Microbiologists
Bacteriologist,
Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Clinical Lab Scientist),
Microbiological Analyst,
Microbiologist
What they do: Investigate the growth, structure, development, and other characteristics of microscopic organisms, such as bacteria, algae, or fungi. Includes medical microbiologists who study the relationship between organisms and disease or the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms.
- DemandNeutral
- state Avg. Salary $$$$$$59,140Download Career Flyer
What do they typically do on the job?
- Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in prescribed or developed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition.
- Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment.
- Monitor and perform tests on water, food, and the environment to detect harmful microorganisms or to obtain information about sources of pollution, contamination, or infection.
Personality
Interests
Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.
Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz
Abilities
Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.
Verbal
Read and understand what is written
Communicate by writing
Ideas and Logic
Make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
Group things in different ways
Visual Understanding
See hidden patterns
Quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things
Attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted
Skills
People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.
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
Does this sound like something you'd like to do?
1. Do some research
- Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
- Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
- Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career
2. Plan your next move
- Talk to your college and career counselor or school admissions staff
- Visit Idaho Launch
- Search for available Microbiologists jobs on Idaho Works
Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop