What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Microbiologists in the U.S. earn more than $87,990 a year — the middle 80% land between $54,670 and $150,000. About 18,940 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Microbiologists”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$87,990typical pay / year
18,940people in this work
$150,000+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Analysing2
Isolate microorganisms from samples
+From the nasal swabs collected Monday from Ward B, culture and isolate viable organisms, run colony…
Isolate microorganisms from samples
+From the nasal swabs collected Monday from Ward B, culture and isolate viable organisms, run colony morphology and Gram stain on suspected colonies, freeze single-colony isolates in glycerol stocks, and log isolate metadata and plate photos before 5pm Wednesday.
The tools that do the workBD Biosciences CellQuestjob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Plan and conduct research projects
+Draft a three-month research plan to investigate seasonal variation in hospital surface flora, list…
Plan and conduct research projects
+Draft a three-month research plan to investigate seasonal variation in hospital surface flora, list hypotheses, required samples, sample sizes, methods, biosafety steps, consumables and milestones, then circulate to Dr. Morales and the lab techs for review on Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Keeping the record2
Supervise laboratory staff
+Prepare the weekly rota, assign bench supervisors for Monday to Friday covering shifts and on-call, note…
Supervise laboratory staff
+Prepare the weekly rota, assign bench supervisors for Monday to Friday covering shifts and on-call, note training gaps for two technicians and schedule a competency check by next Wednesday, then circulate the final rota to staff and the department head.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Document research findings
+Compile the latest experiment logs, microscopy images, and plate reader tables into a concise results report,…
Document research findings
+Compile the latest experiment logs, microscopy images, and plate reader tables into a concise results report, annotate key figures, state statistical tests used and conclusions, then submit the report and materials to the principal investigator by Thursday noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Make1
Develop new laboratory methods
+Pilot the new rapid PCR extraction protocol on five positive control samples and five negatives, record…
Develop new laboratory methods
+Pilot the new rapid PCR extraction protocol on five positive control samples and five negatives, record yields, hands-on time, and reagent consumption, compare with the legacy method, and write up a short SOP draft for the technical review by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
The daily work13
Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment.
+Provide diagnostic laboratory services and test results to the Riverside County Public Health lab, the…
Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment.
+Provide diagnostic laboratory services and test results to the Riverside County Public Health lab, the community environmental health team, and Dr. Alvarez’s clinic for patient diagnosis and treatment decisions, confirming sample chain of custody before release.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Conduct chemical analyses of substances such as acids, alcohols, and enzymes.
+Run and report chemical analyses of unknown workplace samples for the county toxicology unit, identifying…
Conduct chemical analyses of substances such as acids, alcohols, and enzymes.
+Run and report chemical analyses of unknown workplace samples for the county toxicology unit, identifying acids, alcohols and enzymatic activity, include method, detection limits, and interpretive comments for the industrial hygienist.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Research use of bacteria and microorganisms to develop vitamins, antibiotics, amino acids, grain alcohol, sugars, and polymers.
+Design and document experiments using bacterial strains to screen for production of vitamins and antibiotics,…
Research use of bacteria and microorganisms to develop vitamins, antibiotics, amino acids, grain alcohol, sugars, and polymers.
+Design and document experiments using bacterial strains to screen for production of vitamins and antibiotics, outline fermentation conditions, target yields, and safety controls, then prepare an internal research plan for the lab director.
The tools that do the workBasic Local Alignment Search Tool BLASTMicrosoft WordO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Investigate contamination issues
+Investigate the recent contamination in the food processing line, collect and culture swabs, map…
Investigate contamination issues
+Investigate the recent contamination in the food processing line, collect and culture swabs, map contamination points, reconcile batch records with environmental sampling, and deliver corrective actions to plant quality managers by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Perform laboratory experiments
+Set up and run the next series of lab experiments to test viral stability under three temperatures, list…
Perform laboratory experiments
+Set up and run the next series of lab experiments to test viral stability under three temperatures, list consumables, experimental steps, controls, and expected turnaround so the team can start Wednesday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Monitor infectious disease control
+Monitor and report infectious disease trends for the county surveillance program, review incoming PCR and…
Monitor infectious disease control
+Monitor and report infectious disease trends for the county surveillance program, review incoming PCR and serology results, flag any unusual clusters to the epidemiologist, and update the weekly dashboard by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Clinical cytology
+Prepare the clinical cytology report for Mrs. Elena Marquez from ward 6B: confirm specimen IDs, describe…
Clinical cytology
+Prepare the clinical cytology report for Mrs. Elena Marquez from ward 6B: confirm specimen IDs, describe cellular morphology and presence of atypia, attach representative photomicrographs, note relevant clinical history, and route to Dr. Singh for sign-off by Thursday noon.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Pathogenic microorganisms
+Compile the pathogenic microorganism summary for the weekly infectious disease meeting: extract positive…
Pathogenic microorganisms
+Compile the pathogenic microorganism summary for the weekly infectious disease meeting: extract positive culture IDs, list organism ID and resistance markers, highlight any unusual isolates or outbreaks, include recommended containment steps, and circulate to Infection Control and Dr. Patel by Tuesday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelAssistant Software for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Interpretation ASASIESCOsee the evidence ↗
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Collaborate with healthcare and research teams
+Set up a shared case review: collate relevant culture results, recent PCR and cytology notes, draft an agenda…
Collaborate with healthcare and research teams
+Set up a shared case review: collate relevant culture results, recent PCR and cytology notes, draft an agenda with open questions for the infectious diseases team and the research lab, and send to Dr. Patel, Nurse Lee, and Prof. Grant for Thursday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Wordjob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Evaluate effectiveness of treatments
+Evaluate treatment outcomes by linking pre‑ and post‑therapy culture and viral load data, calculate responder…
Evaluate effectiveness of treatments
+Evaluate treatment outcomes by linking pre‑ and post‑therapy culture and viral load data, calculate responder rates and confidence intervals, highlight possible resistance signals, and produce a one‑page conclusion for the clinical trials manager by next Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Increase scientific knowledge through research
+Design the next lab study: draft objectives, list required strains, assays and controls, estimate timeline…
Increase scientific knowledge through research
+Design the next lab study: draft objectives, list required strains, assays and controls, estimate timeline and sample numbers, and prepare a two‑paragraph rationale for the grant team to review on Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Counteract the effects of microorganisms in animals, environment, food industry, or health care industry
+Draft an intervention plan to reduce contamination: summarise current contamination sources, propose three…
Counteract the effects of microorganisms in animals, environment, food industry, or health care industry
+Draft an intervention plan to reduce contamination: summarise current contamination sources, propose three control measures with required materials and training needs, estimate impact on infection rates, and send to the quality manager and plant operations by Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelESCO
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Perform scientific research
+Compile the literature and recent lab data into a research note: state the knowledge gap, list experimental…
Perform scientific research
+Compile the literature and recent lab data into a research note: state the knowledge gap, list experimental approaches, attach preliminary datasets, and circulate to Prof. Grant and the departmental review committee before next Friday.
The tools that do the workBasic Local Alignment Search Tool BLASTMicrosoft WordESCOsee the evidence ↗
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Says who?
These are the pages we read to build this. Open any of them and check us.
The logs, files & records this job keeps
Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
The rest of the map
Same library, five ways in.
Copyright © LLOS.ai · 2026 — original pedagogy, voice, and design — all rights reserved.
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses