Biotechnologists

ANZSCO ID 234514

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
610
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
77%
Female Share
52%
Average age
37

Summary

Biotechnologists study the anatomy, physiology and characteristics of living organisms and isolated biological molecules, and develop new materials for applying to a range of purposes.

Specialisations: Cell Geneticist, Molecular Biologist, Molecular Geneticist.

A bachelor degree in science majoring in biotechnology, biomedical science or a related field is needed to work as a Biotechnologist. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Tasks

  • Studies the forms and structures of bodily organs and tissues by systematic observation, dissection and microscopic examination.

  • Investigates the chemical structure and function of living cells and their isolated components, organs and tissues in humans, animals, plants, and micro-organisms.

  • Examines micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, yeast and their enzymes, and uses the knowledge gained to create and develop new, and improve existing, products, materials and processes.

Characteristics


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Life Scientists, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 77% of people employed as Biotechnologists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 11 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 43 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Education and Training
34.4%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
33.2%
3
Health Care and Social Assistance
12.5%
4
Manufacturing
5.2%
5
Other industries
8.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

19.9% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

33.3% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

25.1% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.4% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

8.6% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.1% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

4.5% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Biotechnologists All Jobs Average
NSW 19.9 31.6
VIC 33.3 25.6
QLD 25.1 20.0
SA 7.4 7.0
WA 8.6 10.8
TAS 1.1 2.0
NT 0.0 1.0
ACT 4.5 1.9


  • Around 90% of Biotechnologists live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Victoria and Queensland have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The region with the largest share of workers is Melbourne - Inner.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
37
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
52%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Biotechnologists is 37 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 52% of the workforce. This is 4 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Biotechnologists All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 5.5 9.3
25-34 34.1 22.9
35-44 31.6 22.0
45-54 19.0 21.6
55-59 6.2 9.0
60-64 2.0 6.0
65 and Over 1.7 4.2
Median Age 37 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in science majoring in biotechnology, biomedical science or a related field is needed to work as a Biotechnologist. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Biotechnologists All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 66.3 10.1
Bachelor degree 29.9 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 2.1 11.6
Certificate III/IV 0.5 21.1
Year 12 1.2 18.1
Year 11 0.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.0 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Life Scientists who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 82%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 77%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 75%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 73%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 71%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 70%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 70%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 68%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 68%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 64%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 64%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 61%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 59%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 57%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 57%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 54%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 52%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 48%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 46%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 43%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 95%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 75%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 71%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 64%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 63%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 60%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 49%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 49%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 47%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 46%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 46%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 42%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 34%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 30%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 29%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 27%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 24%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 21%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 19%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 14%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 84%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 82%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 82%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 79%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 79%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 75%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 71%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 66%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 66%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 64%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 64%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 64%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 63%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 61%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 57%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 55%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 54%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 48%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 46%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Speed of recognition

    Quickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 83%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 82%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 79%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 78%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 78%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 78%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 74%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 70%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 69%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 69%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 66%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 66%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 61%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 61%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 60%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 59%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 57%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 56%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 52%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 48%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 76%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 67%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 43%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 19%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 14%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 86%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 83%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 81%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 81%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 62%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 43%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 96%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 94%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 92%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 88%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 88%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 85%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 77%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 73%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 69%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 67%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 67%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 65%

    Dangerous conditions

    Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.

  • 65%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 65%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 64%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 63%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 62%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 60%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 57%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 19-1029.02 - Molecular and Cellular Biologists.


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