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Career Exploration

Molecular and Cellular Biologists

Also called: Molecular Biologist, Research Scientist

What they do:

Research and study cellular molecules and organelles to understand cell function and organization.

On the job, you would:
  • Maintain accurate laboratory records and data.
  • Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.
  • Write grant applications to obtain funding.
On the job, you'll need:

Math and Science

  • biology
  • chemistry

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Education and Training

  • teaching and course design

Engineering and Technology

  • computers and electronics

Basic Skills

  • using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems
  • reading work related information

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Verbal

  • read and understand what is written
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • group things in different ways

Math

  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide

Visual Understanding

  • see hidden patterns

Investigative

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Persistence
  • Integrity
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Cooperation
  • Dependability

Analytical or scientific software

  • Minitab
  • RasMol

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Graphics or photo imaging software

  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Average.

New job opportunities are likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $87,300

Education

Post-doctoral training or bachelor's degree is usually needed.