Biologists
Biologist, Research Biologist, Research Scientist, Scientist
What they do:
Research or study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and functions.
On the job, you would:
- Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.
- Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings.
- Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment.
Knowledge
Math and Science
- biology
- arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Arts and Humanities
- English language
Safety and Government
- law and government
Business
- management
Skills
Basic Skills
- using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems
- listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Problem Solving
- noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
- thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
- figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
Abilities
Verbal
- communicate by speaking
- communicate by writing
Ideas and Logic
- make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
- group things in different ways
Math
- choose the right type of math to solve a problem
- add, subtract, multiply, or divide
Memory
- remember words, numbers, pictures, or steps
Personality
People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
- Attention to Detail
- Cooperation
- Integrity
- Analytical Thinking
- Initiative
- Dependability
Technology
You might use software like this on the job:
Analytical or scientific software
- Minitab
- Visual Molecular Dynamics VMD
Presentation software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
Object or component oriented development software
- Perl
- R
Education
Education: (rated 5 of 5)
master's degree or
bachelor's degree
usually needed
bachelor's degree
usually needed
Job Outlook
Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Explore More
- Geneticists
- Microbiologists
- Molecular & Cellular Biologists
- Soil & Plant Scientists
- Zoologists & Wildlife Biologists
You might like a career in one of these industries:
See more details at O*NET OnLine about biologists.