Also called: Process Microbiologist
Manages the trillions of microbes that do the dirty work of cleaning sewage, and tracks diseases through wastewater testing.
You look at sludge under a microscope to check the health of the bacteria, adjust conditions, and test wastewater for signs of COVID or flu spreading in town.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in microbiology or biology.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Microbiology, Biology, Environmental Science.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years).
Medium risk for 10 years. Automated sequencing and AI analysis speed lab work; deciding what the data means for public health stays human.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1022.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.