Career outlook for biologist
Figures and forecasts for roles at the same level, which require similar skills and qualifications.
Average UK salary
£42,120
Currently employed in Scotland
7,500
Five year job forecast
+5.21%
"LMI for All" supplies our salary and employment status information. "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures.
What's it like?
You'd study living things like plants and animals and the world around them to increase our knowledge and understanding of them, the environment and genetics.
You would:
- Design and carry out experiments
- Make observations
- Write reports and publish scientific papers based on your research
You could work in variety of areas.
You might help to develop new methods to diagnose, monitor and treat illness or disease.
You could help to tackle environmental problems, such as finding ways to clean up polluted rivers so that fish can thrive and to conserve plants and animals in their natural environment.
In agriculture and industry, for example, you might work on ways to
- Improve productivity of livestock or crops,
- Prevent contamination of food
- Safely get rid of waste
You could also specialise in related fields such as:
- Ecology
- Marine biology
- Biotechnology
- Immunology
- Molecular biology
- Microbiology
You would often work in a team with other scientists and technicians, and you may supervise support staff and carry out administration work.
To help your research it woudl be useful to have an understanding of statistics and relevant computer packages. You’d also need to keep up to date with advances in your field.
If you were based at a university or teaching hospital, you would teach and mentor students.
Working conditions
Hours
Environment
UK employment status
Full-time
60%
Part-time
27%
Self employed
13%
Create a qualification route
We’ve found some examples of the qualifications that could help you get this job.
Discover my routeTop skills
Here are some of the skills needed for this job. Sign in to see how your skills match up.
- Taking initiative
- Sorting
- Attention to detail
- Understanding
- Analysing
- Working with technology
- Researching
- Observation
- Innovative
- Problem solving
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Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you’ll need.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Choosing a Foundation Apprenticeship as one of your subjects in S5 and S6 can help you get a head start with this type of job.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification (the same level as a Higher) plus valuable work placement experience and skills you can't learn in a classroom.
Interested? Find out what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Qualifications
You would need a degree (SCQF level 9/10) in a subject such as:
- Biology
- Biological science
- Plant biology
- Microbiology
- Conservation biology
- Ecology
- Marine biology
Many people who do this job also have postgraduate qualifications such as a Master of Science (MSc) (SCQF level 11) or a doctoral degree (SCQF level 12) in a relevant subject.
Some universities offer an integrated master's degree in biology (SCQF Level 11) combining a degree with a master's over five years.
There are some technician level jobs based in laboratories which don't require a degree. However, competition for any role within this profession is fierce.
Useful subjects
- Biology (required by most courses)
- Maths (required by most courses)
- Chemistry (required by most courses)
- English
- Science subjects
- Technologies subjects