Plan treated and untreated cells
Decide beforehand which cells get a treatment and which stay untouched, so any difference traces to its cause.
Career profile
Molecular and Cellular Biologist
Molecular and cellular biologists study how cells work by testing what their molecules do.
Why would altering one protein change how a cell behaves? You design experiments that turn questions like that into evidence.
A day in the life
Change a gene in cultured cells
In cell culture jobs, you plate cells, alter one gene's activity, then measure how the cells react.
Check software-traced cell borders
Measure cells in image-analysis software, then check its traced borders, since merging two touching cells can skew results.
Present graphs at a research meeting
Compare your graphs with earlier findings, and when the data challenge your explanation, propose another experiment.
Quick facts
Degree plus research experience
United States · 2026
Not displayed
A separate national median for this specialty is not available. See the role-specific salary ranges below.
Not displayed
A separate national growth rate and annual openings estimate for this specialty are not available.
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Degree plus research experienceSome roles accept a bachelor’s degree with relevant experience; others call for doctoral training.
Pay
Not displayedA separate national median for this specialty is not available. See the role-specific salary ranges below.
Outlook
Not displayedA separate national growth rate and annual openings estimate for this specialty are not available.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You want to test why something happens, even when the first explanation seems convincing.
- You enjoy careful hands-on work and checking whether measurements deserve your trust.
- You like explaining a graph and hearing someone question your interpretation.
Things to weigh
- A carefully prepared experiment can still give an unclear answer. Repeating it may be necessary before you can move on.
- Some workweeks exceed 40 hours, and reports or funding applications can take you away from the lab bench.
Where AI may help
Image-analysis software can measure large collections of cell images and help group cells by their appearance.
What people still lead
You decide which biological question matters, what comparison can answer it, and whether the measurements support your explanation.
What we can’t predict yet
How much image checking can be automated depends on the cells and images. A method that works on one experiment may need adjustment for the next.
Pay in context
Earnings
Your job level, research experience and employer matter. These California salary ranges show two distinct roles; they are not national averages or a measure of the pay advantage of one workplace.
Industry cellular research
An associate scientist role developing cell-based tests in Thousand Oaks lists $94,340.65–$127,637.35 a year in base salary. It requires a master’s degree plus one year of relevant experience, or a bachelor’s plus three years. Skills and qualifications affect the offer.
University research after a doctorate
A molecular and cell biology postdoctoral role in Davis lists $69,073–$74,281 a year. It requires a relevant doctorate and involves managing a research project, developing tests and mentoring junior lab members.
Getting started
Combine a science degree with research experience
- What the route involves
- Study biology or a related science, then build relevant experience designing experiments, analyzing results and working with cell models.
- What it can lead to
- Some scientist roles accept this experience in place of a doctorate. A rare-disease research role accepts a bachelor’s plus five years of scientific research, or a master’s plus three.
- What to check
- Those thresholds belong to that role; employers also assess whether your laboratory skills match their research.
Train through a research doctorate
- What the route involves
- After a bachelor’s degree, pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) through advanced courses, laboratory rotations and an original dissertation project.
- What it can lead to
- A relevant doctorate makes you eligible for postdoctoral research roles where you develop experiments and take responsibility for a defined research question.
- What to check
- Some doctoral programs admit students without a master’s degree. Admission and completion requirements depend on the program.
There are routes through degree study and through accumulated research experience. Match your preparation to the experiments a lab needs you to run.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Make your results dependable
Learn the lab’s methods and keep records another researcher can use to repeat your experiment.
Take ownership of a question
Connect your experiments with published findings and explain to collaborators which next test would resolve an uncertainty.
Lead a research program
A faculty route can lead to running a lab, seeking research funding and mentoring students. Competitive appointments may require postdoctoral experience and evidence of research achievement.
Where you can work
University research laboratories
Your project sits alongside student training and publication. You may mentor junior researchers, discuss findings at seminars and help turn experiments into papers or funding proposals.
- Indoors
- Lab
Drug-discovery laboratories
Cell experiments feed decisions about potential treatments. You work with disease specialists and automation colleagues, making tests repeatable enough to compare many experimental conditions.
- Indoors
- Lab
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Try a free CellProfiler example using its supplied cell images. Compare the software’s cell outlines with what you see, then change one setting and check the result. Notice whether investigating a measurement error interests you.
Stay safe: Use the supplied digital images; no cell culture or laboratory materials are needed.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Molecular and Cellular Biologists — 19-1029.02. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: Molecular and Cellular Biologists. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Amgen. Associate Scientist — Cellular Assay Development, Functional Genomics. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Amgen. Scientist, Rare Disease Biology. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Harvard University. Molecules, Cells and Organisms doctoral program. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- University of California, Davis. Postdoctoral Scholar — Barlow lab, JPF07651. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- University of California, Davis. Assistant/Associate Professor — Cell Biology & Human Anatomy, JPF07708. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- CellProfiler. CellProfiler: automated biological image analysis. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- CellProfiler. Getting Started. Accessed 2026-10-04.