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Biological Scientist job outlook
Biological scientists can expect to face
competition for jobs. After a recent period of rapid expansion in research
funding, moderate growth in research grants should drive average employment
growth over the next decade.
Employment change. Employment of
biological scientists is projected to grow 9 percent over the 2006-16 decade,
about as fast as the average
for all occupations, as biotechnological research and development continues to
drive job growth. The Federal Government funds much basic research and
development, including many areas of medical research that relate to biological
science. Recent budget increases at the National Institutes of Health have led
to large increases in Federal basic research and development expenditures, with
research grants growing both in number and dollar amount. Nevertheless, the
increase in expenditures has slowed substantially and is not expected to match
its past growth over the 2006-16 projection period. This may result in a highly
competitive environment for winning and renewing research grants.
Biological scientists enjoyed very rapid employment
gains since the 1980s—reflecting, in part, the growth of biotechnology
companies. Employment growth should slow somewhat, as fewer new biotechnology
firms are founded and existing firms merge or are absorbed by larger
biotechnology or pharmaceutical firms. Some companies may conduct a portion of
their research and development in other lower-wage countries, further limiting
employment growth. However, much of the basic biological research done in recent
years has resulted in new knowledge, including the isolation and identification
of genes. Biological scientists will be needed to take this knowledge to the
next stage, which is the understanding how certain genes function within an
entire organism, so that medical treatments can be developed to treat various
diseases. Even pharmaceutical and other firms not solely engaged in
biotechnology use biotechnology techniques extensively, spurring employment
increases for biological scientists. For example, biological scientists are
continuing to help farmers increase crop yields by pinpointing genes that can
help crops such as wheat grow worldwide in areas that currently are hostile to
the crop. Continued work on chronic diseases should also lead to growing demand
for biological scientists.
In addition, efforts to discover new and improved
ways to clean up and preserve the environment will continue to add to job
growth. More biological scientists will be needed to determine the environmental
impact of industry and government actions and to prevent or correct
environmental problems such as the negative effects of pesticide use. Some
biological scientists will find opportunities in environmental regulatory
agencies, while others will use their expertise to advise lawmakers on
legislation to save environmentally sensitive areas. New industrial applications
of biotechnology, such as new methods for making ethanol for transportation
fuel, also will spur demand for biological scientists.
There will continue to be demand for biological
scientists specializing in botany, zoology, and marine biology, but
opportunities will be limited because of the small size of these fields. Marine
biology, despite its attractiveness as a career, is a very small specialty
within biological science.
Job prospects. Doctoral degree
holders are expected to face
competition for basic research positions. Furthermore, should the number of
advanced degrees awarded continue to grow, applicants for research grants are
likely to face even more competition. Currently, about 1 in 4 grant proposals
are approved for long-term research projects. In addition, applied research
positions in private industry may become more difficult to obtain if increasing
numbers of scientists seek jobs in private industry because of the competitive
job market for independent research positions in universities and for college
and university faculty.
Prospective marine biology students should be aware
that those who would like to enter this specialty far outnumber the very few
openings that occur each year for the type of glamorous research jobs that many
would like to obtain. Almost all marine biologists who do basic research have a
Ph.D.
People with bachelor’s and master’s degrees are
expected to have more opportunities in nonscientist jobs related to biology. The
number of science-related jobs in sales, marketing, and research management is
expected to exceed the number of independent research positions. Non-Ph.D.s also
may fill positions as science or engineering technicians or as medical health
technologists and technicians. Some become high school biology teachers.
Biological scientists are less likely to lose their
jobs during recessions than are those in many other occupations because many are
employed on long-term research projects. However, an economic downturn could
influence the amount of money allocated to new research and development efforts,
particularly in areas of risky or innovative research. An economic downturn also
could limit the possibility of extension or renewal of existing projects.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition
Find related resources below:
Biological Scientist Income
Biological Scientist Training and Qualifications
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