Microbiologist
Learn about this occupation – including typical duties, education required, salary and job outlook information, job boards and more.
Microbiologists study the growth and characteristics of micro-organisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites) and their interactions with their environment, and develop medical and industrial applications - for example, in the food processing industry. (alis) They are employed in both laboratory and field settings by governments, environmental consulting companies, resource and utilities companies, chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnical companies and health and educational institutions. (NOC)
Occupational profile
Find detailed information about the occupation, including typical duties and working conditions, in the links below:
- National Occupational Classification (NOC) - Canadian occupational descriptions
- O*NET Online - U.S. resource for occupational descriptions and information
- OCCinfo by alis - Alberta-based occupational information
- Careers in Microbiology and the Microbial Sciences (includes video) - from ASM
- Microbiologist career profile - Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) Canada
- Microbiologist profile - AG Careers
- Industrial Microbiology - Career Information - from SIMB
- A Day in the Life of a Biologist - The Princeton Review
- Careers in the Biological Sciences - American Insitute of Biological Sciences
- Interview: Research Biologist - Scitable by NatureEducation
- Article: So you want to be a Clinical Microbiologist? - University Affairs
- Meet the Microbiologists - member profiles from CSM
- Bio-economy career profiles - interviews with industry professionals from BioTalent Canada
- Discover your Future in Healthcare: Health Researcher - University of Manitoba
Education
U of M Academic Calendar
The Academic Calendar & Catalogue outlines program admission and course requirements. Use the left menu to navigate to a specific faculty and program. To determine which degree path suits your unique occupational goals, speak with a Career Consultant. For support with course registration and academic issues, speak with an Academic Advisor.
Faculty and Department Homepages
Visit the faculty and department homepage to learn about program application deadlines and processes, as well as additional in-house resources and opportunities.
- Department of Microbiology - Faculty of Science
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases - Max Rady College of Medicine
Exploring Other Education Options
Labour market information
Labour market information informs users of supply and demand for specific occupations and sectors. It includes such things as salary and job outlook information. These resources support informed career decision making and job search efforts.
Resources
- Trend Analysis: Job Market Report (Winnipeg Region) - Gov. of Canada Job Bank
- Occupational Outlook Handbook - Job outlook for the U.S.
- Labour Market Reports - from BioTalent Canada
- OpportuNext - salary range and job growth prospects - Manitoba
Professional Associations
Professional associations organize events and directories, job postings, career and labour market information. Student membership opportunities are also available. This is a great way to learn and network.
- Canadian Society of Microbiologists (CSM)
- Canadian Association for Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (CACMID)
- Canadian College of Microbiologists
- Association of Medical Microbiology and Infections Disease Canada
- American Society for Virology
- American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
- Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (SIMB)
- The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
Directories, Industry Associations, and Sector Councils
These resources provide industry news, labour market information and a list of potential employers. Remember, there are usually multiple industries worth exploring.
- BioTalent Canada - Human resource info & biotechnology skills development
- BIOTE Canada member listing - Canada’s health, industrial and agricultural biotechnology sectors
- Biosciences Association of Manitoba
- Innovative Medicines Canada - corporate members
- Manitoba Environmental Industry Association
- Environmental Careers Organization Canada
- Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada - members
- Food & Beverage Manitoba - members
- Council of State Biosciences Associations (U.S.)
- Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology - view corporate members via left menu
Job Boards
Search occupations of interest in the industry-specific job boards below to learn about skill requirements, employers, job duties and available jobs. You may also wish to search more general online job boards.
Other links
External resources that will provide you with additional information about the occupation, areas of work and opportunities to build experience:
- Undergraduate Microbiology Students' Club - University of Manitoba
- MicroGSA - graduate students at University of Manitoba
- WISE Kid-netic Energy - University of Manitoba outreach program that offers hands on, curriculum based science, engineering and technology deliverables for youth K-12
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada - view 'Students and Fellows' programs
- Bio-economy skills profiles - skill requirements by position from Biotalent Canada
- Non-research career options - Microbiology Society (U.K.)
- Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology
- National Microbiology Laboratory - Public Health Agency of Canada
- Careers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Government of Canada
- Science Careers magazine - American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Scitable by NatureEducation - library of career planning and other articles
- Microbe Matters - blog features
- Journal of Virology - American Society for Microbiology
- Infection Prevention & Control Canada
- Article: The Man Behind the National Microbiology Laboratory - Dr. Matthew Gilmour - 'Science behind the scenes' from the Government of Canada
- Article: Cleaning Up the Environment: Life as a Senior Remediation Lab Manager - from ASM