Annual Salary
£23,000 to £44,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Maths or Science or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Maths or Science or go back to all job sectors
Biotechnologists study plants, animals, microbes, biochemistry and genetics to develop new products and improve existing ones.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
2.4% more Biotechnologist jobs in 2027.
As a biotechnologist, your day to day duties will depend on your specialism.
In environmental biotechnology, you could:
In industrial biotechnology, you could:
In medical biotechnology and biotherapeutics, you could:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work at a research facility, at a university or in a laboratory.
You can get into this job through:
You can do a degree qualification in a relevant scientific subject, like:
As well as a degree, some employers may want you to have a postgraduate qualification, especially for research posts.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to get into this job by doing an apprenticeship, such as:
These apprenticeships take between 3 and 5 years to complete.
You'll usually need:
You could start as a lab technician and work your way up by training on the job. For example, on a part-time degree or a degree apprenticeship.
You can join an organisation like the Science Council, which can help you:get professional recognition; find training opportunities; make industry contacts
You can find out more about working in biotechnology from the Science Council.
With experience, you could move into areas like:project or departmental management; science communications; quality assurance; bioinformatics and data analysis; freelance consultancy or scientific advisory work; biotechnology policy and ethics
You'll need: