What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Biological Scientists, All Other in the U.S. earn more than $98,920 a year — the middle 80% land between $60,430 and $168,010. About 55,850 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Biological Scientists, All Other”. (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).
$98,920typical pay / year
55,850people in this work
$168,010+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.
Analysing4
Conduct research in biology
+Design and run the lab protocol to test microbial survival in simulated Mars regolith, prepare reagents and…
Conduct research in biology
+Design and run the lab protocol to test microbial survival in simulated Mars regolith, prepare reagents and controls, record concentrations and assay results, check raw instrument traces for anomalies, then draft the methods and results section for the grant report by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workLinuxjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Perform tests and experiments
+Run the soil chemistry assay series on the drill samples this week: follow the enzyme-linked protocol, log…
Perform tests and experiments
+Run the soil chemistry assay series on the drill samples this week: follow the enzyme-linked protocol, log reagent lots and incubation times, capture absorbance at 450 nm, and save raw instrument files plus a short lab note describing anomalies.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelESCOjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Observe organism behaviors and habitats
+Spend the morning at the field enclosure observing microbe consortiums: record ten-minute focal follows on…
Observe organism behaviors and habitats
+Spend the morning at the field enclosure observing microbe consortiums: record ten-minute focal follows on feeding behaviour for three individuals, note habitat parameters, and produce timestamped observation sheets for later coding.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISjob descriptionsO*NET
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Collect samples and measurements
+Collect five regolith cores along the transect at 10‑metre intervals tomorrow morning: label cores with GPS…
Collect samples and measurements
+Collect five regolith cores along the transect at 10‑metre intervals tomorrow morning: label cores with GPS coordinates, measure depth and moisture in situ, photograph each core, and log samples in the chain-of-custody sheet before freezing.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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Keeping the record1
Prepare research reports and presentations
+Write the quarterly research report and a 15‑minute slide deck for the institute seminar: include methods,…
Prepare research reports and presentations
+Write the quarterly research report and a 15‑minute slide deck for the institute seminar: include methods, controls, key figures with captions, a table of raw counts, and an executive summary for the director by Friday noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work21
Use laboratory equipment to develop or improve chemical-based products
+Design and run reaction trials on the new perchlorate-neutralizing formulation using the mass spectrometer…
Use laboratory equipment to develop or improve chemical-based products
+Design and run reaction trials on the new perchlorate-neutralizing formulation using the mass spectrometer and heated reactor rack, record yields and impurity profiles, iterate concentrations to improve conversion by Monday and note any safety anomalies.
The tools that do the workLinuxESCO
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Compile reports
+Assemble the mission-week laboratory report: summarise experimental aims, methods, instrument runs,…
Compile reports
+Assemble the mission-week laboratory report: summarise experimental aims, methods, instrument runs, analytical results and uncertainty estimates, attach spectra and chromatograms, and circulate to Dr. Ramirez and the geology group by Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft PowerPointESCO
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Maintain laboratory stock
+Check current stocks of reagents, solvents and consumables against last month’s usage log, place orders to…
Maintain laboratory stock
+Check current stocks of reagents, solvents and consumables against last month’s usage log, place orders to restock critical items under ten percent remaining, and update the shared inventory log before Friday so planned campaigns aren’t delayed.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelESCO
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Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.
+Ingest the new instrument throughput CSV, validate timestamps and calibration flags, compute derived spectral…
Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.
+Ingest the new instrument throughput CSV, validate timestamps and calibration flags, compute derived spectral indices and detection confidence, store the cleaned tables in the project data archive, and produce a short QA report with flagged rows and summary stats by sensor.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelLinuxO*NET
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Supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists.
+Schedule weekly lab briefings, review each technician's assay logs and contamination reports, reassign…
Supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists.
+Schedule weekly lab briefings, review each technician's assay logs and contamination reports, reassign workloads to clear the backlog of culture prep, and draft concise corrective actions for the safety officer by Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Write grant proposals to obtain funding for biological research.
+Outline a three-year funding narrative that frames the biological objectives, preliminary data from our…
Write grant proposals to obtain funding for biological research.
+Outline a three-year funding narrative that frames the biological objectives, preliminary data from our sample return work, milestone experiments, budget tables tied to personnel and consumables, and a one-page impact statement for the program officer.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Prepare requests for proposals or statements of work.
+Draft the technical statement of work describing objectives, deliverables, sample handling chain-of-custody,…
Prepare requests for proposals or statements of work.
+Draft the technical statement of work describing objectives, deliverables, sample handling chain-of-custody, performance metrics, and inspection criteria for the contractor, plus an estimated schedule and invoicing milestones.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Represent employer in a technical capacity at conferences.
+Prepare a conference presentation that explains our latest biosignature detection method, includes…
Represent employer in a technical capacity at conferences.
+Prepare a conference presentation that explains our latest biosignature detection method, includes representative spectra and error bars, an outline of implications for planetary protection, and a two-slide biography and contact information.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointAdobe PhotoshopO*NET
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Prepare plans for management of renewable resources.
+Develop a management plan for microbial and plant resources on the analog test site that sets harvest…
Prepare plans for management of renewable resources.
+Develop a management plan for microbial and plant resources on the analog test site that sets harvest schedules, monitoring protocols, biosecurity controls, and adaptive thresholds tied to seasonal water availability and team staffing.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESRI ArcGISO*NET
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Measure salinity, acidity, light, oxygen content, and other physical conditions of water to determine their relationship to aquatic life.
+Collect water at the three south bay sites this morning, measure salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and light…
Measure salinity, acidity, light, oxygen content, and other physical conditions of water to determine their relationship to aquatic life.
+Collect water at the three south bay sites this morning, measure salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and light penetration on-site, log instrument calibrations and sample IDs, then upload the validated dataset and send a short summary to Mara and the lab tech by 1600.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Develop pest management and control measures, and conduct risk assessments related to pest exclusion, using scientific methods.
+Survey the cargo hold and exterior entry points on the lander, run the quarantine risk checklist, rate…
Develop pest management and control measures, and conduct risk assessments related to pest exclusion, using scientific methods.
+Survey the cargo hold and exterior entry points on the lander, run the quarantine risk checklist, rate likelihood and consequence for each pest pathway, propose three exclusion measures with estimated effort and send the risk memo to Helena in biosecurity and to mission ops by end of day Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Analyze research data
+Compile the experiment logs and instrument outputs from sols 12–40, clean and normalize the variables, run…
Analyze research data
+Compile the experiment logs and instrument outputs from sols 12–40, clean and normalize the variables, run the summary stats and regression to test the food-web hypotheses, then produce a figures-ready table and send results to Prieto and the PI by Tuesday morning.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS Statisticsjob descriptions
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Maintain detailed records of observations
+Consolidate the day and night observation sheets, transcribe timestamped notes and instrument readouts,…
Maintain detailed records of observations
+Consolidate the day and night observation sheets, transcribe timestamped notes and instrument readouts, attach photos and calibration logs, then save the master observation file and notify the archive team and field lead before leaving the station.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Accessjob descriptions
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Tag and track animal movements
+Fit satellite tags to the three tagged organisms at the north pond, record tag IDs, release coordinates and…
Tag and track animal movements
+Fit satellite tags to the three tagged organisms at the north pond, record tag IDs, release coordinates and behavior at release, upload the initial ping and battery test to the tracking database, and email the movement sheet to Diego and the telemetry lead by 1800.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISjob descriptions
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Investigate environmental impacts of species
+Survey the impacted shoreline, collect presence–absence and abundance data for the focal species, compare to…
Investigate environmental impacts of species
+Survey the impacted shoreline, collect presence–absence and abundance data for the focal species, compare to baseline transects, run a simple effect-size calculation and write a one-page impact summary with recommended mitigations for the habitat team by Friday noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Operate scientific equipment
+Run the mass spectrometer sequence for the rock sample from Gale Crater, verify calibration with the NIST…
Operate scientific equipment
+Run the mass spectrometer sequence for the rock sample from Gale Crater, verify calibration with the NIST standard run, log instrument temps and voltages, and flag any spectra with signal-to-noise below 10 before I leave at 18:00.
The tools that do the workLinuxjob descriptions
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Study life on Earth, including cells and organisms
+Prepare slides and stain coastal soil cultures from the polar analog site, image cells at 1000x, measure cell…
Study life on Earth, including cells and organisms
+Prepare slides and stain coastal soil cultures from the polar analog site, image cells at 1000x, measure cell dimensions and morphology for the report due Tuesday, and note any contamination or unusual fluorescence.
The tools that do the workIBM SPSS StatisticsWikipedia
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Specialize in a particular branch of biology
+Design and run the enzyme assay panel focusing on extremophile thermotolerance, record reaction rates at 20,…
Specialize in a particular branch of biology
+Design and run the enzyme assay panel focusing on extremophile thermotolerance, record reaction rates at 20, 40, 60 degrees, and write up methods and preliminary kinetics for the specialist seminar next Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelWikipedia
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Advance knowledge about the natural world
+Plan the next month of field and lab work to test the microbe–mineral interaction hypothesis, draft the…
Advance knowledge about the natural world
+Plan the next month of field and lab work to test the microbe–mineral interaction hypothesis, draft the experimental design with sample sizes, predicted outcomes, and required consumables so I can request funding from the department by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelWikipedia
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Develop applications such as in biotechnology
+Prototype a microfluidic assay for detecting conserved biosignatures, run three proof-of-concept chips,…
Develop applications such as in biotechnology
+Prototype a microfluidic assay for detecting conserved biosignatures, run three proof-of-concept chips, compare outputs to controls, and write a short tech note for the biotech partner meeting next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workC++Wikipedia
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Work in various sectors like academia, nonprofits, industry, or government
+Compile the last two years of published and internal results on planetary analog microbiology, summarise…
Work in various sectors like academia, nonprofits, industry, or government
+Compile the last two years of published and internal results on planetary analog microbiology, summarise differences across academia, industry, and government projects, and prepare a two-page brief for the division chief by Monday noon.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISMicrosoft PowerPointWikipedia
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses