Biologists vs Microbiologists
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Biologists and Microbiologists on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Biologists | Microbiologists |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $93,330 | $87,330 |
| Employment | 59,710 | 19,760 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | About average (+1.2%) | About average (+4.1%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 4,800 | 1,700 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). | Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | High · 77th pct | Moderate · 61st pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 77th pct · 40% of tasks | 77th pct · 40% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | Augmentation-leaning (56.2%) |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | Yes | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Biology, Science, Education and Training, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Written Expression, Inductive Reasoning, English Language, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Oral Expression, Information Ordering, Category Flexibility, Near Vision, Mathematics, Active Learning, Problem Sensitivity, Deductive Reasoning, Speech Clarity, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Speech Recognition, Fluency of Ideas, Mathematics, Chemistry, Flexibility of Closure, Learning Strategies, Originality, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness.
Specific to Biologists
- Mathematical Reasoning
- Administration and Management
- Administrative
- Engineering and Technology
- Number Facility
- Far Vision
- Communications and Media
Specific to Microbiologists
- Computers and Electronics
- Selective Attention
- Coordination
- Instructing
- Service Orientation
- Systems Analysis
- Time Management
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Analytical or scientific software , Operating system software , Data base user interface and query software , Presentation software , Word processing software .
Specific to Biologists
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Biologists or Microbiologists — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Biologists vs Molecular and Cellular Biologists
- Biologists vs Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
- Biologists vs Geneticists
- Biologists vs Biological Technicians
- Biologists vs Biochemists and Biophysicists
- Biologists vs Soil and Plant Scientists
- Biologists vs Conservation Scientists
- Biologists vs Natural Sciences Managers
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Biologists vs Microbiologists." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/biologists-vs-microbiologists
Singulariki. (2026). Biologists vs Microbiologists. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/biologists-vs-microbiologists
@misc{singulariki-biologists-vs-microbiologists,
title = {Biologists vs Microbiologists},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/biologists-vs-microbiologists}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.