Agricultural Careers

Microbiologist

Dr. Frank Flanders and Asha Wise ~ Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office ~ Georgia Department of Education ~ April 2006

Job Duties & Responsibilities•Independent research

•Testing

•Working on specific projects

•Quality control monitoring

•Genetic engineering

•Writing grant proposals for research funding

•Presenting the results of an experiment, either in writing or speaking

Qualities and Skills

•Be able to work both independently and within a team

•Express a curiosity and interest in science

•Have effective communication skills, both oral and written

•Have a good memory

•Be observant

•Pay close attention to detail

•Have patience when working on long projects

•Have tenacity to get the job completed

Salary

•Median annual earnings of microbiologists was $51,020 in 2002

•Middle 50% earned between $39,100 and $67,420

•Lowest 10% earned less than $31,250

•Highest 10% earned more than $87,060

Physical Requirements•Good vision for viewing in

a microscope

•Excellent hand-eye coordination for handling

lab equipment

•Physical stamina for collecting samples in nature

•Strong immune system, if working with dangerous

microbes

Education

•A Ph.D. is usually necessary for independent research, industrial research, and college teaching, and for advancement to

administrative positions.

• A master’s degree is sufficient for jobs in basic research, applied research or product development, management, or

inspection.

•A bachelor’s degree is adequate for non-research jobs or with courses in education such as a high school biology teacher.

•Many with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology enter medical, dental, veterinary, or other health profession schools.

Career Resources

American Society for MicrobiologyOffice of Education and Training

1752 North Street, N.W.Washington, DC 20036http://www.asmusa.org

Society for Industrial Microbiology3929 Old Lee Highway, Suite 92A

Fairfax, Virginia 22030-2421http://simhq.org

The Microbiology Networkhttp://www.microbiol.org

How to Become a Microbiologisthttp://www.microbe.org/careers/become.asp