Bachelors degree in Biology, what can you do with it?

So I typed in "What Kind of Jobs can I get with a Biology degree?" into the Google search bar...clicked on the first site that appeared...And then after three long hours of reading everyone's post, I am very scared about getting my biology degree. Seriously, I'm about to crap in my draws, despite there being posts that offers some hope...or lies...I feel some deep regret for majoring in biology. I'm now a junior in college with absolutely no experience in any sort of science related jobs. I haven't looked for any internships, but will do so in the summer. So far, I've spent my 3 years of my summers working as a temp (doing terrible slave work like construction, assembly, and material handling) and all of my savings have been spent on tuition and fees..over $30,000 now wasted, I'm in debt and on loans :( I'm about to graduate in a year and I do have a decent GPA (3.5); but I know I can't get into medical school which I realized this school year; it was my goal and dream to become an MD(it's just too competitive). I don't know what to do now after reading these posts, my mind is spacing out at the moment. I guess my plan now is to go to grad school and make something happen. I hope I score high on the MCAT but that would take a miracle...I feel really stupid now..Any other helpful advice other than those alrdy posted.

It's not too late to start. I was a junior when I finally got my act together and started applying for internships. If you want to get into medical school, you can. Will you be able to take the direct route, i.e. go straight to medical school after undergrad? Maybe not. But really, who cares. There are plenty of ways for you to get there if you were set on it. And if becoming a doctor is really what you wanna do, then taking an alternate path shouldn't be a problem.

I graduated this year and I too found this thread after going months without a single response from employers.

Well, I finally got a snag. So, there really is hope. The only advice I can give is don't waste your time putting in too many applications online. When carousing craigslist/biospace and seeing what's available, find the jobs that really resonate with your interests and then spend a few hours researching the company and tailoring your cover letter to specific that position as much as you can. I know that I gave up on applying to most of the jobs out there. If I didn't think I had a legitimate chance, I didn't waste my time "playing the odds." Instead, I used that time to rethink my strategy.

Definitely stay in contact with your friends from school. Plumb the depths of your social network -- that's friends AND family. You never know who knows who until you ask around.

Most importantly, take whatever job you can for now. I've been working an entry-level position in the restaurant industry for the last few months. I worked part-time so I could spend the rest of my day doing what I mentioned above. I know during interviews they always asked if I was currently employed. Nobody wants to see gaps in your employment history.

So, don't give up. I know that I felt nothing was going to come my way.
Three months of applications without a single response -- I thought to myself, "how the hell am I supposed to prove to these people that I'm worth hiring if I'm not given the chance?" Well, seemingly out of the blue I was scheduled to be interviewed by two different companies within the same week. So, quite literally I had went from nothing on my radar for nearly half a year to two make-it-or-break-it opportunities within a few days of each other. As I mentioned in the beginning, I was offered a job at one of these companies.

So, do keep the faith alive.

X in Sacramento, I wouldn't include class-related lab experience unless there was a special project or thesis done in the class. If you learned techniques in a class, you can list those in a technique section.

Air, have you thought about doing a SMP? There's an SMP I'm applying for, but I don't want to go to med school (want to get a doctorate and perhaps go to med school later). I know some pre-med students do those when they have a less-than-stellar gpa or MCAT score and want to go to medical school. I know some that went the D.O. route as well.

I did B.tech in biotechnology( India), then Master's in pharmacology and biotechnology(UK)couldn't able to find job in UK so went back to India, here the scenario is totally different I have to clear an government exam named CSIR.NET to work at government recognized institutions whereas even in private research organization they still require the CSIR.NET score as there projects is funded by the government aswell. In industry side this is totally different there wasn't much R&D companies and they don't accommodate Biotech graduates. Where ever you walk all the doors been closed. Back in old days only the knowledge persons are in science filed, but at present luck choose the people in science field.

You should not feel like an idiot if you got a degree in something you wanted to do. I have a Biology degree and here is what I've done with it: I teach community college entry level courses and advanced courses, I have worked in a pharmaceutical laboratory doing environmental monitoring, and I am currenlty a Quality Supervisor at a food plant. I certainly don't feel idiotic, I feel like watching my bank account grow!!

You can't teach at a CC here without a masters degree. Some are asking for doctorates. I tried to go the lab/quality assurance route, but they wanted 2+ years of prior experience. Some wouldn't take my undergrad research as "experience," so they were basically looking for someone who had/has a job in the field already.

The basic rule of almost ANY science bachelor's degree is that they are only good for getting your grad degree started. Noone should enter into a science program unless they plan on going into grad school. You won't even get a job emptying the lab trash cans with a bachelor's degree in most labs. If you're questioning grad school. DON'T start off with a science field bachelors.

JaneWay in Elk Grove, Illinois said: I feel like like such an idiot right now. I have a BS in Biology. After I graduated, I followed a totally different path.
I know a friend of mine has a friend who also got her BS in biology and works in some company shaving pigs and working with animals, she feels like her BS in Bio was not needed.
I mean what job can I get now, right away with a bio degree? I don't have experience in research or some direct bio field. I wanted something that would be a good career path with potential to grow.
Now, I'm trying to finish an MLT program. I should have tried entering an MT program at least, but I chose the MLT program for various reasons, despite the good advice I got here on these forums. Everywhere I search, they want MTs not MLTs. I'm going to be an oddball, an MLT with a BS in Biology.
I feel like I screwed up and it's just getting worse and that most of my decisions just get worse because of desperation. I feel like schools are just there to take money.

that is so stupid but at least you got a job.

Don't feel like an idiot. I have a friend who has a BS in Biology. A MS in Microbiology and just got her MLT.

I have my BS in Biology. While I have been working for the last 18 years I am very unhappy with where I am now, and am looking to get out of science

Can you substitute teach with a BS in biology? Is it recommended?

In California, you can get a 30-day emergency license that allows you to sub up to 30 days at a time. From what I hear, the competition for days is fierce though. And I think you only make about a hundred bucks a day. Not much when you usually don't know if you'll be working until the morning of...

im in my sophmore year at a university in texas and my major is Pre-med Biology with a minor in chem...Now i've been reading all the other posts and its pretty amazing that alot of people are having trouble finding jobs with their B.S. in bio, so i want to see if im doing the wright thing or atleast get some feed back. Okay so like i said im in my sophmore year of colleg with pre-med bio/chem and once i am done with my B.S. I would like to apply to med school after taking my mcat and if for some reason i dont get accepted i have a back up plan of atleast going back for the Physician's Assistant program at the same university i am at now which is a graduate program. What do you all think???

Getting a PA degree is just as hard as going to medical school. You need tons of clinical experience, upwards of 1000 hours, plus good grades, good test scores. It's not a backup to an MD at all but a full-on career choice.

I'm currently and have been shadowing a obgyn i have a good amount of hours but i know i need more, i know it takes time to be accepted to the pa program as well but what i meant by a having it as a back up plan is that i would try applying to med school First and then the PA program second in other words. thank you for the info

I'm currently and have been shadowing a obgyn i have a good amount of hours but i know i need more, i know it takes time to be accepted to the pa program as well but what i meant by a having it as a back up plan is that i would try applying to med school First and then the PA program second in other words. thank you for the info

After reading all these comments about people not finding jobs with a B.S in biology its makes me want to change my major i have 3 semester left in school and i started to think should i have picked something different to major in.

Good thinking. Try something that will give you a first professional degree or that has further accreditation standards than regional. Consider ABA accredited engineering programs or computer science or medical related such as nursing, MT, PA, etc.

As someone stated earlier, do not major in biology unless you know it will prepare you best for grad school.

I just felt like expressing my extreme disappointment with the results of my educational choices. I graduated in 1999 with a bio degree from a top university but did not take the grad studies route. I worked for one year as a technician, but after the grant money finished I could not find work doing anything except clerical work. I finally returned to a professional program, and guess what? I absolutely hate it. I am 35 now with no career, no career prospects, and almost no experience. :(

Well, I was thinking of starting college and majoring in Biology. I'm interested in plants genetics, physiology, and botany. Also nutrition and massage therapy. But it seems difficult to find a job with just a BS, I wonder if I should just go to massage school. There's around 500 comments on this thread, most of them dismal. By the looks of it, it seems that college advisors/management are where the real moneys at. They duped 500 of you into thinking a biology degree would benefit you finacially fresh out of college. Just an observation, and the best of luck to all of you (myself included).

just perusing... said: Well, I was thinking of starting college and majoring in Biology. I'm interested in plants genetics, physiology, and botany. Also nutrition and massage therapy. But it seems difficult to find a job with just a BS, I wonder if I should just go to massage school. There's around 500 comments on this thread, most of them dismal. By the looks of it, it seems that college advisors/management are where the real moneys at. They duped 500 of you into thinking a biology degree would benefit you finacially fresh out of college. Just an observation, and the best of luck to all of you (myself included).

I had always intended on going to grad school, but my plans changed and I wasn't able to go immediately after I got my BS. I decided to take a year or two and work as a tech before I went back to school, and all my professors agreed that was the best thing to do. My problem was that I just never found a job. I do have friends with just a BS who work as techs, but most of them graduated before the recession. Of my friends who graduated after the recession, one got a job at the mall (and had to quit because they gave her so few hours that gas costs outweighed her pay), and another friend who has three degrees found a part-time job at a gym. The rest of us just never found anything and are trying to go back to school.

wow makes me want to go out rite now and begin a education in bio. it seems like the smartest decision ever. thanx for the great advice to a hs senior who is graduating tommarow. i will immediately enroll in the nearby community college to get a biology degree. the move back in w/ my parents for 18 yrs before I land a bio job. im so excited and am seriously walking fast circles around my apartment rite now. just drooling at the fact
of living in the basement of my parents house w/ a biology degree studying the animal in
my back yard. i will finally figure out what that animal that hangs up side down from the tree branch on our backyard is called. and why it always asks me to borrow five bucks as a pass bye it everyday on my way to play in my sandbox. i cant wait to sit for 8 hrs in the waiting room of
nearby community college to talk to a counselor in order to plan my future. im so thrilled. thanx again guys for the words of encouragement.

mr.carpet in Walnut Creek, California said: wow makes me want to go out rite now and begin a education in bio. it seems like the smartest decision ever. thanx for the great advice to a hs senior who is graduating tommarow. i will immediately enroll in the nearby community college to get a biology degree. the move back in w/ my parents for 18 yrs before I land a bio job. im so excited and am seriously walking fast circles around my apartment rite now. just drooling at the fact
of living in the basement of my parents house w/ a biology degree studying the animal in
my back yard. i will finally figure out what that animal that hangs up side down from the tree branch on our backyard is called. and why it always asks me to borrow five bucks as a pass bye it everyday on my way to play in my sandbox. i cant wait to sit for 8 hrs in the waiting room of
nearby community college to talk to a counselor in order to plan my future. im so thrilled. thanx again guys for the words of encouragement.

Don't worry kid, it looks to me like whatever degree you choose, you'll still end up living with your parents for the next 18 years. I'd recommend you take some english classes first, maybe some counseling as well.

Yeah there are times hard. Actually very hard but the only way out may be to remain strong because that is the only way out. The BS in biology is good but what is better is to have a job and that is what a teacher in chemistry tried to tell me when I was in his class but I didn't listen. how I regret not listening to my teacher and doing what he said at that time. I really regret it and now I believe that the only way out is to find a really medioquer job that can support me for the time being I do not really understand but what can I do???

I graduated 2004 and I currently work at Labcorp, however, i have been applying for better paying jobs with more interesting things to do in the laboratory. My title is Medical Technologist YET when i apply for MT jobs they require all of these certifications that I don't have. It sucks...I don't really want to return to school but I think I will have to. I will not advise anyone to just major in Biology unless they have a plan A, B,and C...it is far too broad of a subject...Here i was thinking I would be making at least 60K by now and nowhere near it...I turn 30 next yr and making pennies..kids?? Hell NO! What am I suppose to feed them? Air? Frustrated and Pissed!!! Good Day PPL

kiwi in Charlotte, North Carolina said: Well i am a high school senior and im off to college but the college i am going to doesn't have a major of premed so i think im going to major in biology and make my way up to medical school! Is this the right path? Because i don't want it to be a waist of time!!!!!!! Please help!!!!!!!!

Thats the right path if you are smart enough to make it into med school. if not, you will be stuck with a BS in Bio and cant find a job, OR you'll have to change your major. This is what happened to my dgt. She was a Bio major with a 3.0 and found it to be SO hard. Being a Veterinarian was all she ever wanted but she realized she couldnt get her GPA up high enough to where she'd be accepted so she was wasting her time. And she studied her butt off. She is very smart and very committed. it was just too hard. You wont know till you try it though. Maybe you'll do fine at it. Good luck. My dgt. ended up at Vet. Tech. school.

bluemail in Edmonton, Alberta said: Hi there,

Did you ever thought of using a temporary agency called Kelly(or any really). They have a section for those with science background. Yes they will take some of your pay for service fee but you will get a foot in the door at the agency or company you want to work for. It is better than doing nothing.

Kelly Scientific always tells me they have nothing entry level. It's like a stock canned response every time I call in available.

Blaze in Temecula, California said: In California, you can get a 30-day emergency license that allows you to sub up to 30 days at a time. From what I hear, the competition for days is fierce though. And I think you only make about a hundred bucks a day. Not much when you usually don't know if you'll be working until the morning of...

Add to this that most school districts will not hire you with "just" the 30-day emergency permit to day-to-day sub as they are already full of laid-off "real" teachers who need any money, any amount, and seem to think they're more qualified to substitute and try to walk in someone else's shoes for a day or so than people who have done that very thing for a living off and on since 1998.

In Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico you can get a Substitute Teaching License with no restriction on number of days you can sub in one classroom, also Nevada, but the school districts in those states won't hire you without WORK references, supervisory ones at that, and up to FOUR of them. So there's yet another hurdle to people just graduating college with that useless Bachelor's of Science degree. Five states in which you can get a license to substitute teach, none of which have any school districts that will actually hire you that way.

I'll throw out some numbers here: in San Francisco, there are about 200 call-ins per day but there are over 2,200 substitutes on the payroll calling IN for them, plus most teachers and schools have their "priority" or "favorite" subs that they call personally first and try to bypass the sub calling system. That puts your odds of getting work day to day at worse than the people on the Titanic's odds of getting a seat in one of the lifeboats.

Average in Everett, Massachusetts said: I guess you could afford to be a "slacker,"Bio Major in Norristown, Pennsylvania".
You were financially prepared. There was no metion of debt on your part so I can assume you graduated debt free. No mention of a scholarship, so I can assume it was paid out of pocket by you and yours.

Being prepared financially to relocate at the drop of a hat seperates the "serious people" from the "flakes", I guess.

Sorry Average, but he's right. He didn't put his eggs all in one basket. He worked hard to find a job. You have no idea his financial status anyway.

I graduated with a bio degree in 2009, and was never able to find a job. Out of all of the jobs I applied to, I only landed one interview. I tried to be a health inspector for the county, but I was competing with 400 candidates for only 2 spots...40 people got an interview, and each person had to pay at minimum $300 just to apply for a transcript evaluation and application fee. It wasn't the highest paying job, but I would have been so happy to get it...especially since most bio jobs I found only offer like $9/hr for someone with at least a year of experience. During the time I was applying to jobs, I applied to grad and professional school, and finally was able to get into a grad school as a non-matriculated student. I'm 27 and it feels like I'm just going to continue to accrue debt and have no way of paying it all off.

I once (sometime in 2010) read in an article that biology had one of the top job outlooks, but whoever wrote that definitely didn't major in biology. I never encourage kids to major in biology unless they absolutely love it or they know for sure they will be going on to grad or professional school. Biology is not an easy subject, and there is no easily attainable mainstream job out there that will provide a decent wage. Most bio majors with only a bachelors seem to end up working a lab (if they can get a job). I always hated how the difficulty level of biology doesn't parallel the income of all biologists. I guess people have to find their niche and think out of the box to be successful as a biology major. It seems like all of the careers that use biology as a degree (physician, dentist, pharmacist, PA, veterinarian, dental hygiene, and maybe even nursing) are saturated. Everyone always talks about how baby boomers are retiring, but even after they all retire and their jobs are vacant, there's already a line out the door for someone to take their spots.

RMiss in Augusta, Georgia said: These posts make me feel less alone. I graduated 2005 with a four year B.S in Biology and it has been difficult to find a direction for a job search. I was really lucky right out of school to get involved with an Environmental Engineering Firm monitoring air quality for a state contract. But, 2 years in the contract did not get renewed (loss of federal funding) and I made the bad choice of not signing on with GA DNR when they offered me a job.

Now, I am teaching high school biology, but I really want to get back into the environmental field. If anybody has any advice I would REALLY Appreciate it.

What did you have to do to teach biology at the high school?

Biology majors used to get hired by Pharmaceutical companies and Biotechs for fairly good salaries. From here they could work their way up and get a masters (and maybe return for a PhD). Now, there are no entry level jobs. I even had an MD/PHD from Johnson & Johnson disclose this for me. The problem: there is mega-outsourcing in the industry as science R & D is a very high-risk investment opportunity. The government used to also heavily subsidize biotech...however, now the country is bankrupt and investors are wary of putting money into an industry that for the most part has a negative ROI, even if it is for the "greater good."

I've had job problems like everyone else and am enrolling soon to get a MLS certification to work in hospital laboratories. The salaries are decent in the NYC area (25-28 hr) and even more decent in CA (make sure your program is good to go by CA standards...they pay new grads 30-36 hr). From here I'll either get a part-time MBA and work as a lab director, or go to med school (if i can get in) and be a pathologist.

Advice: If your major is biology switch to clinical laboratory science or nursing and take the prerequisites and apply to medical school if thats your thing. For those that aspire to work in the environmental realm, environmental engineering is a better choice. Companies want people to build solar panels--not hippies to complain about how the Earth is being destroyed by "evil corporations."

Finally, all health positions--CLS,' nurses etc. have equivalent positions in the military. If you aspire to serve your country you could certainly work for 20 years then collect a pension and go back to work in the civilian world at your old job. You get to travel a lot as well and probably be kept off the frontlines.

FYI all undergrad degrees barring engineering and computer science are useless. Biology at least can prepare one for a variety of stable healthcare careers. School cost$ suck however.

I have a BS in Biology and MBA in Healthcare Management, I would love to work in the Hospital setting or nurse home. I'm currently in Clinical Research can somebody suggest how I make the switch.

if you have a bachelors of science in biology and graduated from undergraduate studies what steps should you take to become a dental hygienist? So it would look like a waste of money to take classes to get an AA since I already have a B.S. in Biology

JGlamour in Los Angeles, California said: if you have a bachelors of science in biology and graduated from undergraduate studies what steps should you take to become a dental hygienist? So it would look like a waste of money to take classes to get an AA since I already have a B.S. in Biology

I think a dental hygenist program is an associates degree. That's not a bad investment, but if you don't want to move backwards you could get a masters in PA (2 yrs), Doctor in Physical therapy (3 yrs) or pathology assistant (2 yrs) or Clinical Lab Science Cert. (1-1.5 year). Teaching certifications may also be something to consider.

Ph.D. programs also exist but beware about the "free tuition" as many graduates become permanent postdocs. Bioinformatics/Bioengineering masters might be a better bet as you learn some more concrete skills that can be utilized in a variety of workplaces.

JGlamour in Los Angeles, California said: if you have a bachelors of science in biology and graduated from undergraduate studies what steps should you take to become a dental hygienist? So it would look like a waste of money to take classes to get an AA since I already have a B.S. in Biology

You can get a B.S. in hygiene or a A.A. The main difference is that the B.S. allows you to teach and/or move on to a masters in hygiene. I have a B.S. in biology and got accepted into a B.S. hygiene in California, but I ended up turning it down to continue my master's degree. Since you have a B.S. in biology, you probably have most, if no all, of the prerequisites done. If you don't, then an obvious step would be to complete them. First of all, make sure you do your research on the field of dental hygiene. I spent hours upon hours of research after I had my interview, which was probably not a good idea, but hey, I still got accepted anyway. If you don't plan on teaching or getting a master's, and only plan on doing clinical work, then I'd stick with whatever program is cheapest. Both the B.S. and A.A. are typically two year programs, but the A.A. can often be cheaper because it's at a community college, and because you already have a bachelor's degree, then you won't get free grants for another bachelor's.

I will be graduating with a B.S in Biology in December. I have a GPA of over 3.5 and I can't even get an internship. I have tried my hardest to apply for summer internships for the past 2 years and there isn't any muck so far. My passion is in Food Science. If anyone has any ideas on how to get a summer internship at a food company that would be more that great.

Best of luck to everyone (me included)

I used my BS in Biology and high grades to get a job as asst. manager/acting manager for a small retail store in the mall. After a while as acting manger they decided I had enough mgmt. experience to be the manager - I put all that money $8/hour towards getting an associate degree in accounting technology and now work in the business world. Oh, yeah that biology degree it got me, um, a 5 year delay in getting my career going.

I totally feel everyone's pain on here. I mostly blame myself for the way things have turned out. I had NO clue what I wanted to do, I just knew I wanted to be in the science field. Biology was extremely interesting to me, so I chose that as my major and Chem as my minor. Now I've had a BS in Biology for 2 years and nothing to show for it. I've decided to go to nursing school. So I wasted 4 years getting that degree when I could've just gone to nursing school first. For anyone with a BS in Biology wanting to go to nursing school, they have fast track programs where it only takes 2 years to get your Bachelor of Science in Nursing. You can't get much with just a BS in Biology. You really need to pursue a Master's degree program or choose another school route.

Cimarron,do u mind sharing ur email address?I'd like to ask you some personal questions.

Student in Groves, Texas said: Cimarron,do u mind sharing ur email address?I'd like to ask you some personal questions.

cimarronw@ymail.com

Wow, I'm not sure how I fell on this forum, but I am so glad there are so many people out there that are in the same boat as me. I feel EXACTLY the same as you sab818!! i had no direction or advice at all. i felt like i was in school just to be in school. i really do want to find work in my field but pretty much all the jobs ive applied to require experience. employers dont want to give you a chance.

Omg i totally am in the same boat and i agree.... we should be able to sue college councilors for runing our lives! I make pretzels for a living with a freakin biology degree.... at this point i feel that piece of paper was nothing more than a waste of my parents money! No one wants to hire me with no experience and such a broad degree!!

I first started as a Nursing Major, today, im totaly glad this did not work out because of all the hiring freez going on for new Nursing grads. I majored in Biology, concentration Microbiology. Although it was hard to get a job straight out of college, 8 months after graduation with no job offer and a ton of applications latter, i decided to become a certified Public Health Microbiologist in California (6 month paid trainig)www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/lfs/Pages/PublicHealthMicrobiologists.aspx
after which i volunteered at a Public Health Lab for 6 months. 6 months latter, found a job announcement on craiglist from a top goverment organization and got hired over a phone interview that lasted 20 min.

Im not saying that everybody will be as lucky as i was but NEVER give up your dreams just because you cannot find anything right now. I know that through volunteering and advancing oneself will get you recognized. please see the link below for you that is interested in Public Health or are looking for a way out with your biology degrees.

Also, maybe some of you should consider relocation especialy to - N. Carolina, Washington D.C, Atlanta, Illinois, Maryland- where student fellowships and research opportunities to new graduates are offered on a daily basis by companies such as FDA etc. Contractor companies such as Battelle and ORISE may also be of help.

www.cdc.gov/phap/

GOOD LUCK

NAOMI in Plano, Texas said: I will be graduating with a B.S in Biology in December. I have a GPA of over 3.5 and I can't even get an internship. I have tried my hardest to apply for summer internships for the past 2 years and there isn't any muck so far. My passion is in Food Science. If anyone has any ideas on how to get a summer internship at a food company that would be more that great.

Best of luck to everyone (me included)

Please see my input,
4u2

4u2, would you mind sharing your email address? I have some questions I would like to ask you.

Thanks.

Kawa in Hollywood, Florida said: 4u2, would you mind sharing your email address? I have some questions I would like to ask you.

Thanks.

ngurario@gmail.com

4u2 How much are you being paid now ?

struggling in Brooklyn, New York said: 4u2 How much are you being paid now ?

Salary Minimum 4796.27
Salary Maximum 5958.45

Summer Student programs in OH, Co,Ga
#1 usajobs.gov - Job Announcement Number:HHS-CDC-SJ-12-606999

#2 usajobs.gov Job Announcement Number:HHS-CDC-SJ-12-606898