Also called: BioWatch Lab Technician, Public Health Biothreat Technician
Tests air filter samples from city sensors for germs like anthrax that could be used in a bioterror attack.
Receives filters collected overnight from air samplers around a big city and processes them in a secure lab. You run DNA tests for a list of dangerous germs, check controls and report results by morning. Almost every result is negative, but you practice exactly what to do if one isn't.
Estimate; government lab pay.
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; background check required.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Microbiology, Biology.
Growing about average. Steady with homeland security funding.
Medium risk for 10 years. Automated field detectors may replace some lab testing, but confirming results stays human.
Classes: Biology, Chemistry, Math.
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.