 biological scientists are employed in the United States. Many biological scientists work for federal, state, or local government agencies. The majority of those who do not work for the government are involved in the drug industry, which includes pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, biotechnology companies, and laboratories. The area in which biologists work is influenced by their specialties. Marine biologists, for example, can find employment with the U.S. Department of the Interior (National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They may also find employment in nongovernmental agencies, such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts. Microbiologists can find employment with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Agriculture, among others. They may also work for pharmaceutical, food, agricultural, geological, environmental, and pollution control companies. Wildlife biologists can find employment with the U.S. Public Health Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service, among many others.

Starting Out

Biologists who are interested in becoming teachers should consult their college career services offices. Public and private high schools and an increasing number of colleges hire teachers through the colleges at which they studied. Private employment agencies also place a significant number of teachers. Some teaching positions are filled through direct application.

Biologists interested in private industry and nonprofit organizations may also apply directly for employment. Major organizations that employ biologists often interview college seniors on campus. Private and public employment offices frequently have listings from these employers. Experienced biologists often change positions as a result of contacts made at professional seminars and national conventions.

Special application procedures are required for positions with government agencies. Civil service applications for federal, state, and municipal positions may be obtained by contacting the agency involved and from high school and college guidance and placement bureaus, public employment agencies, and post offices. You can also learn more about jobs at USAJOBS (https://www.usajobs.gov), the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's Web site.