PhD Microbiology Job Market

[jchou09]

I'm currently an undergrad microbiology major thinking about getting a phd in microbiology. I would prefer to work in industry (pharmaceutical, biotech, etc.) rather than academia after obtaining my phd. Is there alot of jobs for phd microbiologists in industry, or should I just not bother?

[isobel_a]

I'd say next to engineering or pharmacology, microbiology is probably the most industry-friendly graduate field. Whether you choose the medical or environmental route, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding work as a researcher. Biotech/envirotech are basically the only growth sectors left in the U.S.

At the moment, with the economy as bad as it is, opportunities are more limited than they would be in an upswing. But I wouldn't worry about starving to death with a background in micro research.

Personally I'm hoping to go into biofuels development

[elem3nt]

People tend to be very negative about job prospects, especially on the internet. I have heard a mix of opinions IRL, with postdocs generally being the most negative and professors (any rank) being the most positive. From what I have gathered, your job prospects are highly influenced by whose lab you worked in and what connections your PI has - thus, things are probably very different for the PhD who got his degree from a no-name lab at Big State U and goes around trolling the internet on how bad the job situation is than for someone who got his degree in a trendy/hot topic lab at a top university.