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Careers in Biotechnology

Biotechnology Career Pathways

In biotechnology, career paths can have many branches. Careers often begin with technical education at two- or four-year colleges. Community colleges prepare students for working in industry by providing hands-on education through associates and bachelors degree programs. These colleges also offer certificates that focus on technical skills. As individuals gain experience, they can advance their careers through promotions, new jobs, or additional education and advanced degrees.

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Education

Careers begin with education. For some jobs a high school diploma or GED is enough to get started. Many technical positions require either a certificate, associates degree, or bachelors degree. Practical hands-on skills are required and community colleges provide these opportunities.  

InnovATEBIO colleges provide instruction in 37 areas
Visit InnovATEBIO to learn about biotech education

Entry Level Jobs

Biotechnology careers commonly begin with entry-level technician jobs; 33 examples are described below.

Job Areas

Entry-level jobs are found in multiple segments of the bioscience industry (Job Areas). The Jobs Areas page provides 36 examples.

Biotechnology Job Descriptions

Agricultural and Food Science Technician

Agricultural and Food Science Technicians work with agricultural and food scientists to monitor food production and food safety. Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Biotech certificates provide evidence of a particular skill Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Animal Technician

Animal technicians take care of the laboratory animals that are used in biotechnology research, veterinary research, and product testing ... Learn more

Minimum Education
High school diploma, or GED, is a minimum requirement for biotech work Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions

Biofuel Technician

Biofuel technicians carry out the laboratory work involved in producing biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Biomanufacturing Technician - Downstream

Downstream processes are those in which the products are harvested, tested, purified and packaged. Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Biomanufacturing Technician - Upstream

Upstream processes are those in which biological materials are either obtained from an outside source or inoculated and grown in culture ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Cell Culture Technician

Cell culture technicians grow living cells in culture flasks, bioreactors, plates and other kinds of containers. The types of cells they ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Chemistry Quality Control Technician

Chemistry Quality Control teams perform daily bench work. To meet required levels of quality, they test all raw materials, packing ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Clinical Research Associate

Clinical Research Associates are responsible for conducting studies to examine the safety and efficacy of new drugs in human patients. ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Compliance Specialist

Compliance Specialists manage their organization's need to obey regulations such as grant requirements, or local, state or federal laws ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions

Environmental Health & Safety Technician

Workers in bioscience facilities and research environments can be exposed to a variety of chemical, biological or physical hazards as ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions

Environmental Science and Protection Technician

Environmental science and protection technicians monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution and contamination, ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions

Facilities Technician

Facilities Technicians are responsible for the operation and maintenance of biomanufacturing buildings and equipment. They monitor ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Food Sample Inspector

Food inspectors provide inspections of organizations that handle and prepare food, including restaurants, supermarkets and even ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Genomics technician

Genomics technicians use a range of technologies related to determining and comparing DNA and RNA sequences. They isolate RNA and DNA ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Glass washer

Glass Washers are responsible for washing and drying glassware and distributing it to the appropriate locations within laboratories. Learn more

Minimum Education
High school diploma, or GED, is a minimum requirement for biotech work Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions

Greenhouse or Field Technician

These positions are for people who like to work with plants, enjoy being more outdoors, but also like to understand science. They care ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions

Instrumentation / Calibration Technician

These jobs are for people who like to work with electronic equipment and are interested in biotechnology. Instrumentation technicians ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions

Laboratory Assistant

These positions are also known by other names such as laboratory support worker, clean room technician, cleaning technician, glasswasher ... Learn more

Minimum Education
High school diploma, or GED, is a minimum requirement for biotech work Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions

Laboratory Safety Associate

Laboratory Safety Associates, sometimes described as Lab Safety Officers or Lab Safety Specialists, are responsible for maintaining a ... Learn more

Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Laboratory Technician

Laboratory technicians perform experiments and carry out procedures as part of research projects. Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Manufacturing Assistant

These are entry-level positions for people with a high school diploma. Other titles for this position are aseptic fill assistant, cell ... Learn more

Minimum Education
High school diploma, or GED, is a minimum requirement for biotech work Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Microbiology Quality Control (QC) Technician

Microbial contaminants can enter a biomanufacturing production system and impact the product outcomes. Microbiology Quality Control ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees In biotech, masters degrees are needed for more advanced work and team leadership

Molecular Biology Technician

These technicians must have experiences in general molecular biology techniques including DNA/RNA extraction, modification, PCR, high ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees In biotech, masters degrees are needed for more advanced work and team leadership

Plant Tissue Culture Technician

Plant tissue culture technicians work in laboratory environments and use aseptic (sterile) technique to propagate plants. Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Process Development Associate

Process Development Associates evaluate biomanufacturing processes, improve them, and scale them up for larger batches of materials. ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Product Development Technician

Product Development Technicians, sometimes called "Product Development Associates," assist with the creation and production of medical ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees In biotech, masters degrees are needed for more advanced work and team leadership

Purification Technician

Purification technicians purify proteins using column chromatography, HPLC, FPLC, and monitor purity using fluorescence technologies, ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

QA Documentation Coordinator

Documentation is critically important in biomanufacturing. Well-defined production Standard Operating Procedure documents enable ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Quality Assurance Specialist

Quality assurance specialists are charged with managing the system and procedures that prevent mistakes and help avoid problems. Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Quality Control (QC) Technician

Quality control technicians test materials before, during, and after production to measure the characteristics of materials and ensure ... Learn more

Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees

Technical Services Representative

Technical service representatives assist customers with instruments or reagents that they have purchased from companies that provide ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees In biotech, masters degrees are needed for more advanced work and team leadership

Validation Specialist

Validation Specialists (also known as Validation Technicians) participate in validation, temperature mapping, and calibration activities ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions

Water Quality Technician

Water quality technicians test for microbes and chemical contaminants in recreational, potable, and waste water to determine if the ... Learn more

Minimum Education
Associates, or 2-yr, degrees are good for many entry level positions Many biotech entry jobs list bachelors degrees