Biologists
On this page
Job description
These individuals seek to gain a deeper understanding of living organisms and improve the management of natural resources. They also aim to develop practices and products in medicine and agriculture. They work in laboratories or in the field for:
- The government
- Environmental consulting firms
- Resource and utility companies
- Chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech companies
- Health and educational institutions
- Analytical laboratories
- Research centres
- Consulting firms
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Climatic conditions
- Biological agents
- Humidity
- Uncontrolled ambient temperature
Main tasks
Biologists
- Research the environment, plants, and animals.
- Identify and categorize plants and animals and conduct experiments on their growth, heredity, and reproduction.
- Study the ecological and environmental impacts of different projects and human activity.
- Draft reports and plans for the management of renewable, water, and natural resources.
- Supervise Technologists, Technicians, and other Scientists, if needed.
- Assess or diagnose habitats to identify the actions needed to improve them.
- Ensure the sustainability of the fauna and flora.
- Collaborate with other specialists to study, develop, and apply land use plans.
Microbiologists and Cellular and Molecular Biologists
- Research the structure, functions, ecology, biotechnology, and genetics of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae, etc.).
- Conduct studies to identify pathogens and toxins, understand their effects, and find ways to control them.
- Screen for and evaluate the use of drugs, pharmaceuticals, and nanoparticles in the biomedical field.
- Study and experiment with gene expression, gene manipulation, and recombinant DNA technology.
- Discover, develop, refine, evaluate, and commercialize new products, as required.
- Supervise Technologists and Technicians.
- Analyze biostatistical data using mathematical modelling techniques.
- Monitor and certify the microbiological quality of water and air and the safety and suitability of food and some consumer products.
- Determine the parameters that must be met for the safe and effective use of microorganisms and their subsequent elimination.
Advancement and mobility
- These individuals may specialize in various fields (botany, zoology, genetics, bioinformatics, etc.).
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $23.50
- Median
- $38.46
- Maximum
- $54.95
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 65.4% Female
- 34.6% Male
- 65.4% Female
- 34.6% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- None
All of Québec
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
-
NAICS 5416, 541732% of jobs
-
NAICS 9120% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 62314% of jobs
-
NAICS 417% of jobs
-
NAICS 324, 3255% of jobs
-
Others22% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 5416, 541732% of jobs
-
NAICS 9120% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 62314% of jobs
-
NAICS 417% of jobs
-
NAICS 324, 3255% of jobs
-
Others22% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Agriculture
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 78.4%
18.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Animal science or livestock sciences
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 57.1%
42.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Basic or applied health sciences
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 12.6%
83.8% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 48.2%
49.1% of graduates pursue further studies
Biochemistry
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 35%
60.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 48.4%
41.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Biological or biomedical engineering
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 76.5%
23.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 50%
50% of graduates pursue further studies
Biological sciences, biology or plant biology
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 31.7%
64.1% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 79.2%
16.9% of graduates pursue further studies
- Bishop's University
- Concordia University
- Université de Montréal
- Université de Sherbrooke
- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
- Université du Québec en Outaouais
- Université du Québec à Montréal
- Université du Québec à Rimouski
- Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
- Université Laval
- McGill University
- Institut national de recherche scientifique
Biophysics
Chemistry
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 31.7%
62.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 66.7%
30.3% of graduates pursue further studies
Earth science
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 58.3%
41.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 100%
Environment (environmental quality and pollution)
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 45.9%
48% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 84.9%
7.5% of graduates pursue further studies
- Bishop's University
- Concordia University
- Université de Montréal
- Université de Sherbrooke
- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
- Université du Québec en Outaouais
- Université du Québec à Montréal
- Université du Québec à Rimouski
- Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
- Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
- Université Laval
- McGill University
Food sciences and technology
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 58.1%
39.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 89.5%
5.3% of graduates pursue further studies
Genetics
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 54.5%
45.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Hydrology and water sciences
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 75%
25% of graduates pursue further studies
Microbiology, immunology or parasitology
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 29.6%
68% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 55.6%
44.4% of graduates pursue further studies
Multidisciplinary (Health sciences)
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 32.4%
58.8% of graduates pursue further studies
Natural resources or renewable resources
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 75%
25% of graduates pursue further studies
Oceanography
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 84.6%
15.4% of graduates pursue further studies
Pharmacology or pharmaceutical science
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 63.9%
26.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 81.9%
13.3% of graduates pursue further studies
Plant science or crop science
Zoology
Sometimes required
- Postdoctoral research experience is usually required for employment in university departments or research institutions.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Information processing
- Active listening
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thought
- Science
- Written expression
- Oral expression
- Active learning
- Judgment and decision-making
- Solving complex problems
- Coordination
- System analysis
- Time management
- Result evaluation
- Systems evaluation
- Social perception
- Quality control analysis
- Teaching
- Human resource management
- Mathematics
- Negotiation
- Service oriented
- Persuasion
Abilities
- Written comprehension
- Oral comprehension
- Deductive reasoning
- Written expression
- Verbal skills
- Inductive reasoning
- Awareness of issues
- Information organization
- Speech clarity
- Near vision
- Speech recognition
- Classification
- Selective attention
- Idea generation
- Originality
- Basic numeracy
- Distance vision
- Mathematical reasoning
- Perception speed
- Processing flexibility
Knowledge and attributes
- Critical thinking
- Capacity to adapt
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Capacity to work in a team
- Rigour
- Respect standards and regulations
- Desire to upgrade one’s competencies
- Sense of observation
- Knowledge of biology
- Knowledge of chemistry
Interests
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Carry out research
- Develop and exploit natural resources
- Work outdoors
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
Official name of the NOC 21110
Biologists and related scientists
Job titles
- Cell biologist
- Biologist
- Ecologist
- Microbiologist
- Zoologist
- Agrogeologist
- Algologist
- Anatomist
- Plant anatomist
- Clinical research associate
- Astrobiologist
- Bacteriologist
- Bacteriologist - animal health
- Food bacteriologist
- Fishery bacteriologist
- Dairy bacteriologist
- Soil bacteriologist
- Pharmaceutical bacteriologist
- Public health bacteriologist
- Industrial bacteriologist
- Bioinformatician
- Systems biologist
- Environmental biologist
- Developmental biologist
- Wildlife biologist
- Aquatic biologist
- Plant population biologist
- Enzymology biologist
- Parasitology biologist
- Medical parasitology biologist
- Veterinary parasitology biologist
- Protozoology biologist
- Research biologist
- Molecular biologist
- Physiological biophysicist
- Botanist
- Economic botanist
- Bryologist
- Clinical research project manager
- Crop-research scientist
- Biomedical nanotechnology research scientist
- Clinical research trials coordinator
- Cytochemist
- Cytogeneticist
- Cytologist
- Cytologist-microbiologist
- Marine mammal trainer
- Ecobiologist
- Animal ecologist
- Forest ecologist
- Rural ecologist
- Embryologist
- Entomologist
- Apiculture entomologist
- Enzymologist
- Etiologist
- Molecular geneticist
- Animal geneticist
- Geneticist
- Developmental geneticist
- Population geneticist
- Clinical research program manager
- Helminthologist
- Wildlife helminthologist
- Herpetologist
- Histologist
- Histopathologist
- Hydrobiologist
- Marine hydrobiologist
- Ichthyologist
- Immunologist
- Laboratory immunologist
- Limnologist
- Malariologist
- Mammalogist
- Mycologist
- Naturalist
- Wildlife naturalist
- Park naturalist
- Nematologist
- Plant nematologist
- Ornithologist
- Osteologist
- Parasitologist
- Forest pathologist
- Pharmacologist
- Physiologist
- Cellular physiologist
- Human physiologist
- Insect physiologist
- Plant physiologist
- Molecular physiologist
- Physiologist-biochemist - nuclear medicine
- Phytobiologist
- Plant ecologist
- Plant breeder
- Phytopathologist
- Plant scientist
- Protozoologist
- Agricultural scientist
- Poultry scientist
- Food products scientist
- Dairy scientist
- Crop scientist
- Biological scientist
- Food research scientist
- Domestic animal scientist
- Serologist
- Animal nutritionist
- Extraction specialist - cannabis
- Biology systematist
- Animal taxonomist
- Plant taxonomist
- Biology taxonomist
- Mechanistic toxicologist
- Staff toxicologist
- Toxicologist
- Descriptive toxicologist
- Environmental toxicologist
- Environmental and occupational toxicologist
- Regulatory toxicologist
- Virologist
- Interpretative naturalist
- Invertebrate zoologist
Skill type
Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
Related occupations
- Architecture and science managers
- Biological technologists and technicians
- Biologists and related scientists
- Chemists
- Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
- Managers in health care
- Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries
- Post-secondary teaching and research assistants
- Public and environmental health and safety professionals
Last update: January 29, 2026