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Molecular and Cellular Biologists

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

Wages

BLS doesn't publish wages for Molecular and Cellular Biologists separately. These are the figures for Biological Scientists, All Other (19-1029), its parent occupation.

Median annual wage, U.S.$98,920
Employment, U.S.55,850
Median hourly wage$47.56
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$60,430$76,800$98,920$127,670$168,010
By state (50)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama340$87,2600.44
Alaska370$106,8703.14
Arizona760$90,2900.65
Arkansas360$76,4000.78
California11,880$113,5301.82
Colorado850$93,9700.82
Connecticut170$111,9400.28
Delaware$113,400
District of Columbia850$84,5903.39
Florida1,920$83,7800.54
Georgia1,230$96,8200.70
Hawaii370$95,6001.63
Idaho430$83,3201.41
Illinois1,300$82,6400.59
Indiana640$84,5700.56
Iowa550$82,7200.98
Kansas760$76,4001.47
Kentucky260$79,4000.36
Louisiana580$69,5900.83
Maine340$104,5701.49
Maryland4,970$121,6805.01
Massachusetts2,930$107,1002.24
Michigan860$81,5400.54
Minnesota750$76,4000.71
Mississippi320$91,1700.76
Missouri1,120$63,2901.07
Montana550$91,5603.02
Nebraska240$82,7700.65
Nevada410$74,2100.74
New Hampshire310$83,7401.28
New Jersey540$104,7500.35
New Mexico420$84,1201.34
New York2,520$104,1200.72
North Carolina2,780$100,0701.56
Ohio610$95,5600.31
Oklahoma300$79,9500.49
Oregon700$86,2600.99
Pennsylvania1,810$100,7800.83
Rhode Island100$101,7500.56
South Carolina240$91,5600.29
South Dakota170$73,9201.03
Tennessee420$80,5000.35
Texas2,480$80,8700.49
Utah590$93,2500.95
Vermont90$77,9600.84
Virginia1,650$96,0301.11
Washington2,620$108,1102.05
West Virginia230$84,5900.91
Wisconsin740$78,4800.70
Wyoming170$91,5601.70

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Geneticists50.989
2Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists50.983
3Biochemists and Biophysicists50.983
4Microbiologists40.981
5Biologists50.976
6Natural Sciences Managers50.964
7Biological Technicians40.963
8Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary50.962
9Soil and Plant Scientists50.960
10Animal Scientists50.959

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Molecular and Cellular Biologists, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
MicrobiologistsService Orientation0.870.981
BiologistsProgramming1.250.976
Natural Sciences ManagersManagement of Personnel Resources1.370.964
Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondaryService Orientation0.870.962
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthService Orientation0.870.957
EpidemiologistsService Orientation1.370.955
Medical DosimetristsService Orientation1.250.947
BiostatisticiansProgramming1.500.942
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, PostsecondaryService Orientation1.000.940
Environmental Science Teachers, PostsecondaryService Orientation0.870.940

All 21

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Molecular and Cellular Biologists, excluding software Molecular and Cellular Biologists already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Statistical software10 of 2011.5x
SAS12 of 204.7x
IBM SPSS Statistics10 of 205.0x
ESRI ArcGIS software9 of 204.5x
Deoxyribonucleic acid DNA sequence analysis software3 of 2046.2x
Wavefunction Spartan3 of 2046.2x
Geographic information system GIS software7 of 204.6x
Graphics software6 of 205.3x
Structured query language SQL9 of 202.8x
Database management software3 of 2017.3x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
ScienceEssential skill 4.75 5.00
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.38 5.62
WritingEssential skill 4.25 5.00
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 4.12 4.88
SpeakingEssential skill 4.00 4.75
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.00 4.62
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 4.00 4.62
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 4.00 4.12
Active LearningEssential skill 3.88 4.62
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.88 4.50
MathematicsEssential skill 3.75 4.38
MonitoringEssential skill 3.75 4.38
InstructingTransferable skill 3.75 4.12
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.25 3.38
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.12 3.88
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.12 3.62
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 3.12 3.25
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.12 3.00
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.00 3.88
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.00 3.75
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 3.00 3.25
NegotiationTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 2.62 2.62
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 2.62 2.50
Service OrientationTransferable skill 2.62 2.25
ProgrammingTransferable skill 2.12 2.50
Technology DesignTransferable skill 2.00 2.00
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 2.00 1.50
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.88 1.50
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Biology 4.81 6.69
English Language 4.44 5.24
Chemistry 4.12 5.15
Mathematics 3.81 4.96
Education and Training 3.58 5.23
Computers and Electronics 3.38 4.27
Medicine and Dentistry 3.08 3.19
Administration and Management 2.81 3.69
Communications and Media 2.77 2.84
Administrative 2.72 3.32
Physics 2.65 3.12
Personnel and Human Resources 2.58 3.31
Public Safety and Security 2.52 2.38
Engineering and Technology 2.38 2.62
Mechanical 2.27 2.42
Design 2.23 2.46
Psychology 2.08 2.19
Economics and Accounting 2.08 1.88
Production and Processing 2.00 1.96
Law and Government 1.96 1.96
Telecommunications 1.96 1.73
Sociology and Anthropology 1.77 1.62
Philosophy and Theology 1.69 1.38
Therapy and Counseling 1.65 1.50
Foreign Language 1.62 1.38
Sales and Marketing 1.58 1.23
Customer and Personal Service 1.58 0.96
History and Archeology 1.46 0.92
Geography 1.42 1.15
Fine Arts 1.38not rated
Building and Construction 1.35not rated
Transportation 1.28not rated
Food Production 1.23not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Written Comprehension 4.62 5.50
Oral Comprehension 4.25 5.75
Oral Expression 4.12 5.62
Inductive Reasoning 4.12 5.38
Written Expression 4.12 5.38
Deductive Reasoning 4.00 5.00
Category Flexibility 4.00 4.75
Problem Sensitivity 4.00 4.62
Information Ordering 3.88 4.50
Mathematical Reasoning 3.88 4.50
Near Vision 3.88 4.50
Speech Clarity 3.88 4.25
Fluency of Ideas 3.88 4.12
Originality 3.75 4.50
Speech Recognition 3.62 3.88
Number Facility 3.50 4.12
Flexibility of Closure 3.25 3.75
Selective Attention 3.25 3.25
Far Vision 3.12 3.38
Speed of Closure 3.00 3.25
Perceptual Speed 3.00 3.00
Visual Color Discrimination 3.00 2.88
Visualization 2.88 3.00
Finger Dexterity 2.88 2.88
Arm-Hand Steadiness 2.75 2.75
Memorization 2.62 2.75
Time Sharing 2.62 2.50
Control Precision 2.38 2.50
Depth Perception 2.12 1.88
Trunk Strength 2.12 1.88
Manual Dexterity 2.00 2.00
Hearing Sensitivity 2.00 1.88
Auditory Attention 2.00 1.62
Multilimb Coordination 2.00 1.62
Wrist-Finger Speed 2.00 1.38
Extent Flexibility 2.00 1.00
Rate Control 2.00 1.00
Reaction Time 2.00 1.00
Static Strength 1.88 0.88
Response Orientation 1.62 0.62
Dynamic Strength 1.38 0.38
Explosive Strength 1.38 0.38
Stamina 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Spatial Orientation 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 43
  • Magma Design Automation software
  • Mathsoft Mathcad
  • Mendel
  • Michigan State University MSU ProFlex
  • Minitab
  • Molecular Devices Corporation MetaMorph
  • NetPrimer
  • PHYLIP
  • Primer3
  • RasMol
  • Textco BioSoftware Gene Inspector
  • Web browser software
  • Wolfram Research Mathematica

Where it concentrates

BLS doesn't publish wages for Molecular and Cellular Biologists separately. These are the figures for Biological Scientists, All Other (19-1029), its parent occupation.

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC1,39011.28$98,700
Ames, IA1608.21$82,720
Missoula, MT1305.21$82,140
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV5,7205.08$114,920
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA4,2805.01$138,160
Jefferson City, MO1404.96$59,050
Champaign-Urbana, IL1403.61$70,870
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA1,9603.54$108,350
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO2103.44$98,800
Madison, WI4402.97$77,550

More metros, other thresholds