Marine Biologist Research Assistant
Impact: Knowledge creation, Environmental conservation
Conducts scientific research on marine organisms and ecosystems, collecting and analyzing data to contribute to scientific understanding and conservation efforts.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 60% Team / 40% Solo
- Client facing
- Rarely
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- 20-40% for fieldwork and conferences
- Schedule flexibility
- Flexible
- Remote work
- Limited Remote
- Typical work hours
- 40-50 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $65,000
- Entry-level
- $45,000 - $55,000
- Senior
- $85,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 7% (average)
- Demand
- Growing
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- Moderate to 50-70% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $30,000 - $60,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Data Analysis
- Scientific Writing
- Fieldwork Techniques
- Laboratory Skills
- Statistical Software (R/Python)
- Marine Biology
Soft skills
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Attention to Detail
- Communication
- Adaptability
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Bachelor's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 4-6 years
- Years to senior
- 8-12 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Research Assistant
- Marine Biologist
- Senior Marine Biologist
- Research Scientist
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 25% to low risk due to complex data interpretation and fieldwork
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Growing
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 3.9/10
- Meaning
- 4.2/10
- Work-life balance
- 3.2/10
- Prestige
- 7.5/10
- Social perception
- High