If you’re thinking about starting a career in biotechnology, now is a great time. The industry is booming.
Exciting advances are being made in the world of agricultural biotechnology and medicine is experiencing a renewed focus on prevention and cures, rather than just treatment of disease.
Many biotech jobs are science-based, but if the idea of wearing a lab coat all day doesn’t appeal, there are plenty of non-clinical jobs in biotech as well, like biotechnology sales in San Francisco, medical science liaisons in Boston, and pharmaceutical executive jobs in New York City. Whether in the lab or in the boardroom, biotech is set to be a booming industry through 2030 and beyond.
If you’re not sure which avenue of biotech you should pursue, here are five of the hottest biotech jobs for the next ten years.
Chemical Engineer
Chemical engineering is a versatile field. Chemical engineers work on developing pharmaceuticals, chemicals, agricultural products, and more from biological materials or chemical components. They often turn chemical discoveries into real-life products, solving problems like scaling and developing practical applications for new compounds.
This work requires at least a bachelor’s degree, but a master’s degree or PhD can be achieved at the highest levels.
The chemical engineering field is expected to grow about 6% through 2028, which should include 2,100 new jobs.
Agricultural and Food Scientists
With over 7.5 billion people in the world, that’s a lot of mouths to feed. So agricultural and food scientists work on improving the efficiency and safety of our food systems. They try to improve soil health and crop yields. They also develop new food sources and improve methods of processing and distribution.
Agricultural and food scientist jobs are expected to increase by about 2,300 over the next 10 years.
Biological Technicians
Biological technicians assist in the lab by setting up and conducting biological tests, documenting procedures, and analyzing findings. They work under the supervision of biologists or medical scientists who oversee their work. They must pay careful attention to details and lab protocol.
The barrier to entry as a biological tech is low, requiring only a bachelor’s degree and some lab experience. This field is expected to grow by about 7% through 2028. That’s an increase of 5,700 jobs.
Medical Scientists
Medical scientists study human diseases with an aim to prevent and treat them. They work on standardizing drug doses, creating medical devices, developing health initiatives, and studying chronic diseases.
Medical scientists are often allowed to explore their own areas of interest, in the hopes of reaching new breakthroughs. So, this can be a self-motivated industry, with less supervision than others.
Medical scientist jobs are expected to grow by about 8% over the next decade, for over 10,000 new jobs.
Clinical Laboratory Technologists & Technicians
One of the biggest biotech jobs over the next ten years will be clinical lab technologists and technicians. These techs assist in the lab by analyzing samples of bodily fluids, logging test data, and analyzing results.
Technicians often perform these lab tests at the requests of physicians and surgeons, whereas technologists may perform more complex lab procedures.
This industry is expecting major growth — over 11% through 2028. That equates to over 35,000 new technologist & technician jobs.
