Biotechnology is a fairly new science and offers a lot of career options in the job market. It is a hybrid of biology and chemistry. Fantastic leaps have been made in cancer research because of biotechnology, usually shortened to ''biotech.''
''If being a part of cutting-edge science with state-of-the-art technology sounds like a career direction to follow, then perhaps you want to read more about biotech assistants and their contributions to research and development. As an assistant in biotech you are close to where many of the newest developments are happening in the lab. Biotech research is providing products and services to scientists in bio-medical research where they are taking the first steps to eradicate diseases that have been eluding science too long.
The field of biotech offers job opportunities in a variety of the following research fields:
DNA purification
Protein expression and purification
Fermentation
DNA amplification
DNA sequencing
Development and operation of cutting-edge robotic equipment
Education and Experience Requirements:
Jobs for an entry-level research assistant require an associate’s degree. Many research assistants/associates go on to complete a four-year program and progress to a research associate. Senior research associates usually have progressed to master’s and doctorate-level degrees.'' (1)
Average Biotech Assistant Salaries
The average salary for biotech assistants varies greatly by company and location. To come up with the average salary, one agency just totaled all the salaries for any biotech listing and averaged them together. This might not be the most accurate tally for assistants because it includes all biotech jobs. The recruiters at Simply Hired estimated the salary to be around $45,000 annually.
In summary, the biotech job posting for assistant and research assistant jobs can vary by educational requirements. There will be some opportunities to get in on the ground floor with a new company because this occupation is taking off fast. If the employer requests more education, the salary offered should be in line with the education requirements. The job outlook for biotech assistants is good over the next five to ten years. The biotech field as a whole will continue to grow. So get on board with a forward-moving career.
(1) Source: Career Voyages (collaboration between U.S. Departments of Labor and Education).
