Microbiologist job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

12

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$87,990

BLS May 2025

1. Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in prescribed or developed media, controlling moisture, aeration, temperature, and nutrition. importance 4.6 of 5
2. Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment. importance 4.3 of 5
3. 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. importance 4.3 of 5
4. Examine physiological, morphological, and cultural characteristics, using microscope, to identify and classify microorganisms in human, water, and food specimens. importance 4.3 of 5
5. Supervise biological technologists and technicians and other scientists. importance 4.2 of 5
6. Investigate the relationship between organisms and disease, including the control of epidemics and the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms. importance 4.1 of 5
7. Prepare technical reports and recommendations, based upon research outcomes. importance 4.0 of 5
8. Observe action of microorganisms upon living tissues of plants, higher animals, and other microorganisms, and on dead organic matter. importance 3.7 of 5
9. Study growth, structure, development, and general characteristics of bacteria and other microorganisms to understand their relationship to human, plant, and animal health. importance 3.6 of 5
10. Study the structure and function of human, animal, and plant tissues, cells, pathogens, and toxins. importance 3.5 of 5
11. Develop new products and procedures for sterilization, food and pharmaceutical supply preservation, or microbial contamination detection. importance 3.5 of 5
12. Conduct chemical analyses of substances such as acids, alcohols, and enzymes. importance 3.3 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Working with Computers, Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information and Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Research use of bacteria and microorganisms to develop vitamins, antibiotics, amino acids, grain alcohol, sugars, and polymers.

Knowledge areas: Biology, Chemistry, English Language, Computers and Electronics and Education and Training.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a microbiologist.

Most O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation (64%) name a bachelor's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Microbiologist
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Microbiologist to investigate the growth, structure, development, and other characteristics of microscopic organisms, such as bacteria, algae, or fungi.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.
- Examine physiological, morphological, and cultural characteristics, using microscope, to identify and classify microorganisms in human, water, and food specimens.
- Supervise biological technologists and technicians and other scientists.
- Investigate the relationship between organisms and disease, including the control of epidemics and the effects of antibiotics on microorganisms.
- Prepare technical reports and recommendations, based upon research outcomes.
- Observe action of microorganisms upon living tissues of plants, higher animals, and other microorganisms, and on dead organic matter.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in science, reading comprehension and writing
- Working knowledge of Biology and Chemistry
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $87,990 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $42.30. BLS estimates about 18,940 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of microbiologists to grow 6.2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,500 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full microbiologist salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real microbiologist posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Isolate and maintain cultures of bacteria or other microorganisms in…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only microbiologist work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (science and reading comprehension).