How to Become a Biologist
Study living things and how they work, in labs, in the field and for agencies and industry. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $98,920 per year and slower than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$98,920/yr
Middle half
$76,800 to $127,670
Job growth
Slower than average
Openings / yr
4,800
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Research
- Lab Techniques
- Data Analysis
- Scientific Writing
Related careers
- Physicist$172,250 median
- Natural Sciences Manager$167,220 median
- Astronomer$128,820 median
- Biochemist$127,410 median
- Biostatistician$105,650 median
- Statistician$105,650 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Biologist make?
The median pay for a Biologist is $98,920 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $76,800 and $127,670 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Biologist?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Biology, Neuroscience, Zoology, and Wildlife and Fisheries.
Is Biologist a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is slower than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 4,800 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Biologist use most?
Common skills for this role are Research, Lab Techniques, Data Analysis, and Scientific Writing.
Planning to become a Biologist?
Save this career to your PlanexAI path and track the majors, courses, and milestones that lead to it.
Not sure this is right for you?
Take our free 2-minute quiz to match your interests to majors and careers.
Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).