An official State of Ohio site. Here’s how you know
Contact

Welcome,
New User

User: New User

Date: 10/25/2026

Biologists

Research or study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and functions.

View All

    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Measure salinity, acidity, light, oxygen content, and other physical conditions of water to determine their relationship to aquatic life.
    • Research environmental effects of present and potential uses of land and water areas, determining methods of improving environmental conditions or such outputs as crop yields.
    • Plan and administer biological research programs for government, research firms, medical industries, or manufacturing firms.
    • Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.
    • Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.
    • Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.
    • Review reports and proposals, such as those relating to land use classifications and recreational development, for accuracy, adequacy, or adherence to policies, regulations, or scientific standards.
    • Prepare requests for proposals or statements of work.
    • Communicate test results to state and federal representatives and general public.
    • Develop pest management and control measures, and conduct risk assessments related to pest exclusion, using scientific methods.
    • Identify, classify, and study structure, behavior, ecology, physiology, nutrition, culture, and distribution of plant and animal species.
    • Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment.
    • Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment.
    • Represent employer in a technical capacity at conferences.
    • Develop methods and apparatus for securing representative plant, animal, aquatic, or soil samples.
    • Study aquatic plants and animals and environmental conditions affecting them, such as radioactivity or pollution.
    • Supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists.
    • Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings.
    • Identify, classify, and study structure, behavior, ecology, physiology, nutrition, culture, and distribution of plant and animal species.
    • Study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and function.
    • Write grant proposals to obtain funding for biological research.
    • Teach or supervise students and perform research at universities and colleges.
    • Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.
    • Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.
    • Study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and function.
    • Communicate test results to state and federal representatives and general public.
    • Study and manage wild animal populations.
    • Study aquatic plants and animals and environmental conditions affecting them, such as radioactivity or pollution.
    • Study reactions of plants, animals, and marine species to parasites.
    • Prepare plans for management of renewable resources.
    • Study reactions of plants, animals, and marine species to parasites.

    Skills

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Active Listening

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

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Critical Thinking

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

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Complex Problem Solving

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

    • Systems Evaluation

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

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    N/A
    Workplace Documents
    N/A
    Graphic Literacy
    N/A

    Abilities

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    Knowledge

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • English Language

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

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    Career Video

    Video not available
    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 95560/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 45.94/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 510
    • Yearly Projected Openings 40

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Innovation
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Achievement Orientation

    Tools

    • Analytical balances
    • Automated microscope stages
    • Barometers
    • Benchtop centrifuges
    • Bi distillation units
    • Binocular light compound microscopes
    • Chemical or gas sterilizers
    • Commercial fishing nets
    • Conductivity meters
    • Cuvettes
    • Dehydrators
    • Deoxyribonucleic sequence analyzers
    • Desktop computer
    • Digestion systems
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Direction finding compasses
    • Dissolved carbon dioxide analyzers
    • Dropping pipettes
    • Dry wall single chamber carbon dioxide incubators
    • Drying cabinets or ovens
    • Electron microscopes
    • Electronic toploading balances
    • Fluorescent microscopes
    • Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubators
    • Freeze dryers or lyophilizers
    • French pressure cells
    • Fume hoods or cupboards
    • Gas burners
    • Gas chromatographs
    • Gel boxes
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Goggles
    • HEPA filtered enclosures
    • Handheld thermometer
    • High pressure liquid chromatograph chromatography
    • Homogenizers
    • Inverted microscopes
    • Laboratory balances
    • Laboratory beakers
    • Laboratory burets
    • Laboratory evaporators
    • Laboratory flasks
    • Laboratory forceps
    • Laboratory funnels
    • Laboratory general purpose tubing
    • Laboratory graduated cylinders
    • Laboratory hotplates
    • Laboratory microwave ovens
    • Laboratory stirring rods
    • Laboratory washing machines
    • Laminar flow cabinets or stations
    • Liquid scintillation counters
    • Magnetic stirrers
    • Mainframe computer
    • Microbiology inoculation loops or needles
    • Microplate readers
    • Microplates
    • Microscope slides
    • Microtomes
    • Multipurpose or general test tubes
    • Notebook computer
    • Open stream current meters
    • Orbital shaking water baths
    • Pasteur or transfer pipettes
    • Personal computer
    • Petri plates or dishes
    • Photo attachments for microscopes
    • Photometer
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Protective gloves
    • Radiation detectors
    • Rapid amplification or complementary deoxyribonucleic acid ends RACE technology products
    • Refrigerated benchtop centrifuges
    • Robotic or automated liquid handling systems
    • Safety glasses
    • Salinity meter
    • Sampling syringes
    • Scanning electron microscopes
    • Scanning light or spinning disk or laser scanning microscopes
    • Scientific calculator
    • Shaking incubators
    • Specialty plates for bacteria
    • Specimen collection container
    • Spectrometers
    • Spectrophotometers
    • Standard fermentation units
    • Stereo or dissecting light microscopes
    • Stirring hotplates
    • Tissue culture coated plates or dishes or inserts
    • Tissue culture incubators
    • Transilluminators
    • Transmission electron microscopes
    • Triple beam balances
    • Tube furnaces
    • Ultra cold or ultralow upright cabinets or freezers
    • Ultra violet water purification units
    • Ultracentrifuges
    • Ultrasonic disintegrators
    • Vacuum or centrifugal concentrators
    • Video attachments for microscopes
    • Vortex mixers
    • Water samplers
    • Weather stations
    • pH meters

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Business intelligence and data analysis software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Development environment software
    • Geographic information system
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software
    Need help on researching occupations and careers? Download the Guide to Researching Occupations (PDF).

    Need help on how to research education and training programs? Download the Guide to Higher Education (PDF).

    Budget Calculator

    Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

    Lifestyle Calculator

    Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

    Workforce Supply Tool

    Workforce Supply Tool

    The Workforce Supply Tool provides statistics for the occupations in highest demand throughout Ohio.

    You can view statewide statistics as well as more region specific information.

    Visit Site
    Powered By: