Also called: Strain Engineer, Cell Factory Engineer
Rewires the metabolism of microbes so they produce fuels, foods, or chemicals.
Edits genes in E. coli to boost production of a plant-based ingredient, measures output in mini-bioreactors, and figures out which bottleneck to fix next.
Estimate; industry pays more than universities.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 10 years after high school. PhD in biology or a related field, often plus a postdoc.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Microbiology.
Growing faster than average. Tracks BLS life scientists (medical scientists and biochemists grow faster than average).
Medium risk for 10 years. AI predicts pathway bottlenecks and suggests gene edits; running bioreactors, troubleshooting and scale-up calls stay human.
Classes: Chemistry, Biology, AP Calculus, Engineering design class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2041.
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.