How much does a microbiologist make?

The median pay is $42.30 per hour — roughly $88,000 a year, with the real range running from about $26.28/hr (10th percentile) to $72.12/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a microbiologist?

The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).

What does a microbiologist actually do all day?

Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in prescribed or developed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition. Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment. Monitor and perform tests on water, food, and the environment to detect harmful microorganisms or to obtain information about sources of pollution, contamination, or infection.

Science

Microbiologists

Investigate the growth, structure, development, and other characteristics of microscopic organisms, such as bacteria, algae, or fungi. Includes medical microbiologists who study the relationship between organisms and disease or the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms.

What it pays
Microbiologists earn a median of $42.30/hr — about $88,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $26.28/hr; the top 10% earn $72.12/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in prescribed or developed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition.
Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment.
Monitor and perform tests on water, food, and the environment to detect harmful microorganisms or to obtain information about sources of pollution, contamination, or infection.
Examine physiological, morphological, and cultural characteristics, using microscope, to identify and classify microorganisms in human, water, and food specimens.
Supervise biological technologists and technicians and other scientists.
Use a variety of specialized equipment, such as electron microscopes, gas and high-pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence-activated cell sorters, and phosphorimagers.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the day is spent working solo; time pressure is a real part of the job; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 1.3% of microbiologists are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are analytical, hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a microbiologist make?: The median pay is $42.30 per hour — roughly $88,000 a year, with the real range running from about $26.28/hr (10th percentile) to $72.12/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a microbiologist?: The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
What does a microbiologist actually do all day?: Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in prescribed or developed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition. Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment. Monitor and perform tests on water, food, and the environment to detect harmful microorganisms or to obtain information about sources of pollution, contamination, or infection.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.