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Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
Genentech, Pfizer, Moderna
Biological Scientists, All Other
These scientists work with biological data more often than with lab benches, turning large sets of DNA, RNA, protein, or clinical information into usable conclusions. The job stands out because it blends biology, coding, and data analysis, but the tradeoff is that the work can be highly specialized and often requires advanced training to move beyond support roles.
Also known as Bioinformatics ScientistComputational BiologistBioinformatics AnalystGenomics Data ScientistBiological Data Scientist
Median Salary
$93,330
Mean $100,440
U.S. Workforce
~60K
4.8K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+1.2%
63.7K to 64.5K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Biological Scientists, All Other sits in the Science category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~60K workers, with a median annual pay of $93,330 and roughly 4.8K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 63.7 K in 2024 to 64.5K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Post-Doctoral Training, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Research Assistant and can progress toward Principal Scientist / Research Lead. High-value skills usually include Science & Research Methods, Python, R & Statistical Software, and Genomic Databases, BLAST & Ensembl, paired with soft skills such as Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, and Writing.
Core Responsibilities
- Read new research papers and conference updates to keep up with tools, methods, and software changes.
- Clean up large biological datasets and look for patterns in DNA, RNA, protein, or clinical data.
- Build and maintain databases and analysis pipelines so research teams can store and reuse their data.
- Work with researchers and IT staff to choose analysis methods, solve technical problems, and plan computing workflows.
Keep exploring: more Science careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Read new research papers and conference updates to keep up with tools, methods, and software changes.
02 Clean up large biological datasets and look for patterns in DNA, RNA, protein, or clinical data.
03 Build and maintain databases and analysis pipelines so research teams can store and reuse their data.
04 Work with researchers and IT staff to choose analysis methods, solve technical problems, and plan computing workflows.
05 Turn results into reports, papers, slide decks, or conference presentations that other scientists can use.
06 Help direct technicians or junior staff who are using bioinformatics tools on research projects.
Industries That Hire
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Genomics & Diagnostics
Illumina, Thermo Fisher Scientific, 23andMe
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Academic & Medical Research
Broad Institute, Mayo Clinic, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
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Agricultural Biotechnology
Corteva, Bayer Crop Science, Syngenta
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Life Sciences Software & Tools
QIAGEN, DNAnexus, Benchling
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is solid: the mean annual wage is $100,440 and the median is $93,330, which is strong for a science role that is still fairly specialized.
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The work is intellectually demanding in a good way, combining biology with computing, statistics, and problem-solving instead of routine bench work alone.
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There are about 4.8 thousand annual openings, so people do move into and out of the field each year even though overall growth is slow.
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The role can open doors across pharma, diagnostics, academia, agriculture, and research software, so your skills are not locked to one narrow employer type.
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A lot of the job is computer-based, which makes hybrid or remote setups more realistic than in many laboratory-only science jobs.
Challenges
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Growth is only 1.2% from 2024 to 2034, so this is not a fast-expanding field and competition can be strong for the best jobs.
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The total job base is relatively small at 59,710 workers, which limits the number of openings in any one city or company.
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The education bar is high: although BLS lists a bachelor's degree for entry, the real-world distribution skews heavily toward post-doctoral training, master's degrees, and doctorates.
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In academia and grant-funded research, your work can depend on funding cycles and project priorities, so job stability can be uneven.
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Some of the routine analysis and database work can be standardized or automated, which means the safest career path is usually toward more advanced interpretation and project leadership.
Career Progression
Research Assistant
0-2 years
$52K-$70K
Entry-level work usually focuses on cleaning data, running standard analyses, and helping senior scientists with reports and database updates.
Bioinformatics Analyst
2-5 years
$71K-$92K
At this level, you handle more of the analysis yourself, build repeatable workflows, and work directly with researchers on project decisions.
Biological Scientists, All Other THIS ROLE
5-10 years
$93K-$115K
This is the core independent role, where you design analyses, interpret large datasets, and present findings to scientific teams.
Senior Scientist
10-15 years
$116K-$145K
Senior scientists lead complex projects, review the work of others, and help set the technical direction for a lab or research group.
Principal Scientist / Research Lead
15+ years
$146K-$185K
At the top level, the work shifts toward strategy, high-stakes problem solving, and managing major research programs or cross-team collaborations.
Education Paths
Post-Doctoral Training
The most common route, held by 31.14% of workers in this role, is post-doctoral training after graduate school in a highly specialized research area.
Master's Degree
A master's degree is used by 27.75% of workers and is a common entry point for applied bioinformatics, data analysis, and research support work.
Bachelor's Degree
A bachelor's degree is held by 20.67% of workers, but many people with this path add research projects or coding experience before they are competitive for the role.
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Bioinformatics
A post-baccalaureate certificate is a smaller pathway, reflected in 1.0% of workers, and usually works best as an add-on to a biology, computer science, or data background.
Key Skills
Technical
Science & Research Methods 86%
Python, R & Statistical Software 84%
Genomic Databases, BLAST & Ensembl 83%
SQL, PostgreSQL & Database Design 81%
Bioinformatics Pipelines, Nextflow, Snakemake & Bash 80%
Data Visualization, ggplot2, Tableau & Reporting 78%
Soft Skills
Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingWritingActive ListeningSpeakingComplex Problem Solving Job Outlook and Trends
+1.2%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
4.8K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 63.7K to 64.5 K over the next decade, representing 1.2% growth. Around 4.8 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently High availability. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.