Molecular and Cellular Biologists

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

The median annual salary for Molecular and Cellular Biologists in the US is $93,330. The middle 80% of workers earn between $49,790 and $154,320 annually. Entry-to-mid-career earners typically fall between $65,390 and $119,600.

The role is showing modest growth of 1% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 63,700 workers.

The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.

The most in-demand skills for this role include Critical Thinking, Science, Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Writing. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.

Our AI-durability model gives Molecular and Cellular Biologists a score of 0.49 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.

Molecular and Cellular Biologists has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.