Working as a Biologist [NOC 21110]
Industry Overview
Approximately 3,250 people currently work as biologists and related scientists in BC. 2972 of these professionals are registered with the College of Applied Biology including Professional Biologists (RPBio), Registered Biology Technologists (RBTech), Applied Biology Technicians (ABTS), and Biologists in Training (BIT).
JobBank Canada forecasts that the employment outlook will be good for biologists for the 2021 to 2023 period.
Sources: College of Applied Biologists, Annual Report, Job Bank Canada Job Outlooks
Job Outlook in BC
Biologists & Related Scientists
Chart from WorkBC
WorkBC provides job openings in BC regions from 2021-2031:
| Region | Employment in 2021 | Average Annual Employment Growth 2021-2031 |
Expected Number of Job Openings 2021-2031 |
| Vancouver Island | 1,010 | 1.1% | 310 |
| Lower Mainland/Southwest | 2,100 | 1.0% | 550 |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 540 | 1.0% | 120 |
| Kootenay | 200 | 1.0% | 50 |
| Cariboo | 200 | 0.1% | 20 |
| North Coast & Nechako | 110 | 0.9% | 20 |
| Northeast | 90 | 1.0% | 20 |
You can learn more about working as a Biologist in BC from:
Types of Employers
Biologists work in both laboratory and field settings for governments; environmental consulting companies; resource and utilities companies; chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnical companies; and health and educational institutions.
Microbiologists work for governments, colleges and universities, research labs, and companies in the drug, mining, and agriculture industries.
Salary & Working Hours
The median annual salary for biologists and related scientists working full-time in BC is $85,238. Wages vary depending on the type of biology, the areas of specialization, level of education and employer.
Full time permanent employees generally receive employee benefits in addition to their salary. Contract, part-time and self-employment are increasingly common in this occupation.
In BC’s regions, you can expect to earn:
Sources: Job Bank Canada Wage Report, WorkBC, Career Cruising
Working Hours
In the early years of your career you may do a lot of lab or field work for more senior researchers and may work long hours. Experienced biologists generally work more regular hours.
Many biologists also spend time at lectures and conferences that fall outside regular work hours. Travel may be required when doing fieldwork or attending conferences.
Source: Career Cruising (profile for Biologist)